2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Thoensen
A Scandinavian surname referring to Thoensen or the son of Thoe.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Thoensen. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Thoensen 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Thoensen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Thoensen, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Thoensen
The surname Thoensen is of Danish origin and can be traced back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Denmark, particularly in the areas around the city of Aalborg. The name is derived from the Old Danish word "Thonen," which means "from the village."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Thoensen can be found in the baptismal records of the Church of Our Lady in Aalborg, dated 1592. The entry mentions a child named Hans Thoensen, son of Thoenn Pedersen and Maren Jensdatter.
In the 17th century, the name appears in several historical documents from the region, including land deeds and court records. One notable individual was Niels Thoensen (1620-1689), a prominent merchant and landowner in the town of Hjørring.
As the name spread across Denmark, variations in spelling began to emerge, such as Thonsen, Thounsen, and Thounnsen. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of local scribes.
In the 18th century, the Thoensen family gained prominence in the town of Skagen, located in the northernmost part of Denmark. Hans Thoensen (1745-1821) was a respected sea captain and trader, known for his voyages to the British Isles and the Baltic region.
Another notable figure was Jens Thoensen (1785-1862), a renowned clockmaker from the town of Tønder. His intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the local nobility and are now considered valuable antiques.
As the Thoensen family dispersed across Denmark and eventually migrated to other parts of Scandinavia and beyond, the name continued to evolve. In Norway, for instance, the spelling Thoensen is often rendered as Thonsen or Thonnsen.
Throughout its history, the surname Thoensen has been associated with various occupations, including farmers, merchants, sailors, and artisans. While not widely known beyond the Scandinavian region, the name has left its mark on the cultural and historical fabric of Denmark and its neighboring countries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Thoensen
Among Census respondents with the surname Thoensen, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Thoensen 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 Thoensen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Thoensen
Thoensen 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+15 bearers (+14.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,955 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-15 bearers (-12.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 13,042 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +15 bearers (+14.6%) | Up 5,955 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -15 bearers (-12.7%) | Down 13,042 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 Thoensen 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 | #141,140 | #154,182 | -9.2% |
| Count | 118 | 103 | -12.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Thoensen bearers went from 118 to 103 (-12.7% change). The surname moved down 13,042 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #154,182.
FAQ
Thoensen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Thoensen?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Thoensen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Thoensen?
Thoensen ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 103 people with the surname Thoensen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Thoensen.
Has Thoensen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Thoensen went from 118 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Thoensen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Thoensen, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Thoensen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Thoensen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Hispanic (4.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Thoensen (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 Thoensen mean?
A Scandinavian surname referring to Thoensen or the son of Thoe. 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 Thoensen (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Thoensen?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.