2000
#39,560
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 523
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.19
Very Rare Last name
Thune
A surname derived from an Old English word meaning "dense" or "firm".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 563 Americans carry the last name Thune. That puts it at #46,712 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 608,800 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Thune 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
563
1 in 608,800
Census rank
#46,712
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
491
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 491 bearers of the surname Thune in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 46712th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Thune, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Thune
The surname THUNE has its roots in Germany, where it originated in the Middle Ages, likely in the 12th or 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "thun," meaning "to do" or "to make." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person's occupation or trade.
In the early medieval period, surnames were often derived from a person's place of origin, occupation, physical characteristics, or a distinguishing trait. The THUNE surname could have been given to someone who was known for their diligence or skill in a particular craft or profession.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the THUNE name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the state of Saxony, Germany. In this collection, a certain "Johannes Thune" is mentioned in a document dated 1345.
Another notable historical reference is in the Urkundenbuch der Stadt Hildesheim, a collection of records from the city of Hildesheim in Lower Saxony, Germany. Here, a "Hinricus Thune" is documented in the year 1389.
Over the centuries, the THUNE surname has been subject to various spelling variations, such as Thun, Thunen, and Thunne. These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.
One notable bearer of the THUNE surname was Johannes Thune (c. 1460 - 1523), a German scholar and humanist who served as a professor at the University of Leipzig. Another was Matthias Thune (1580 - 1635), a German Protestant theologian and pastor who played a significant role in the religious controversies of his time.
In the 17th century, the surname can be found in records from the town of Norderney, located in the German state of Lower Saxony. One such record mentions a "Gerd Thune," who was a landowner and farmer in the area.
Moving into the 18th century, a notable figure was Johann Christian Thune (1738 - 1828), a German painter and engraver known for his landscapes and portraits. He was a member of the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts.
In the 19th century, Karl Thune (1821 - 1888) was a German jurist and politician who served as a member of the Reichstag, the parliament of the German Empire.
While these are just a few examples, the THUNE surname has been carried by numerous individuals throughout history, reflecting its German origins and the diverse paths its bearers have taken.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Thune
Among Census respondents with the surname Thune, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Thune 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 Thune surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 455
- Two or more races2.6% · 13
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 9
- Black or African American0.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Thune
Thune 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
#41,038
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 531
+8 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Down 1,478 places
2020
#46,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 491
-40 bearers (-7.5%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Down 5,674 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #39,560 | 523 | 0.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #41,038 | 531 | 0.18 | +8 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 1,478 places |
| 2020 | #46,712 | 491 | 0.16 | -40 bearers (-7.5%) | Down 5,674 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 Thune 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 | #41,038 | #46,712 | -13.8% |
| Count | 531 | 491 | -7.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.18 | 0.16 | -8.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Thune bearers went from 531 to 491 (-7.5% change). The surname moved down 5,674 positions in the national ranking, going from #41,038 to #46,712.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Thune
FAQ
Thune surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Thune?
Name Census estimates that about 563 living Americans carry the surname Thune. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 608,800 residents.
How common is Thune?
Thune ranks #46,712 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.16 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 491 people with the surname Thune. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (563), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.16 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 Thune.
Has Thune become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Thune went from 531 recorded bearers to 491. That is a decrease of 40 (-7.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #41,038 to #46,712.
What does the Census say about the background of Thune?
Among Census respondents with the surname Thune, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Thune in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (455 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Thune appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Two or More Races (2.6%), Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Thune (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 Thune mean?
A surname derived from an Old English word meaning "dense" or "firm". 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 Thune (0.16 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 surname Thune?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.