Surname Thießen - Meaning and Origin

Thießen: What does the surname Thießen mean?

The last name Thießen is of German origin and can be found mainly in the northern regions of the country. It is derived from the Middle High German personal name Thiezo or Tizzo, which itself comes from the Latin name Theodosius. It is usually said to have originated from medieval Hessian, a region located in modern-day Hesse in Germany.

The first known record of the Thießen family dates back to 1343, when one Heinrich Thießen from the Hessian town of Friedberg was mentioned in a document. The Thießen family had a significant impact on Hessian history during the Middle Ages, with many members of the family holding high-ranking positions in the military, local government, and the church.

Today, the Thießen surname is still prevalent in the northern regions of Germany. Spelling variations of the name have occurred over time, such as Thieß, Thießen, Thies, Thiese, Theissen, and Teissen. Overall, the name retains its original meaning of representation and loyalty, symbols of the Thießen family’s legacy over the centuries.

Thießen: Where does the name Thießen come from?

The last name Thießen is most common today in northwestern Germany, especially in the states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia. Thießen is a German surname of patronymic origin, derived from the given name Thieß, a short form of Matthias.

In the 1800s and early 1900s, many people bearing this surname migrated, primarily from Germany, to various parts of Europe and the America's, notably the United States and Brazil. As a result, Thießen can be found scattered across a number of countries today.

In the United States, Thießen is the 2,033rd most common surname, with about 844 families bearing the name. It is most commonly found in the states of Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota.

In Canada, Thießen is the 2,179th most common surname, with 129 families bearing the name. Here, Thießen is most commonly found in the provinces of Alberta and Manitoba.

In Brazil, Thießen is the 2,665th most common surname, and is most commonly found in the south-eastern states of Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul.

In Germany, Thießen is the 183rd most common surname, with over 33,000 people bearing it. Here, the surname is most common in the states of Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein.

Overall, the last name Thießen is still prevalent in Germany today, although it can also be found in many other parts of the world due to emigration in the past centuries.

Variations of the surname Thießen

The surname Thießen is derived from the Middle High German word 'thiese' which means 'servant'. The variant spellings of this name are Teissen, Teißen, Tießen, and Tissen. As this surname changed due to regional dialects and times, many derivative surnames have been formed from it. Some of them are Thießenkamp, Thieß, Thies, Thieße, Thießmann, Toson, and Teiss.

Thießen is an occupational surname which was used for people who worked in the households of noble families as well as by farmers who owned a small number of serfs or tenants. The name Thießen became common in the eastern part of Germany and was spread to countries such as Holland, Hungary and Belarus during the migration of the Germans.

The variant spellings of Thießen were used by the Mecklenburg Dynasty or other families in the 19th and 20th centuries who lived in the Prussian provinces. The Teissen or Teißen spellings were most popular in northern Germany and Pomerania and were mainly used by those who worked in the service sector. The spelling Tissendating back to the 16th or 17th century was used by people of Saxony and Thuringia. People of western Germany often used the variation Tießen.

Derivative surnames from Thießen include Thießenkamp which was initially used to denote a servant who lived in a manor's workshed and was later used to mark a person's lineage to the Thießen family. Thieß was used for those who lived in a Thieß farmstead or manor. Similarly, Thieße was used for people who originated from a Thießen estate. Thießmann was a patronymic form which is used to mark the father's name who was a Thieß.

Lastly, Toson or Teiss was used to denote a low class servant in the North German states. This surname represents the evolution of Thießen as it has gained a set of distinctive ethnic variations in spelling due to its presence in different parts of the world.

Famous people with the name Thießen

• Robert Thießen: German sports administrator and president of the German Football Association (DFB)
• Paul Thießen: German architect and professor at the University of Applied Sciences Berlin, Department of Architecture and Landscape Architecture.
• Kurt Thießen: German chess master and editor of "Schach" magazine
• Christa Thießen: German artist and painter whose work often incorporates expressive abstract elements
• Julius Thießen: German classical violinist and founder of the classical music label "Julius Thießen Edition"
• Jens Thießen: German film director and screenwriter
• Stephan Thießen: German actor best known for his role in the television series "Berlin, Berlin"
• Linda Thießen: German artist and sculptor from Berlin
• Elvira Thießen: German artist and master restorer from Berlin
• Elke Thießen: German novelist and playwright
• Fritz Thießen: German mathematician and professor at the University of Halle, specializing in algebra and number theory
• Peter Thießen: German footballer who played professionally as a defender
• Dirk Thießen: German graphic designer and co-founder of the design collective "Entwicklungsstätte"
• Melissa Thießen: German illustrator and children's book author
• Horst Thießen: German television journalist and political adviser, best known for his work on the ARD programs "Bericht aus Berlin" and "Berliner Abend"

Other surnames

ThießeThießel