2000
#52,500
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 371
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.14
Very Rare Last name
Theile
A surname derived from the German word meaning "valley" or "dale".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 483 Americans carry the last name Theile. That puts it at #53,103 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 709,636 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Theile 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
483
1 in 709,636
Census rank
#53,103
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
421
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 421 bearers of the surname Theile in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 53103rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Theile, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Theile
The surname Theile originated in Germany and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old German word 'theil', which means 'portion' or 'share'. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who was responsible for dividing or allocating land or resources.
Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name Theile can be found in medieval German records and manuscripts. For example, a man named Heinrich Theile is mentioned in a document from the city of Mainz in 1298.
The name Theile is also linked to several place names in Germany, such as Theileneichen, a village in the state of Hesse. This suggests that the name may have originated as a locative surname, given to someone who lived near or came from a place with a similar name.
One notable person with the surname Theile was Johann Friedrich Theile, a German composer and organist who lived from 1646 to 1724. He is known for his contributions to the development of the concerto grosso and his work as a church musician in various German cities.
Another historically significant figure with the surname Theile was Karl Theile, a German military officer and strategist who lived from 1836 to 1914. He played a crucial role in the development of military tactics and strategies during the late 19th century.
In the 18th century, a man named Johann Gottfried Theile was a prominent German theologian and philosopher. He was born in 1720 and died in 1785, and his works focused on exploring the relationship between reason and faith.
The surname Theile can also be found in early records from other parts of Europe, such as the Netherlands and Switzerland. For instance, there are records of a family named Theile living in the Swiss city of Basel in the 16th century.
Another notable person with the surname Theile was Gustav Theile, a German painter and illustrator who lived from 1867 to 1919. He is known for his detailed and realistic depictions of landscapes and nature scenes.
While the surname Theile is most commonly associated with Germany, it has also been found in other parts of the world due to migration and immigration. However, its origins can be traced back to the Germanic regions of central Europe, where it has a long and rich history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Theile
Among Census respondents with the surname Theile, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Theile 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 Theile surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.5% · 381
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 20
- Two or more races4.5% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Theile
Theile 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
#52,482
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 395
+24 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 18 places
2020
#53,103
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 421
+26 bearers (+6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 621 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #52,500 | 371 | 0.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #52,482 | 395 | 0.13 | +24 bearers (+6.5%) | Up 18 places |
| 2020 | #53,103 | 421 | 0.14 | +26 bearers (+6.6%) | Down 621 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 Theile 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 | #52,482 | #53,103 | -1.2% |
| Count | 395 | 421 | 6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.14 | 8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Theile bearers went from 395 to 421 (+6.6% change). The surname moved down 621 positions in the national ranking, going from #52,482 to #53,103.
FAQ
Theile surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Theile?
Name Census estimates that about 483 living Americans carry the surname Theile. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 709,636 residents.
How common is Theile?
Theile ranks #53,103 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 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 421 people with the surname Theile. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (483), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 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 Theile.
Has Theile become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Theile went from 395 recorded bearers to 421. That is an increase of 26 (+6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #52,482 to #53,103.
What does the Census say about the background of Theile?
Among Census respondents with the surname Theile, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Theile in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (381 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Theile appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.5%), Hispanic (4.8%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Theile (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 Theile mean?
A surname derived from the German word meaning "valley" or "dale". 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 Theile (0.14 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 are called Theile?
Want to know how common the surname Theile is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.