Surname Thill - Meaning and Origin
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Thill: What does the surname Thill mean?
The last name Thill is of German origins and is derived from the Middle High German word "thill" which means "valley". It was likely a geographical origin or habitation name given to someone who lived in or near a valley, or someone whose home was in a low lying area. The spelling variations of the name Thill include Till, Thillman, Tille, Thille, Tiller, Tyll and Thilley.
The Thill surname appears in records as early as the 1300s in the village of Lütckholz, now located in the Westphalia region of Germany. Records show that this region was a popular area for the Thill family and is believed to be the place where the name originated.
In the Middle Ages, Thills tended to be small farmers working the land and raising crops. Eventually some of the Thill family branched out into other career paths such as ironworking, milling, and teaching. In the 1600s during the Thirty Years War, some Thills moved to the Netherlands to escape the conflict in Germany.
Today, many Thills still live in Germany, but a significant number have migrated to the US, Canada, and other countries. Today, the Thill name is not overly common, but still can be found throughout Europe and North America.
Order DNA origin analysisThill: Where does the name Thill come from?
The last name Thill is most commonly found today in regions of Germany and northern France. There are also smaller instances of the name in Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The surname is derived from the German word “Thiel,” meaning “people” and was used to distinguish one clan from another.
It is believed that the name Thill originated in the Rhineland of Germany during the 12th century. Many families of Thill are believed to have descended from a small village near Limburg, Germany. It is widely accepted that the name Thill translates to hill and may have been descriptive of a geographical location.
Today, the name Thill is very common among German, French, and Austrian citizens with many well-known Thill families living in major cities such as Berlin, Dusseldorf, Munich, and Paris.
Records of Thill births, marriages, and deaths are available from the German Church Records and the French Civil Records. Additionally, many Thill families have compiled personal genealogies and family histories stretching back many generations.
Overall, the last name Thill is still relatively common today in parts of Germany, France, and other nearby countries in western and central Europe.
Variations of the surname Thill
The surname Thill is of Germanic origin and is derived from the Old German word ‘thilo’ meaning ‘people’. The surname is most commonly found in Germany, Netherlands and Luxembourg.
Variant spellings of Thill include Thil, Thiel, Theil, Tiel, Tseel, Teel, Tiyel and Dehille.
Variants of the Thill surname can be divided into two distinct and separate families. The first group is associated with the Germanic ‘th’ sound, while the second group was formed as a result of migration to Russia and Eastern Europe in the 18th century. This second group features several spellings with the ‘t’ sound, such as Teel and Tseel.
The most prominent and common surnames associated with Thill are Thiel, Dehille, Tiel, Teel and Tseel. These surnames are found mainly in Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Russia.
In addition to the above-mentioned surnames, other variants of Thill include Tielen, Thielen, Thylen, Tylen, Tiels, Theylens, Tyeld, and Tyld.
Thill is a relatively uncommon surname and is not known to have any famous people affiliated with it. However, the variants, spellings and surnames of Thill are popular in certain European countries and have thus been adopted by many families in different parts of the world.
Famous people with the name Thill
- Mark Thill: German footballer.
- Jake Thill: American professional drifter.
- Joe Thill: professional motocross racer and X Games commentator.
- Tom Thill: British stage and screen actor.
- Johannes Thill: German TV interview show host.
- Paul Thill: Belgian football player.
- Randy Thill: American professional wakeboarder.
- J.J. Thill: American college basketball player.
- Johnny Thill: German-Dutch footballer.
- Anna Thill: Sweden-based actress.
- Lou Thill: American baseball player.
- Yves Thill: Belgian comics artist.
- William Thill: French basketball player.
- Stewart Thill: American sports broadcaster.
- Bertus Thill: Dutch racing cyclist.
- Donovan Thill: Canadian ice hockey goalie.
- Paul Thill: Luxembourgish professional cyclist.
- Pete Thill: American boxer.
- Yannick Thill: German TV producer and journalist.
- Robert Thill: American college basketball coach.