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

Thien, 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 Thien surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Thien in America

Thien is the 32079th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Thien surname appeared 719 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 Thien.

We can also compare 2010 data for Thien 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 Thien

The surname THIEN has its origins in Vietnam, with records dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Vietnamese word "thiên," which translates to "sky" or "heaven." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with celestial or divine connotations.

One of the earliest documented references to the THIEN surname can be found in the Annals of Dai Viet, a historical text compiled during the Le Dynasty (1428-1788). The Annals mention several individuals bearing the THIEN name, including THIEN Nhan, a renowned scholar and poet who lived during the 16th century.

The THIEN surname was particularly prominent in the northern and central regions of Vietnam, where it was often associated with scholarly and administrative families. In the 17th century, a village in the province of Hai Duong was known as "Thien Xa," which translates to "THIEN Village," indicating a significant presence of the THIEN lineage in that area.

Historically, the THIEN surname has been linked to several notable figures. One of the most prominent was THIEN Kien, a high-ranking mandarin and military leader who played a crucial role in defending Vietnam against Mongol invasions in the 13th century. Another notable figure was THIEN Thi Nhan (1891-1969), a celebrated poet and intellectual who was a leading figure in the Vietnamese literary renaissance of the early 20th century.

Other notable individuals bearing the THIEN surname include THIEN Quang Duc (1897-1963), a prominent Buddhist monk who famously performed an act of self-immolation in 1963 to protest against the persecution of Buddhists by the South Vietnamese government. THIEN Nhu Trac (1740-1786) was a revered scholar and poet who is renowned for his contributions to the development of the Nom script, an ancient Vietnamese writing system.

In more recent history, THIEN An Phuoc (1918-2022) was a highly respected Buddhist monk and human rights activist who advocated for religious freedom and democracy in Vietnam. He was awarded the Rafto Prize for Human Rights in 1995 for his non-violent resistance against the Vietnamese government.

The THIEN surname has been present throughout Vietnamese history, with individuals bearing this name making significant contributions to various fields, including literature, scholarship, military affairs, and religious activism. The name's celestial origins and historical significance have imbued it with a sense of prestige and cultural importance within Vietnamese society.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Thien

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

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

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

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