Surname Thönißen - Meaning and Origin
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Thönißen: What does the surname Thönißen mean?
The last name Thönißen is a German name of Slavic origin. It is derived from the given name "Thono," which means “brave”. Thönißen is a fairly common name in Germany, particularly in North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony. It is also found in other parts of Germany, such as the regions of Lower Franconia, Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saxony-Anhalt.
The name Thönißen is believed to come from the Slavic tribal name "thon," which translates to “courageous and brave”. In the early days, the name could mean a leader or brave fighter. It could also be used to refer to a brave warrior or leader, employed by a powerful king or ruler, or as an honorary title given to a brave soldier.
Today, Thönißen is mostly a patronymic surname, meaning the children of the family are given the first name of their father, with the addition of "-sen" to make it a family name. While it may have been used to refer to courage or bravery in the past, today Thönißen is used as a display of familial unity.
The people who have the Thönißen surname are proud of their heritage and history. They usually display a strong sense of family loyalty and are proud of their ancestors’ accomplishments. They are known to be brave, courageous, and loyal, qualities that have been passed down through the generations.
Order DNA origin analysisThönißen: Where does the name Thönißen come from?
The surname Thönißen is most frequently found in Germany, particularly in the Rhineland region. It is particularly common in North Rhine-Westphalia, where it holds the rank of 119th most common name. However, it can also be found in other states such as Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia.
The name is also found in Austria, Netherlands, Switzerland, and the former Czechoslovakia. It is especially common in Austria, where it is the 38th most common name. Additionally, it can be found in certain areas of Finland, Lithuania, the United States, and Brazil.
The origin of the surname is unclear, though it is speculated to be Germanic in nature. According to some sources, the word Tohnen (or Toni) was the name of a Germanic tribe which lived in the region between the Rhine and the Weser river in the middle ages. It is thus likely that the surname Thönißen is derived from this tribe.
In Germany, the surname is mostly borne by descendants of the Tohnen tribe and their descendants, and is generally pronounced with a North German accent. It is also a quite popular name among expatriates of German origin.
Variations of the surname Thönißen
The variants, spellings, and surnames of Thönißen stem from the German word ‘Thön’, meaning chime or sound. The most common variants of the name include Thoenessen, Thoenissen, Thoenis, Thoeni, Thoenes, and Thoena. There are also a number of slightly different spellings of the surname, including Thönen, Thoenan, Thoeny, Thöne, Thöen, Thoenn, Thönes, Thöenis, Thöea, Thoene, Thoenns, Thöoens, Thoenius, Thoonen, Thoeneisen, Thoenisch, Thoonessen, and Thönis.
The variations and spellings of the surname are further complicated by its historic association with several geographical regions across Europe. In the Netherlands, the surname is commonly referred to as Thoonisen or Thoonisz, and is often rendered phonetically as Toni often with a double ‘e’ or double ‘n’. Meanwhile in Switzerland, it is referred to as Thöni and in Italy as Tonett or Toneatto.
In English-speaking countries, the surname is often associated with variants of the name Tony and rendered as Thoni, Tonny, Tonis, Toene, Thonny, and Thoeny. In France, the surname Toeneyse or Toneysse can be found.
In addition to this, surnames generated by the combination of Thönißen and another surname also exist, including Thoenissen-Dassen, Thoenissen-Vriezema, and Thoenissen-Hagendoorn.
Famous people with the name Thönißen
- Ace Frehley (born Paul Daniel Frehley), American musician best known as the original lead guitarist and founding member of the rock band Kiss.
- Erik Thönißen, former German football player who played for FC Schalke 04, VfL Bochum, Hamburger SV, and two other clubs.
- Pia Thönißen, German judge and the first woman to serve as an appellate judge on the Federal Constitutional Court.
- Matthias Thönißen, German painter, printmaker, and draftsman, known for his landscapes featuring imaginary and imaginary architecture.
- Alice Thönißen, Swiss alpine skier who competed in the 1980s and 1990s.
- Sigrid Thönißen, German writer and researcher in music and cultural studies, lecturer at the University of Hamburg from 1985 to 2002.
- Adele Thönißen, Swiss actress best known for playing the roles of Friederike in 1987 film "Dreams That Money Can Buy" and Else in 1990 film "Einmal ist keinmal".
- Maria Thönißen, German archaelogist and researcher in papyrology and ancient Greek civilization, known for various works on the administration and religious activities of the Ptolemaic Dynasty (323-30 BC).
- Annette Thönißen, German athlete specialising in hurdling, winner of several national titles in the 400 m hurdles in the late 1980s.
- P. Fritz Thönißen, Austrian writer and priest who wrote several important works such as the play "Erste Heimat" and "Wiener Stimmer".