2000
#118,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Thellman
An anglicized form of a German surname derived from a town name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Thellman. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Thellman 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Thellman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Thellman, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Thellman
The surname Thellman is believed to have originated in Germany, with its roots tracing back to the 16th century. The name is derived from the German word "thelle," which means "low ground" or "valley," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname may have lived in or near a valley.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Thellman surname can be found in the parish records of the town of Zittau, located in the eastern part of modern-day Germany, near the border with Poland and the Czech Republic. These records date back to the late 16th century and mention several individuals with variations of the Thellman spelling, such as Thellmann and Thelmann.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Thellman surname began to spread across various regions of Germany, with notable concentrations in the states of Saxony, Brandenburg, and Silesia. One prominent figure from this era was Johann Thellman (1655-1719), a renowned Lutheran theologian and author who served as a pastor in the town of Wittenberg, where Martin Luther had initiated the Protestant Reformation.
As the 19th century dawned, the Thellman surname continued to gain recognition throughout German-speaking lands. One notable individual was Karl Thellman (1817-1892), a successful industrialist and entrepreneur who established several textile mills in the city of Chemnitz, which was then part of the Kingdom of Saxony.
The early 20th century saw the emergence of Ernst Thellman (1901-1944), a prominent German communist and trade union leader who played a significant role in the resistance against the Nazi regime. Despite being imprisoned and tortured, he remained steadfast in his beliefs and is remembered as a symbol of resistance during that tumultuous period.
Another noteworthy figure bearing the Thellman surname was Erich Thellman (1918-1989), a German World War II veteran who later became an accomplished author and journalist. His memoir, "Soldier from the East," provided a unique perspective on the experiences of German soldiers on the Eastern Front during the war.
While the Thellman surname has its roots firmly planted in German soil, it has since spread across various parts of the world, carried by generations of immigrants and their descendants. Despite its geographical dispersal, the name remains a testament to the rich cultural heritage and history of its German origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Thellman
Among Census respondents with the surname Thellman, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Thellman 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 Thellman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.5% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 4
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Thellman
Thellman 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
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
-6 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,374 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-21 bearers (-16.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,595 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,236 | 136 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 12,374 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -21 bearers (-16.2%) | Down 19,595 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 Thellman 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 | #130,610 | #150,205 | -15.0% |
| Count | 130 | 109 | -16.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Thellman bearers went from 130 to 109 (-16.2% change). The surname moved down 19,595 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #150,205.
FAQ
Thellman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Thellman?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Thellman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Thellman?
Thellman ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 109 people with the surname Thellman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Thellman.
Has Thellman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Thellman went from 130 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 21 (-16.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Thellman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Thellman, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Thellman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.5% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Thellman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.5%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Thellman (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 Thellman mean?
An anglicized form of a German surname derived from a town name. 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 Thellman (0.04 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 last name Thellman?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Thellman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.