Find out how popular the last name Thais is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Thais.

Thais, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Thais surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Thais in America

Thais is the 126018th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Thais surname appeared 136 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Thais.

We can also compare 2010 data for Thais to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Thais

The surname THAIS has its origins in France, tracing back to the medieval period around the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "thaïs," which referred to a type of small songbird, possibly a type of thrush or finch. This connection to a bird species suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname or descriptive name given to an individual with a melodious voice or musical talents.

During the Middle Ages, the name THAIS appeared in various historical records and documents, particularly in regions of northern and central France. One notable reference can be found in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Père de Chartres, a 12th-century manuscript containing charters and deeds related to the Abbey of Saint-Père in Chartres. This manuscript mentions a certain "Radulphus dictus Thais" (Ralph called Thais), indicating the use of the name as a surname or byname during that time period.

The earliest known bearer of the surname THAIS was Jean Thais, a merchant and burgher from the city of Troyes in the Champagne region of France. Records show that he lived in the late 13th century, around the year 1280. Another notable figure was Étienne Thais, a French cleric and scholar who lived in the 14th century (c. 1320-1390) and served as a canon of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris.

In the 15th century, the THAIS surname can be found in various regions of France, including Normandy, Brittany, and the Île-de-France region surrounding Paris. One notable bearer was Guillaume Thais (c. 1440-1510), a wealthy merchant and landowner from the town of Rouen in Normandy.

The name also appears in historical records from the 16th century, such as the Registres Paroissiaux (Parish Registers) of several French towns and villages. One example is Pierre Thais (c. 1520-1585), a farmer and vintner from the village of Gevrey-Chambertin in the Burgundy region, known for its renowned wine-producing vineyards.

As the THAIS surname spread across France over the centuries, it also appeared in various place names and toponyms. Examples include the Château de Thais in the Burgundy region and the village of Thaisy in the Côte-d'Or department, both of which likely derived their names from early bearers of the THAIS surname who settled in or owned land in those areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Thais

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Thais.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Thais was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Thais has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Thais was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Thais, please contact us.

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