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

Thiel, 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 Thiel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Thiel in America

Thiel is the 3601st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Thiel surname appeared 9,880 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Thiel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Thiel 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 Thiel

The surname Thiel is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "dil" or "dille," meaning a wooden floor or plank. It is believed to have originated in the 13th or 14th century, when it was likely used as a descriptive name for someone who lived near or worked with wooden floors or planks.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Thiel can be found in the historical records of the town of Nuremberg in Bavaria, Germany, where a certain Konrad Thiel was mentioned in a document from the year 1383. This suggests that the name was already well-established in parts of southern Germany by the late Middle Ages.

The Thiel surname is also found in various medieval records and manuscripts from other regions of Germany, such as the Rheinland and Westphalia. In some cases, the name was spelled slightly differently, such as Thyl or Thyll, reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name Thiel was Hans Thiel, a German painter and engraver who was born in Nuremberg around 1500. He is known for his intricate woodcuts and engravings, many of which depicted religious themes or scenes from the Bible.

Another prominent individual with the Thiel surname was Johann Friedrich Thiel (1701-1761), a German Lutheran theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Leipzig. He was a prominent figure in the intellectual circles of his time and wrote extensively on topics ranging from theology to natural philosophy.

In the 19th century, Johann August Thiel (1810-1889) was a German architect and urban planner who played a significant role in the development of the city of Dresden. He designed several notable buildings and public spaces in the city, including the Semper Opera House and the Zwinger Palace.

While the Thiel surname is most commonly associated with Germany, it has also spread to other parts of Europe and the world through migration and diaspora communities. For example, there are individuals with the Thiel surname in countries such as the Netherlands, Austria, and Switzerland, as well as in the United States and other nations with significant German immigrant populations.

Overall, the surname Thiel has a rich history rooted in the German language and culture, reflecting the traditions and occupations of its earliest bearers. Despite its widespread dispersal over the centuries, it remains a distinctly Germanic name with a strong connection to its ancestral origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Thiel

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

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

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

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