Surname Thönis - Meaning and Origin
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Thönis: What does the surname Thönis mean?
The last name Thönis comes from Northern Germany and is a toponymic name derived from the Old Dutch word “Thonis” meaning “dune” or “sand hill.” This reflects on the area’s history during the Migration Period as large swathes of land were made into small dunes or hills to be used as natural fortifications among various Germanic tribes.
It is believed that during the time the name Thönis was developed, many of the non-Germanic tribes in the area had settled in the flatlands while the Germanic settlers moved into the higher ground, making little settlements in these sandy dunes or hillocks. Eventually, these areas began to become more populated, and with it the families of settlers who lived there began to take Thönis as their last name.
Today, the surname Thönis is fairly common in Austria, Germany, and parts of Switzerland, as well as some notable people who have adopted the name, such as Austrian physicist Dr. Hugo Thönis and German sculptor Hans Thönis.
The name Thönis is a testament to the region's unique history and reflects a certain sense of community and connection to the land for those with the surname. There is a certain pride associated with the surname and it is often seen as a way to remember one's ancestors and their own journeys.
Order DNA origin analysisThönis: Where does the name Thönis come from?
The last name Thönis is common today in Germany and in some areas of Austria. Specifically, Thönis is most commonly found in the region of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany and along the border of Austria and Germany in the regions of Eastern Tyrol, Tyrol, and Salzburg. This surname most likely originates from the area around Siegerland, a region in the northwest part of Germany.
The name Thönis is derived from a personal name, a Germanic vernacular form of the Latin name "Thomas”. It is also related to the old Germanic name "Thon". In addition, it is suggested that the name has some connection to the Latin word “tonus”, meaning "volume".
The name Thönis is not necessarily connected to any single group of people. One may find this surname amongst various ethnic backgrounds in Germany and Austria, including Teutonic, Celtic, and Slavic. It is also not exclusive to any one religion, as it remains a fairly popular last name amongst Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists living in Germany and Austria.
Today, the surname Thönis is distributed throughout Germany and Austria with a density of about 1 in every 4,500 people. Because of its uniqueness, it is fairly easy to identify one with this particular last name.
Variations of the surname Thönis
The surname Thönis has various variants, spellings, and surnames that stem from the same origin.
The most common variant of Thönis is Thoenis. Additionally, it can also be seen spelled as Thoenissen, Thoenies, Thoeniss, Thoennes, Thoennissen, and Thoeny. Its Dutch spelling is Thonissen and can also be seen written as Thonies, Thonies, and Thoniss.
In Germany, the name Thönis can be seen appearing with an umlaut, or the double dots (ö), as Thönis, Thönes, Thönnis, Thönen, Thönenissen, and Thöny. It can also be found written as Thoenes, Thones, Thonnes, Thonnesen, and Thoney.
The surname Thönis is a patronymic surname, which means it is derived from the given name of a father or ancestor. It is thought to have originally been given to a descendent of a man with the given name “Thon,” which is a variation of the given name Anton.
In some cases, the surname Thönis may also have been used to indicate a person hailing from a place with the same name. In the Netherlands, this could have been a village called Thoens in the province of North Brabant, or a place in Gelderland called Thoenen. In Germany, the place could have been Thönis, a town in the Schwaben district of Bavaria, or even Thönisegg, a village in Upper Bavaria.
The surname Thönis is found all around Europe, but the majority of the bearers of this surname can be found living in Germany and the Netherlands.
Famous people with the name Thönis
- Kyle Thönis, Canadian Professional Soccer Player
- Erik Thönis, German Soccer Player
- Peter Thönis, German Footballer
- Marianne Thönis, Belgian Chess Player
- Gustav Thönis, German Businessman and Politician
- Klaus Thönis, German Soccer Manager
- Patrick Thönis, German Screen Writer
- Klaus Thönis, German Animator
- Lio Thönis, French: Canadian Actor
- Gerd Thönis, German Musician
- Mark Thönis, Canadian Sports Broadcaster
- Rainer Thönis, German Physicist
- Daniel Thönis, German Designer
- Eike Thönis, German Olympic shooter