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

Thein, 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 Thein surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Thein in America

Thein is the 18757th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Thein surname appeared 1,462 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Thein.

We can also compare 2010 data for Thein 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 Thein

The surname Thein originated in Germany, with its earliest known records dating back to the late 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "thein," meaning a small parcel or plot of land. This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who owned or worked on a small plot of land.

One of the earliest known references to the name Thein can be found in the records of the town of Nuremberg in 1492, where a certain Hans Thein is mentioned as a landowner. Another early record is from the city of Leipzig in 1517, where a merchant named Johann Thein is listed in the city's trade registers.

In the 16th century, the name Thein also appeared in various other parts of Germany, including the regions of Saxony and Bavaria. During this time, the spelling variations included Thayn, Theyn, and Theyn.

A notable figure with the surname Thein was Johann Christoph Thein, a German composer and organist who lived from 1676 to 1744. He was known for his contributions to the development of the organ fugue and his works for the church.

Another individual of historical significance was Friedrich Thein, a German politician and lawyer who lived from 1809 to 1889. He served as a member of the Frankfurt Parliament and played a role in the revolutionary movements of 1848-1849.

In the 19th century, the name Thein also appeared in some historical records from the Netherlands, suggesting that some individuals with this surname may have migrated from Germany to the Low Countries.

One of the earliest known instances of the name in the Netherlands was a certain Pieter Thein, who was recorded as a resident of Amsterdam in the 1820s.

Another notable figure with the surname Thein was Karl Thein, a German geographer and explorer who lived from 1859 to 1931. He is known for his extensive travels and contributions to the study of geography and cartography.

Overall, the surname Thein has a rich history rooted in Germany, with its earliest known records dating back to the late 15th century. While it may have originated as a reference to landowners or those who worked on small plots of land, the name has since been carried by individuals across various professions and regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Thein

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

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 Thein 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 Thein 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 Thein was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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