Show ContentsThiessen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Thiessen derives from the German personal name Matthias which in turn derives from the apostle Matthaeus (English Matthew). Versions of this name were very popular in the Middle Ages throughout Christian Europe.

Early Origins of the Thiessen family

The surname Thiessen was first found in Germany, where the name came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society.

Early History of the Thiessen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Thiessen research. Another 126 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1295, 1596, 1790, 1804 and 1869 are included under the topic Early Thiessen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Thiessen Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Theis, Theisen, Thein, Theitz, Theisz, Theisman and others.

Early Notables of the Thiessen family

More information is included under the topic Early Thiessen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Thiessen Ranking

In the United States, the name Thiessen is the 12,501st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1] However, in Canada, the name Thiessen is ranked the 469th most popular surname with an estimated 10,172 people with that name. [2]


United States Thiessen migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Thiessen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Joh. Thiessen, aged 31, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Franziska"
  • Mr. Gustav Thiessen, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Franziska"
  • Ludwig Thiessen, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 [3]
  • Carl Thiessen, who landed in New York, NY in 1850 [3]
  • Catharine Thiessen, aged 31, who landed in New York, NY in 1852 [3]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Thiessen migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Thiessen Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Aaron Thiessen, who arrived in Manitoba in 1875
  • Peter Thiessen, who landed in Manitoba in 1875

Contemporary Notables of the name Thiessen (post 1700) +

  • Lieutenant General Duane D. Thiessen (b. 1951), American Deputy Commandant for Programs and Resources
  • Alfred H. Thiessen (b. 1872), American meteorologist, eponym of Thiessen polygons
  • Tiffani-Amber Thiessen (b. 1974), American actress
  • Wayne C. Thiessen, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Senator from Hawaii, 1968 [4]
  • Walter F. Thiessen Jr., American Libertarian politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Connecticut 5th District, 1996 [4]
  • Patrice Thiessen, American politician, Representative from California 2nd District, 1996, 1998, 2002 [4]
  • Cornelius Thiessen (1910-1993), American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Montana, 1956; Member of Montana State Senate, 1959-62 [4]
  • Peter Adolf Thiessen (1899-1990), German physical chemist, recipient of the Stalin Prize for contributions to the Soviet atomic bomb project
  • Georg Heinrich Thiessen (1914-1961), German astronomer, eponym of the lunar crater Thiessen
  • John Peter Thiessen (1931-2022), Canadian Russian Mennonite teacher, translator, and writer from Grunthal, Manitoba
  • ... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  3. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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