2000
#21,680
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.42
Rare Last name
Thein
A surname derived from the German word for servant or attendant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,125 Americans carry the last name Thein. That puts it at #15,248 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 161,296 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Thein 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
2.1K
1 in 161,296
Census rank
#15,248
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,853 bearers of the surname Thein in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15248th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Thein, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 51.4%. The next largest groups are White (43.8%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Thein
Among Census respondents with the surname Thein, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 51.4%. The next largest groups are White (43.8%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Thein 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 Thein surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander51.4% · 952
- White43.8% · 811
- Two or more races2.4% · 44
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 34
- Black or African American0.3% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Thein
Thein 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
#18,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,462
+342 bearers (+30.5%)
Per 100,000 0.50
Rank movement Up 2,923 places
2020
#15,248
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,853
+391 bearers (+26.7%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Up 3,509 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #21,680 | 1,120 | 0.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,757 | 1,462 | 0.50 | +342 bearers (+30.5%) | Up 2,923 places |
| 2020 | #15,248 | 1,853 | 0.62 | +391 bearers (+26.7%) | Up 3,509 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 Thein 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 | #18,757 | #15,248 | 18.7% |
| Count | 1,462 | 1,853 | 26.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.50 | 0.62 | 24.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Thein bearers went from 1,462 to 1,853 (+26.7% change). The surname moved up 3,509 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,757 to #15,248.
FAQ
Thein surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Thein?
Name Census estimates that about 2,125 living Americans carry the surname Thein. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 161,296 residents.
How common is Thein?
Thein ranks #15,248 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,853 people with the surname Thein. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Thein.
Has Thein become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Thein went from 1,462 recorded bearers to 1,853. That is an increase of 391 (+26.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #18,757 to #15,248.
What does the Census say about the background of Thein?
Among Census respondents with the surname Thein, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 51.4%. The next largest groups are White (43.8%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Thein in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.4% (952 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Thein appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (51.4%), White (43.8%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Thein (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 Thein mean?
A surname derived from the German word for servant or attendant. 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 Thein (0.62 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 have the surname Thein?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.