2000
#7,354
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,174
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.55
Rare Last name
Thies
A German and Dutch occupational surname referring to a chief herdsman or herdsman's assistant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,658 Americans carry the last name Thies. That puts it at #7,828 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 73,584 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Thies 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
4.7K
1 in 73,584
Census rank
#7,828
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,062 bearers of the surname Thies in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7828th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Thies, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Thies
The surname Thies has its origins in Germany, tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Germanic personal name Thidric or Dietrich, which means "people's ruler" or "mighty among the people." This name was commonly used in various parts of Germany during the Middle Ages.
In the early 13th century, the surname Thies emerged as a patronymic form, indicating the son or descendant of someone named Thidric or Dietrich. The earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in historical documents from regions like Bavaria, Saxony, and Westphalia.
One notable historical reference to the surname Thies is in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of documents related to the Margraviate of Brandenburg. This manuscript, compiled in the 14th century, includes mentions of individuals bearing the surname Thies, suggesting their presence in the region during that time period.
The name Thies also appears in various local records and chronicles from different parts of Germany, such as the Stadtbücher (city books) of towns like Nuremberg and Leipzig. These books recorded legal transactions, property transfers, and other official matters, providing valuable insights into the lives of individuals with this surname.
Among the notable historical figures with the surname Thies, one can mention Johann Thies (1588-1657), a German theologian and professor at the University of Wittenberg, who made significant contributions to the field of Lutheran theology during the 17th century.
Another prominent individual was Friedrich Thies (1793-1854), a German architect and urban planner who played a crucial role in the development of the city of Berlin during the 19th century. His works included the design of several notable buildings and the construction of the Wilhelmstraße, a major street in Berlin.
In the realm of literature, Theodor Thies (1852-1924) was a German writer and poet known for his works exploring themes of nature and rural life. His poetic collections, such as "Naturklänge" (Nature Sounds), gained popularity during the late 19th century.
The name Thies was also associated with places and regions in Germany. For instance, the village of Thiessow on the island of Rügen was historically spelled as "Thies" or "Thyse," reflecting the influence of the surname on local place names.
Moreover, the surname Thies has been linked to various variations and spellings throughout history, such as Thys, Thyss, Thiess, and Thieß, reflecting regional linguistic differences and variations in the spelling of Germanic names over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Thies
Among Census respondents with the surname Thies, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Thies 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 Thies surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 3,738
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 139
- Two or more races3.0% · 121
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 21
- Black or African American0.3% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Thies
Thies 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
#7,807
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,240
+66 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 1.44
Rank movement Down 453 places
2020
#7,828
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,062
-178 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 1.36
Rank movement Down 21 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,354 | 4,174 | 1.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,807 | 4,240 | 1.44 | +66 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 453 places |
| 2020 | #7,828 | 4,062 | 1.36 | -178 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 21 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 Thies 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 | #7,807 | #7,828 | -0.3% |
| Count | 4,240 | 4,062 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.44 | 1.36 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Thies bearers went from 4,240 to 4,062 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 21 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,807 to #7,828.
FAQ
Thies surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Thies?
Name Census estimates that about 4,658 living Americans carry the surname Thies. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 73,584 residents.
How common is Thies?
Thies ranks #7,828 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.36 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,062 people with the surname Thies. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,658), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.36 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Thies.
Has Thies become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Thies went from 4,240 recorded bearers to 4,062. That is a decrease of 178 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,807 to #7,828.
What does the Census say about the background of Thies?
Among Census respondents with the surname Thies, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Thies in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (3,738 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Thies appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Thies (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 Thies mean?
A German and Dutch occupational surname referring to a chief herdsman or herdsman's assistant. 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 Thies (1.36 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 Thies?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Thies, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.