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

Thelisma, 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 Thelisma surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Thelisma in America

Thelisma is the 114424th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Thelisma surname appeared 153 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Thelisma.

The history of the last name Thelisma

The surname THELISMA is believed to have originated in the Greek islands of the Aegean Sea during the late Byzantine period, around the 12th or 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Greek words "thelēma," meaning "will" or "desire," and "isma," a suffix indicating a state or condition. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone with a strong or determined will.

The earliest recorded instances of the THELISMA surname can be found in the archives of various Greek monasteries and churches from the 14th and 15th centuries. One notable example is a manuscript from the Monastery of Vatopedi on Mount Athos, dated to around 1380, which mentions a monk named Theophilos Thelisma.

In the following centuries, the THELISMA name appears to have spread across the Greek mainland and other parts of the Ottoman Empire. Several individuals bearing this surname are mentioned in Ottoman tax records and legal documents from the 16th and 17th centuries, particularly in areas with significant Greek populations.

One prominent figure with the THELISMA surname was Ioannis Thelisma, a Greek scholar and philosopher who lived in the late 16th century. He was known for his works on Aristotelian philosophy and his teachings at the Patriarchal School in Constantinople.

Another notable THELISMA was Konstantinos Thelisma (1760-1832), a Greek merchant and philanthropist from the island of Chios. He made a significant fortune through trade and used his wealth to support educational institutions and charitable causes throughout the Greek communities of the Ottoman Empire.

During the Greek War of Independence (1821-1832), a military officer named Alexandros Thelisma (1790-1845) played a key role in the liberation of the Peloponnese region from Ottoman rule. He later served as a member of the first Greek National Assembly.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, several individuals with the THELISMA surname were involved in the Greek literary and academic circles. One example is Georgios Thelisma (1868-1943), a renowned philologist and professor at the University of Athens.

While the THELISMA surname has its roots in the Greek-speaking world, it is also found among Greek diaspora communities in various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and other countries with significant Greek immigration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Thelisma

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

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 Thelisma 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.

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

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

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