Thiele
A German occupational surname referring to a plank maker or carpenter.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,210 Americans carry the last name Thiele. That puts it at #7,437 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.52 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 65,788 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Thiele surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
5.2K
1 in 65,788
Census rank
#7,437
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,478 bearers of the surname Thiele in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.52 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7437th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Thiele, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Thiele
The surname Thiele is of German origin, originating in the 16th century. It is derived from the German word "Thiele," which means "tile" or "brick." This suggests that the name may have been given as an occupational surname to someone who worked as a tiler or bricklayer.
The name Thiele is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in areas like Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein, where the use of tiles and bricks in construction was common. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 16th and 17th centuries in various German parish records and tax rolls.
One notable historical reference to the name Thiele can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis," a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, which mentions a certain "Henning Thiele" in the year 1492.
In the 17th century, the name Thiele appeared in the "Kirchenbücher" (church books) of various German regions, such as Johann Thiele, born in 1638 in Altona, and Catharina Thiele, born in 1671 in Mecklenburg.
Among the notable individuals bearing the surname Thiele throughout history are:
1. Johann Thiele (1646-1724), a German composer and organist.
2. Eduard Thiele (1812-1895), a German astronomer and mathematician.
3. Theodor Thiele (1854-1934), a Norwegian mathematician and statistician.
4. Wilhelm Thiele (1865-1945), a German architect and urban planner.
5. Rolf Thiele (1918-1994), a German film director and screenwriter.
The name Thiele has also been associated with various place names in Germany, such as Thielau, a village in Saxony, and Thielen, a municipality in North Rhine-Westphalia. These place names may have derived from the same root as the surname, suggesting a connection between the name and specific geographical locations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Thiele
Among Census respondents with the surname Thiele, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Thiele bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Thiele surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.8%
- Hispanic or Latino2.3%
- Two or more races1.5%
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8%
- Black or African American0.5%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Thiele surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,437 | #7,437 | 0.0% |
| Count | 4,478 | 4,478 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.52 | 1.52 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Thiele bearers went from 4,478 to 4,478 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #7,437 to #7,437.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Thiele
FAQ
Thiele surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Thiele?
The surname Thiele holds position #7,437 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 5,210 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 1.52 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Thiele surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Thiele, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (1.5%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.