Thiessen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

The Thiessen family name is thought to be of Norman origins. It comes from an early member of the family who was a fiesty or hot-tempered person. The name is a metaphor derived from the Old French word tison meaning fire-brand.

Alternatively the name could have originated from "Tesson or Taisson, the Norman-French for badger." 1

Early Origins of the Thiessen family

The surname Thiessen was first found in Northumberland where they held a family seat from early times, where the name originally was Tesson, one of the most powerful families in Normandy seated at Angouleme. Their history is French more than Viking and they distinguished themselves against the Saracens in 725.

They were later seated at Anjou and Raoul Tesson the first Lord of Cingueleiz led 120 knights at Val-Des-Dunes in 1047. Gilbert Tesson, his brother, obtained the barony of Alnwick from King Edward the Confessor, England's Saxon King, and was killed at the Battle of Hastings, fighting on the Saxon side. 2

Early History of the Thiessen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Thiessen research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1309, 1651, 1680 and 1708 are included under the topic Early Thiessen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Thiessen Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Tyson, Tesson, Tewson, Tiuson, Tison, Dyson and many more.

Early Notables of the Thiessen family

Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are 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 12,501^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3 However, in Canada, the name Thiessen is ranked the 469^th most popular surname with an estimated 10,172 people with that name. 4

Thiessen migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Thiessen or a variant listed above:

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 5
Carl Thiessen, who landed in New York, NY in 1850 5
Catharine Thiessen, aged 31, who landed in New York, NY in 1852 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

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 6
Walter F. Thiessen Jr., American Libertarian politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Connecticut 5th District, 1996 6
Patrice Thiessen, American politician, Representative from California 2nd District, 1996, 1998, 2002 6
Cornelius Thiessen (1910-1993), American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Montana, 1956; Member of Montana State Senate, 1959-62 6
John Peter Thiessen (1931-2022), Canadian Russian Mennonite teacher, translator, and writer from Grunthal, Manitoba
Anthony "Tony" Thiessen (1942-2019), Australian rules footballer who played with Melbourne, Carlton and North Melbourne
Vern Thiessen (b. 1964), Canadian playwright, recipient of the Governor General's Award in 2003
... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html