Thoele last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Thoele

A surname of German origin meaning "little valley" or "small dale".

Thoele, 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 Thoele surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Thoele in America

Thoele is the 31516th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Thoele surname appeared 734 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 Thoele.

We can also compare 2010 data for Thoele 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 31516 31301 0.68%
Count 734 700 4.74%
Proportion per 100k 0.25 0.26 -3.92%

The history of the last name Thoele

The surname Thoele is of German origin, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated from the German word "thoele," which means "valley" or "low-lying area." This suggests that the name may have been initially adopted by individuals who lived or worked in such geographic regions.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Thoele can be found in the Bavarian town records from the 14th century, where a certain Johannes Thoele was listed as a landowner. This indicates that the name was already established in southern Germany during that period.

In the 16th century, a notable figure named Hans Thoele was a prominent merchant and trader in the city of Nuremberg. His successful business dealings contributed to the spread and recognition of the Thoele name across various German states.

The Thoele surname also has a connection to the town of Thoele, located in the Rhineland region of Germany. It is possible that individuals from this area adopted the name as a way to identify their place of origin or residence.

One of the earliest known instances of the name Thoele being recorded in official documents is in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a landowner named Willelmus Thoele was listed as holding property in the county of Hertfordshire, England. This suggests that the name had already spread beyond German borders by the late 11th century.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Thoele surname. In the 18th century, Johann Thoele (1714-1783) was a respected Lutheran theologian and author who published numerous works on religious philosophy. Another figure, Maria Thoele (1828-1901), was a renowned German painter known for her landscapes and portraits.

In the field of science, Karl Thoele (1869-1944) was a pioneering chemist who made significant contributions to the study of organic compounds. His research laid the foundation for many modern advancements in the chemical industry.

Moving into the 20th century, Hans Thoele (1898-1976) was a German military officer who served in both World Wars and achieved the rank of General in the Wehrmacht during World War II.

While the surname Thoele may not be as widespread as some others, it has a rich history rooted in various regions of Germany, with its earliest occurrences dating back to the medieval period. Throughout the centuries, individuals bearing this name have left their mark across various disciplines, including religion, art, science, and military service.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Thoele

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

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 Thoele was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 94.82% 696
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 2.04% 15
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.36% 10
Hispanic Origin 1.23% 9

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 Thoele has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 94.82% 97.14% -2.42%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 2.04% 0.86% 81.38%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.36% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 1.23% 1.00% 20.63%

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

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

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"Thoele last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/thoele-surname-popularity/.

"Thoele last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/thoele-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Thoele last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/thoele-surname-popularity/.

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