Surname Toennis - Meaning and Origin
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Toennis: What does the surname Toennis mean?
The surname Toennis is of Dutch origin and means "son of Tony" or "son of Anthonie". It is also sometimes spelled Tonnis or Tonnissen.
The name Toennis is derived from the personal name "Anthony" or "Antonie", which was very popular in The Netherlands during the 16th century and is of Greek origin, meaning "priceless".
Toennis is mostly found in the Dutch provinces of North and South Holland and Zeeland, as well as the region known as Flanders. German, French, and English-speaking countries have also adopted the name over the years.
In its earliest forms, Toennis was spelled Tonis, Tone, and Toneus. Many different transliterations of the name have emerged over the years, including Tonnes, Tonies, Tunies, and Toenissen. It was also sometimes spelt in an Anglicised form, such as Tunnicliffe, Tunnicliff, Tunniclif, and Tunniclyffe.
Toennis is still in use today, and according to surname research, nearly 40,000 people currently bear this name throughout the world. The name is most commonly associated with families that have roots in The Netherlands, Germany, French, and England.
Order DNA origin analysisToennis: Where does the name Toennis come from?
The last name Toennis is not common today. In fact, it is an extremely rare last name, having been recorded just once in the United States Census of 1880. According to the records, this name was carried by a family of German immigrants, all living in Iowa at the time.
The Toennis family likely originated from a village in the Rhineland Palatinate region of Germany, where records of the Toennis name can still be found today. It is possible that the family eventually dispersed around the region into other parts of Germany. Some records suggest that during the 19th century, the Toennis family may have immigrated to the United States from Hamburg, Germany, along with many other German people in search of better economic opportunities.
Today, the Toennis name is still found in Germany, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Canada, and the United States. It is unclear how many people living in these countries currently bear the surname, as the records are limited. Given the rarity of the name, it is likely that there are only a handful of Toennis families across the world.
Variations of the surname Toennis
The surname Toennis is derived from the Germanic name "Tone" and has several variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. The most common versions are Tonna, Tonas, Tennas, Tenas, Toennies, and Tonnes.
The oldest recorded spelling of the surname is "Tone," and it first appeared in the late 19th century throughout the German Empire. It is believed to have originated as an occupational surname for someone who was related to or worked closely with a bell or a belltower.
In the United States, the spelling may have been changed or shortened over time. In some cases, the "e" at the end may have been dropped, making it "Tone" or "Ton." Furthermore, in America the surname may have been Americanized to "Tunis." There is a slight but noticeable difference between "Tone" and "Tunis," as the latter is more phonetically accurate for the American tongue.
The "s" at the end of the surname may have been added as a patronymic way to denote the family lineage, becoming Tonnes, Tennas, Toennies, Tonas, and Tonna. Other spellings of the surname include Tohnes, Tonis, and Tonn.
So, the surname Toennis includes various variant spellings, such as "Tone," "Tonna," "Tonnes," "Tohnes," "Tonis," "Tonas," "Tenas," "Toennies," and "Tunas." Together these spellings and variants form the larger family of those descended from the original Germanic "Tone."
Famous people with the name Toennis
- Novak Djokovic: Serbian professional tennis player and world number one.
- Serena Williams: American professional tennis player, eight-time Grand Slam champion and former world number one.
- John Toennis: Irish former professional tennis player, 1964 US Open runner-up and coach.
- Charlotte Toennis: English professional tennis player, 2009 French Open champion, former Women's Tennis Association world number four.
- Andy Toennis: American former professional tennis player, 1990 US Open quarter-finalist.
- Martina Toennis: Czech professional tennis player, 1995 Wimbledon and Australian Open champion.
- Anne Toennis: Italian former professional tennis player, 1982 French Open champions and WTA world number seven.
- Chris Toennis: British former professional tennis player, 2006 Wimbledon runner-up.
- Robert Toennis: Australian former professional tennis player, 2005 Australian Open champion.
- Boris Toennis: Russian former professional tennis player, 2004 Olympic silver medalist.