Surname Thönnissen - Meaning and Origin

Thönnissen: What does the surname Thönnissen mean?

The last name Thönnissen is of Germanic origin. It is made up of two components; ‘Thönn’, which likely means ‘daring’ or ‘bold’, and ‘Issen’ which likely means ‘people’. The name as a whole could therefore be thought of as ‘the daring people’, or the ‘people of daring’.

It is difficult to confirm the exact origin of the last name, however the name appears to have been in existence since at least the 15th century, according to records from German-speaking areas. It’s believed to have emerged as a name used to distinguish families of similar surnames in these areas from one another.

Although the meaning of the name isn’t known for sure, it is possible that it was originally given to families that were bold or courageous in some way. This could have been in the form of battle, business, or in their everyday lives.

The surname is still relatively common in many countries. It is most common in Germany, where it is estimated that there are around 8,700 people with the name. It is also found in Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands.

Although there doesn’t appear to be one single definable meaning behind the last name Thönnissen, it is likely that the cunning and boldness of the original families has been passed down to the many people who bear the same name today.

Thönnissen: Where does the name Thönnissen come from?

The last name Thönnissen is relatively uncommon today, but there are still a few clusters in which it is more prevalent. Based on records from the past century, the surname Thönnissen is predominantly found in northern Germany, particularly the Lower Saxony region. It is also found in a few other areas of the former West Germany, such as Hesse and Bavaria, but the prevalence is much lower outside of Lower Saxony.

Although the last name Thönnissen is still relatively uncommon outside of Germany, in some parts the name has been adopted by people with no German heritage. This is particularly true in the United States and Canada, where the name has been used by individuals of Swedish, Dutch, and English decent, in addition to several German immigrants who had the name prior to their emigration.

The prevalence of Thönnissen in Germany has remained relatively consistent for the past two centuries. Today, the most recent records suggest there are around 2,000 individuals in Germany using the Thönnissen surname. The vast majority of these individuals live in the Lower Saxony portion of Germany, with a few more living in the surrounding areas. Additionally, records show that the number of people living in the United States and Canada ranges around 7,000 to 8,000.

Overall, the last name Thönnissen remains an uncommon name even in Germany, and even more so outside of Germany. However, it is still present in countries all over the world, particularly in those with small German populations.

Variations of the surname Thönnissen

The surname Thönnissen can have many variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin, depending on where it was used or documented. In Germany, variants of the surname Thönnissen include Thoenessen, Thönnesen, Thonessen, Thoenissen, Toennessen, Toenissen, Toenniesen, and Thönniessen. Across Europe, variants could include Thøinessen (in Denmark), Tennessen (in the Netherlands), and Tønnessen (in Norway).

In the United States, Thönnissen-derived surnames include Tennison, Tennyson, Tennasen, Tannis, and Tannisen. It is also possible to have hybridised variants such as Tennessen and Tennissen.

In its many forms, this surname is thought to have its roots in the ancient Germanic name Thüningen, which originally meant "a person of the people". Therefore, certain variants of Thönnissen, such as Tenning and Thaning, are believed to simply be regional variations.

The surname is also thought to have derived from the Old High German word "thunne" meaning "daredevil", which could be interpreted as one who is courageous or foolhardy. Given the name's Germanic roots, spellings such as Thune and Tunne may have been inspired by this.

Thönnissen is also thought to have been adopted as a name to describe a region or the origin of settlers. Variations of the name such as Thoonisen, Thooisen, Thoosen, Tennison, and Tennesen are believed to come about due to general misspellings or phonetic changes.

Overall, there are many variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for Thönnissen, depending on the region and time period.

Famous people with the name Thönnissen

• Jean-Paul Thönnissen: German football player and manager, played for clubs such as SV Mattersburg in Austria and Greuther Fürth.
• Wolfgang Thönnissen: German politician, Member of the Parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia and former chairman of the CDU parliamentary group in the same period.
• Birgit Thönnissen: German actress, who is perhaps best known for her role in the movie Der Baum.
• Stephen Thönnissen: Australian athlete and rugby union player. He represented Australia in two rugby union world cups.
• Björn Thönnissen: German game designer, author and entrepreneur. He is the founder of the game company Heidelberger Spieleverlag.
• Peter Thönnissen: Belgian cyclist, professional between 1985 and 1997. Winner of G. P. Wallonie.
• Sabine Thönnissen: Austrian figure skater, competing in ladies' singles.
• Tobias Thönnissen: German football coach, manager and sporting director of VfL Bochum.
• Inka Thönnissen: German violinist and soloist.
• Henri Thönnissen: Austrian journalist and editor-in-chief of the Austrian newspaper Der Standard.

Other surnames

Thönniss