Surname Theeß - Meaning and Origin
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Theeß: What does the surname Theeß mean?
Theeß is a German-language hereditary surname, believed to have originated in Bavaria. The name is derived from the Middle High German word tesche, meaning container or tub, and is believed to have referred to an area of land where such containers were made. It may also have derived from a given name derived from the word tesche.
The surname Theeß is quite rare, estimated to be held by around 900 people in Germany alone. It is most common in Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Bavaria. It is also found in the United States, primarily in Tennessee, as well as in Canada.
The name Theeß is likely to have first been used among the small population of southeast Bavaria during the Middle Ages. Over time, it spread to other parts of Germany, as people (often for reasons of marriage or work) migrated out of the region.
The surname Theeß continues to be used in Germany today, although by a dwindling population. Most of those with the surname trace it back to Bavaria and southeastern Germany, and the name is likely to endure there for many more centuries to come.
Order DNA origin analysisTheeß: Where does the name Theeß come from?
The surname Theeß is a common Germanic name, first appearing in the thirteenth century. It is most commonly found in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, and Austria.
The variation ‘Thees’ is also found, which is a Dutch variant, originally from Lower Saxony. Variants of the name ‘Thees’ and ‘Theeß’ can be found as far away as the United States and Canada, due to the large migration of Germanic people in the nineteenth century.
The exact origin of the surname is uncertain; however, it is believed to have derived from the Germanic first name Thess, meaning ‘of the gods’. This is also seen in some variations of this surname, such as Theesmann, which translates to ‘man of the gods’.
Theeß was traditionally a popular surname in Northern Germany. It is still quite popular in Lower Saxony, particularly in the rural areas. It has become less common in places like Berlin and the cities of the western states, due to the influx of people from other nations, as well as those who have changed their names due to marriage or other reasons.
This surname is still fairly common and is well established in many parts of Germany, parts of the Netherlands, and in parts of Europe as well as North America. While it is less common in some of the larger cities, it is still often seen in rural areas and is often found amongst those with a Northern German heritage.
Variations of the surname Theeß
Theeß is a German surname that is thought to have originated from the ancient tribal group, the Thuringii. It is believed to have first emerged during the Middle Ages, when the Thuringii spread their influence across what is today Germany.
The various variants, spellings and surnames of Theeß include Thies, Thiese, Teis, Teise, Thiess, Thiessin, Ties, Tiess, Tis, Thieß, Thießen, Tiss, Thies, Thiesen, Theiss, Theissen, Theis, Theisen, Tiese, Tyss, and Tyssen.
While the exact meaning of the surname Theeß is not known, it would likely have been derived from the Old High German 'diot', which means 'people' or 'tribe'. It is often thought to have been a descriptive surname given to somebody who either belonged to a particular tribe, or to somebody who had characteristics that related to or resembled those of a certain tribe.
In some cases, differences in spelling may simply be the result of dialectal pronunciation or spelling being transferred down through different generations, resulting in variants of the original name.
It is possible that the different spellings of this surname may also be linked to ancestral migrations, partnerships and intermarriages. For example, people with the surname Theeß may have come to the U.S. from Germany, and as a result, their surname may have been changed to fit the English-speaking pronunciation.
Famous people with the name Theeß
- Adolf Theeß, a German anatomist and anthropologist
- Johann Theeß, a German organist and composer
- Hermann Theeß, a German jurist and politician
- Johannes Theeß, a German theologian
- Paul Theeß, a German pediatrician
- Hermann Theeß, a Swiss political economist
- Ernst Theeß, a German actor
- Carl Theeß, a German salesman
- Rüdiger Theeß, a German medical doctor
- Uwe Theeß, a German swimmer