Show ContentsThelen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Thelen family

The surname Thelen was first found in Thuringia, where the family was known for its contributions to the prosperity and culture of the emerging feudal society. The family branched into numerous houses, many of which acquired estates and manors throughout the surrounding regions.

Early History of the Thelen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Thelen research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Thelen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Thelen Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Theler, Theller, Thelers, Thellers, Theleres, Thelerrs, Theleres, Thelleres, Thelle, Thele, Thealer, Thealler and many more.

Early Notables of the Thelen family

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

Thelen Ranking

In the United States, the name Thelen is the 9,178th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


United States Thelen migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Thelen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Peter Thelen, aged 28, who landed in America in 1829 2
  • Mathias Thelen, who landed in Michigan in 1841 2
  • Johann Thelen, who arrived in Michigan in 1847 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Thelen (post 1700) +

  • Tim Thelen (b. 1961), American professional golfer
  • Jodi Thelen (b. 1962), American actress, known for The Wedding Singer (1998), Duet (1987) and Four Friends (1981)
  • Anthony James "A. J." Thelen (b. 1986), American retired professional ice hockey defenceman
  • David Thelen (b. 1938), American CFL running back for the Ottawa Rough Riders and the Toronto Argonauts (1958-1966), inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1989
  • Paul Thelen, American founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Big Fish Games
  • Frederick W. Thelen, American Republican politician, Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives 57th District, 1980 3
  • Frank Thelen (b. 1975), German businessman, co-founder of Softer Solutions
  • Albert Vigoleis Thelen (1903-1989), German author and translator
  • Eduard Thelen (b. 1946), German gold medalist field hockey player at the 1972 Olympic Games


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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