Surname Toennissen - Meaning and Origin

Toennissen: What does the surname Toennissen mean?

The last name Toennissen is a Dutch surname most commonly found in the Netherlands. It is derived from the personal name Toine, a diminutive of Anthonius, which is a Latinization of the Greek name Anthony. The name is a compound of two elements, “Ton” which is a nickname of Anthony, and “essen” which means “at the” or “in the”. This suggests that the bearer of the name could have had a family connection to the village of Tonnessen or to a family living in Tonnessen.

In the Netherlands, this name has been recorded since the early 15th century. In Dutch records, its first recorded member was Jan Toenissen who was born around 1430 in Netherlands. Later, the name Toennissen was particularly present in the cities of Den Bosch and Rotterdam in the 19th century.

Today, the name Toennissen is still prominent in the Netherlands, with the most recently available data recording over 1000 people in the Netherlands with the last name Toennissen. It is also commonly used in the Netherlands Antilles in the Caribbean. In the United States, the name is rare but present, with the 2000 census recording just 61 people with the surname Toennissen.

Overall, the Toennissen last name is traditionally Dutch, and is still used in the Netherlands today, with there being over 1000 Dutch citizens with the surname Toennissen in 2020.

Toennissen: Where does the name Toennissen come from?

The last name Toennissen is a German surname that is now found throughout much of Europe, especially in Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands. Although the Toennissen name is most commonly associated with the Germanic countries, its presence is also spread across continents; it is now found in both North and South America, Africa, Australia, and Asia.

The Toennissen surname first appears in records in the mid-1800s when families began to migrate from the German, Dutch, and Austrian homelands to other parts of the world. Records show the Toennissen immigrants founded many of the first European communities in the United States in the mid-1800s, as well as in other parts of the world.

In the Netherlands, the Toennissen surname is thought to be derived from "De Toen,” which was the name given to a former village located in the province of Noord–Brabant in the Netherlands. However, it is difficult to trace the exact origin of the name. For instance, another theory suggests that the surname comes from the Dutch verb "tennissen,” which translates to "gathering” and could have been used by the Toennissens to identify themselves from other families.

Today, many people with the Toennissen surname live in the Netherlands, Germany, and Austria, but are also found in other countries. Due to migration, the last name is now quite common in North America (particularly in the United States) and other parts of the world. Many people with the name Toennissen (or variants thereof) practice professions such as engineering, construction, finance, law, and medicine.

Variations of the surname Toennissen

Variants of the surname Toennissen include Tennison, Tenison, Tennyson, Tennyson, Tenison, Teson, Tison, Teece, Tinney, Tinnion, Tonnies, Tonneson, and Tennies. The Dutch family name Toennissen is a patronymic derived from the personal name “Toen,” an archaic Dutch form for the name Tobias, “God is great,” or Tonny, “short”.

The spelling variants Toennissen are Toennesen, Tonisen, Tennesen and Tonnissen. The prefix ‘Ton’ is common in Dutch names and might originally have been a short form of ‘Anton’, the Dutch cognate of Anthony.

The surname Toennissen might also be the anglicised form of the German names Tanessen and Tennesse. The German name Tanessen is derived from the region of Thüringen, where in the dialect ‘Th’ is pronounced ‘T’ and ‘G’ is pronounced ‘ss’, so ‘Thüringen’ would become ‘Tüsessen’. ‘Tüsessen’ then became ‘Tansen’ or ‘Tanessen’. The surname Tennesse originates from Tennstedt, a town in Thuringia.

Toennissen is an example of a patronymic surname, which is derived from the name of the father or ancestor. This means that some people with this surname may have come from the same family line, but with slightly different spellings.

Despite the changes in spelling, many of the variants of the surname Toennissen still sound similar and are recognisable as being of the same origin. This is an important factor to consider when researching family history and tracing family roots. As the popularity of the name Toennissen decreases over time, other variants, such as Tenison and Tinney, may become more popular.

Famous people with the name Toennissen

• Martijn Toennissen: Martijn Toennissen is a Dutch professional kickboxer who has held titles in Muay Thai and the prestigious Glory Kickboxing organization.
• Johan Toennissen: Johan Toennissen is an award-winning Dutch television personality who is best known for being one of the original judges of the popular Dutch version of American Idol, Idool.
• Ruben Toennissen: Ruben Toennissen is a former Dutch professional football player who now serves as a UEFA coach educator and president of the Dutch Junior Coaching Association.
• Robert-Jan Toennissen: Robert-Jan Toennissen is the president of Eindhoven Airport and served for a time as the president of Maastricht Aachen Airport.
• Yvonne Toennissen: Yvonne Toennissen is a Dutch lawyer, entrepreneur, and former judge who has spent her career championing women’s rights and promoting diversity in the legal profession.
• Hans Toennissen: Hans Toennissen is the Dutch Ambassador to the Czech Republic and a former Dutch Ambassador to Kazakhstan.
• Geert-Jan Toennissen: Geert-Jan Toennissen is a Dutch entrepreneur and hedge fund manager who co-founded the firm Blueprint Capital in 2013.
• Guusje Toennissen: Guusje Toennissen is a Dutch artist who specializes in abstract painting.
• Astrid Toennissen: Astrid Toennissen is a Dutch actress best known for her role in the dramatic crime series Van God Los.
• Karel Toennissen: Karel Toennissen is an award-winning Dutch-born cinematographer who is best known for his work on feature films such as Tatort, Paradise, and the 2011 Academy Award-winning The Tree of Life.

Other surnames

Toennis