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

Thielke, 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 Thielke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Thielke in America

Thielke is the 31329th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Thielke surname appeared 740 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 Thielke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Thielke 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 Thielke

The surname Thielke is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. The name is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in areas like Pomerania and Mecklenburg.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pomeranian archives of the 13th century, where it appeared as "Thieleke." This spelling variation suggests that the name might have derived from the Old German word "thiele," which means "plank" or "board." It's possible that the name was initially an occupational name given to someone who worked with wood or planks.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the name started appearing in various historical records across northern Germany. In the city of Lübeck, for instance, a merchant named Johann Thielke is mentioned in the guild records of 1427. Another notable individual from this era was Matthias Thielke, a scholar and theologian from Pomerania, who lived from 1472 to 1534.

As the name spread to other parts of Germany, it underwent slight variations in spelling, such as "Thielcke" and "Thielke." In the 16th century, a prominent figure named Hieronymus Thielke (1517-1585) was a renowned Lutheran pastor and reformer in the city of Magdeburg.

The 17th century saw the emergence of a notable Thielke family in the region of Mecklenburg. Heinrich Thielke (1607-1675), born in Rostock, was a respected jurist and legal scholar who served as a councilor to the Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. His son, Johann Thielke (1642-1719), followed in his footsteps and became a prominent lawyer and judge in the same region.

In the 18th century, the name gained recognition in the field of music. Johann Christoph Thielke (1707-1768) was a German composer and organist who worked in various churches in Saxony and Brandenburg. His works, including several organ compositions, were highly regarded during his time.

As the centuries progressed, the Thielke name continued to be associated with various professions and areas of expertise. In the 19th century, for instance, Wilhelm Thielke (1818-1885) was a respected engineer and architect who designed several notable buildings in Berlin.

Throughout its history, the surname Thielke has maintained a strong presence in northern Germany, particularly in the regions of Pomerania, Mecklenburg, and Brandenburg. While the name has undergone some spelling variations over time, its Germanic roots and connection to the northern German regions have remained consistent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Thielke

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

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

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

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