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

Thell, 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 Thell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Thell in America

Thell is the 80419th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Thell surname appeared 236 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 Thell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Thell 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 Thell

The surname Thell has its origins in Germany, with the earliest records of the name dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old German word "thelle," which translates to "a valley" or "a hollow." This suggests that the name may have been a topographic surname, given to individuals who lived in or near a valley or hollow area.

In the early days, surnames were often derived from a person's place of residence, occupation, or a distinguishing physical feature. The name Thell likely followed this tradition, with the initial bearers of the name being associated with a specific valley or hollow region in Germany.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Thell can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae," a collection of historical documents from Saxony, which mentions a person named "Henricus de Thelle" in the year 1190. This entry provides evidence of the name's existence and usage during the medieval period.

During the 13th century, the name Thell appeared in various historical records across different regions of Germany. In the "Urkundenbuch der Stadt Hildesheim," a collection of documents from the city of Hildesheim, a person named "Conradus Thelle" is mentioned in the year 1277.

As time passed, the name Thell underwent several variations in spelling, including Thel, Telle, and Thill. These variations were common as scribes often transcribed names based on their phonetic pronunciation, leading to regional differences in spelling.

Notable individuals who bore the surname Thell throughout history include:

1. Johann Thell (1535-1597), a German Protestant theologian and reformer from Saxony.
2. Hans Thell (1588-1648), a German painter and engraver known for his portraits and religious works.
3. Anna Thell (1615-1692), a German midwife and herbalist renowned for her knowledge of traditional medicine.
4. Wilhelm Thell (1761-1829), a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Berlin.
5. Theodor Thell (1842-1918), a German composer and music educator who contributed significantly to the development of choral music in the 19th century.

While the surname Thell may have evolved over time and spread to different regions, its roots can be traced back to the valleys and hollows of medieval Germany, where it likely originated as a descriptive surname associated with the geographical features of the area.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Thell

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

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

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

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