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

Theisen, 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 Theisen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Theisen in America

Theisen is the 6025th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Theisen surname appeared 5,707 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Theisen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Theisen 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 Theisen

The surname Theisen originates from Germany, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Middle German word "theis," meaning "worker" or "laborer." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as an occupational surname for those employed in manual labor.

The name Theisen is predominantly found in the regions of Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, and Hesse in western Germany. It was particularly prevalent in the towns and villages surrounding the cities of Trier and Saarbrücken. Some variations in spelling, such as Theißen and Theijsen, were also common in these areas during the early modern period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Theisen can be found in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of the town of Trier, which date back to the late 16th century. These records mention a Johann Theisen, who was born in 1587.

In the 17th century, a notable bearer of the name was Johann Theisen (1597-1667), a German Protestant theologian and author from the city of Saarbrücken. He wrote several works on theology and religious controversies of the time.

During the 18th century, the Theisen surname gained further recognition with the birth of Johann Friedrich Theisen (1768-1826), a German composer and organist from the town of Frankenberg in Hesse. He composed numerous works for organ and other instruments, and was highly regarded in his time.

Another prominent individual with the surname Theisen was Karl Theisen (1823-1901), a German politician and lawyer from Trier. He served as a member of the Prussian House of Representatives and was involved in the unification of Germany in the late 19th century.

In the 20th century, one of the most notable bearers of the name was Gustav Theisen (1899-1976), a German physicist and academic. He made significant contributions to the fields of nuclear physics and quantum mechanics, and held professorships at several prestigious universities in Germany.

While the surname Theisen has its roots in western Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through emigration. However, its origins and historical significance can be traced back to the regions of Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, and Hesse, where it first emerged as an occupational surname during the 16th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Theisen

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

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

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

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