2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Theige
A German surname derived from local place names containing "thei", meaning thigh or slope.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Theige. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Theige surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Theige in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Theige, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Theige
The surname THEIGE has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old High German word "thegno," which means "servant" or "attendant." The name may have been given to individuals who worked in the service of noblemen or in the royal court.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name THEIGE can be found in the archives of the city of Nuremberg in the year 1569. These records mention a certain Hans THEIGE, a merchant who traded in textiles and spices. It is likely that his ancestors were servants or attendants to the wealthy merchants or nobility in the region.
In the late 17th century, the THEIGE name appeared in several parish records in the village of Kirchberg, located in the Black Forest region of Germany. These records indicate that the THEIGE family had established themselves as respected landowners and farmers in the area.
One notable individual bearing the THEIGE surname was Johann THEIGE (1652-1718), a renowned clockmaker from the town of Schramberg in the Black Forest. His intricate and beautifully crafted clocks were highly sought after by the aristocracy and wealthy merchants of the time.
Another prominent figure was Friedrich THEIGE (1795-1867), a German philosopher and scholar who taught at the University of Heidelberg. His writings on ethics and metaphysics were widely influential in academic circles during the 19th century.
In the late 19th century, the THEIGE name gained recognition in the literary world with the publication of the novel "Die Theiges von Kirchberg" (The THEIGEs of Kirchberg) by the author Wilhelm Raabe. The novel chronicled the lives of a fictionalized THEIGE family and their struggles during the tumultuous years of the Napoleonic Wars.
Other notable individuals with the THEIGE surname include:
- Gerhard THEIGE (1883-1957), a German architect who designed several landmark buildings in Berlin and Munich.
- Annemarie THEIGE (1908-1992), a renowned German opera singer who performed at various prestigious opera houses across Europe.
- Helmut THEIGE (1923-2001), a German military officer who served in World War II and later became a respected military historian.
While the surname THEIGE may not be as common today as it once was, its historical significance and origins remain deeply rooted in the rich tapestry of German culture and heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Theige
Among Census respondents with the surname Theige, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Theige bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Theige surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 90
- Two or more races6.0% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Theige
Theige appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-8 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,582 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-13 bearers (-11.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 9,481 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 16,582 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -13 bearers (-11.5%) | Down 9,481 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Theige surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #146,201 | #155,682 | -6.5% |
| Count | 113 | 100 | -11.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Theige bearers went from 113 to 100 (-11.5% change). The surname moved down 9,481 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #155,682.
FAQ
Theige surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Theige?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Theige. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Theige?
Theige ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 100 people with the surname Theige. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Theige.
Has Theige become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Theige went from 113 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 13 (-11.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Theige?
Among Census respondents with the surname Theige, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and Hispanic (3.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Theige in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Theige appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Two or More Races (6.0%), Hispanic (3.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Theige (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Theige mean?
A German surname derived from local place names containing "thei", meaning thigh or slope. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Theige (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Theige?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.