Thor History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Sweden

Similar to many Austrian family names, the distinguished surname Thor is a proud sign of a rich and ancient ancestry. The earliest forms of hereditary surnames in Austria were the patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name. Austrian and German patronymic names emerged as early as the mid-9th century and the most common patronymic suffix is ez. The patronyms were derived from a variety of given names that were of many different origins. The name Thor is derived from the ancient Germanic personal name Thor, meaning thunder.

Early Origins of the Thor family

The surname Thor was first found in the province of Tyrol in Austria, where the name became identified in early mediaeval times with the feudal society which would play a prominent role throughout European history. The name would later emerge as a noble family with great influence, having many distinguished branches, and become noted for its participation in social, economic and political affairs.

Early History of the Thor family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Thor research. Another 160 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1165 and 1755 are included under the topic Early Thor History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Thor Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Thor include Thor, Thorer, Thoren, Thorn, Torr, Thorr, Thorre and many more.

Early Notables of the Thor family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Thor were

Theodor Thoren, a prominent and highly influential court advisor and director in Vienna who received his knighthood in 1755 for twenty three years of outstanding service

Thor Ranking

In the United States, the name Thor is the 11,439^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Thor migration to the United States +

After the First World War, Austria became a republic. The Treaty of Versailles broke up the empire in 1919 and many of the Sudeten Germans were incorporated into the new nation of Czechoslovakia. In the 20th century, many Austrians migrated to other parts of Germany or Europe, as well as to North America. In the United States, the majority of settlers landed in Philadelphia, and moved on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Many German settlers also migrated to Canada, particularly Ontario and the Prairies. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Thor were

Thor Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johann Friedrich Thor, who settled in Philadelphia in 1743
Johan Friederich Thor, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1743 2

Thor Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Franz Thor, who arrived in America in 1853 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Thor (post 1700) +

Eric Thor Olson (b. 1952), retired United States Navy admiral, the eighth Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM)
Thor Helland (1936-2021), Norwegian long-distance runner who specialized in the 5000 metres
Thor Hearne (b. 1961), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Missouri, 2004 3
Thor Carl Tollefson (1901-1982), American Republican politician, Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney, 1932-34, 1939-46; U.S. Representative from Washington 6th District, 1947-65 4
Thor Pedersen (b. 1945), Danish politician representing the Liberal party, Venstre
Thor Kunkel (b. 1963), German author

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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, November 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, October 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html