Thiessen
A German occupational surname referring to a person who gathered or tithed for the church.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,079 Americans carry the last name Thiessen. That puts it at #9,253 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 84,029 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Thiessen 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
4.1K
1 in 84,029
Census rank
#9,253
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,519 bearers of the surname Thiessen in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9253rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Thiessen, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Thiessen
The surname Thiessen originates from the Low German and Dutch language areas, specifically from the regions of northern Germany and the Netherlands. It is derived from the personal name Thies or Thiess, which is a shortened form of the Germanic name Theodoric or Dietrich, meaning "ruler of the people."
Thiessen is a patronymic surname, meaning it was originally formed by adding the suffix "-sen" or "-sen" to the father's given name, indicating "son of Thies." This naming convention was common in Germanic regions during the Middle Ages and early modern period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Thiessen can be found in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from Bremen, Germany, dating back to the 13th century. The name is also mentioned in various medieval records and charters from the northern German regions of Holstein and Friesland.
In the 16th century, the Thiessen surname appeared in the Dutch province of Friesland, where it was sometimes spelled as "Thjessen" or "Thiyszen." This variation in spelling was common due to regional dialects and the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.
Notable individuals with the surname Thiessen include:
1. Gerhard Thiessen (1474-1541), a German Protestant reformer and theologian from Friesland, known for his work in promoting the Reformation in northern Germany.
2. Johann Thiessen (1640-1699), a Dutch-German artist and engraver from Hamburg, famous for his intricate copperplate etchings and portraits.
3. Anna Thiessen (1829-1892), a German-Russian Mennonite author and pioneer in the Mennonite settlements of Ukraine, known for her memoirs and writings on the Mennonite experience in Russia.
4. Cornelius Thiessen (1857-1931), a Dutch-Canadian farmer and community leader who played a significant role in the Mennonite migration from Russia to Canada in the late 19th century.
5. Jakob Thiessen (1876-1949), a German-Russian Mennonite writer and educator, known for his contributions to Mennonite literature and education in the Soviet Union.
The surname Thiessen has also been associated with various place names, such as Thiessow, a village in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and Thiessenbusch, a region in the Dutch province of Friesland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Thiessen
Among Census respondents with the surname Thiessen, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Thiessen 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 Thiessen surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8%
- Hispanic or Latino3.8%
- Two or more races1.4%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7%
- Black or African American0.6%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Thiessen 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 | #9,253 | #9,253 | 0.0% |
| Count | 3,519 | 3,519 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.19 | 1.19 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Thiessen bearers went from 3,519 to 3,519 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #9,253 to #9,253.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Thiessen
FAQ
Thiessen surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Thiessen?
The surname Thiessen holds position #9,253 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 4,079 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 1.19 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Thiessen surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Thiessen, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (1.4%). 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.