Surname Thönneßen - Meaning and Origin
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Thönneßen: What does the surname Thönneßen mean?
The surname Thönneßen is derived from the Germanic word “thun” or “thon” meaning “forest” or “wood”. This may suggest an origin in a family that lived in or near a forest, and worked in forestry or timber-related occupations such as carpentry, milling, and timber production. The ending –ßen is an indicator of a location, likely indicating a forest near which a Thön family settled or operated a business. Although the origin of the Thönneßen surname is not known with absolute certainty, a likely source is Lower Saxony or Westphalia, located in Germany’s northwest region.
The Thönneßen surname is likely to have first appeared in the medieval period as a patronymic—a surname indicating a father and son relationship—from Thön or Thon. Over time, these patronymic names evolved into fixed surnames, with the Thönneßen spelling appearing by the early 1500s in both Germany and the Netherlands. Today, the Thönneßen surname is associated with people of German descent, though it is also found among Dutch and French speakers.
The Thönneßen surname is not a particularly common one, but is found in Germany, the Netherlands, and other European countries, as well as in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand amongst the German emigrant population. As with many surnames, the spelling may vary slightly between origins and locales, though Thönneßen is the most widely known spelling. It is likely that those who share the Thönneßen name are related in some way, though it is not possible to pinpoint where or when the Thönneßen surname first appeared.
Order DNA origin analysisThönneßen: Where does the name Thönneßen come from?
The last name Thönneßen is a German surname found in various regions across Europe. It can primarily be found in southern Germany and parts of France. Historically, Thönneßen has been associated with the Rhineland area, located along the Rhine river in western Germany.
It is believed the last name originated from a location of the same name in the Rhineland, with some historical records indicating the district of Thönneßen near the city of Mechernich in the Euskirchen district of North Rhine-Westphalia.
In modern times, the last name Thönneßen is still common in its regions of origin such as Germany, France, and Austria. There are online directories which indicate Thönneßen as a commonly found surname in small towns and cities in southern Germany, as well as French regions such as Alsace and Lorraine.
Online records suggest that the majority of individuals with Thönneßen as a surname can be found in Germany, with estimates of more than 1,000 people bearing the name spread throughout the country. The second highest concentration of Thönnessen can be found in the United States, where it is believed more than 600 individuals have the last name. Other countries with a notable presence of Thönneßen include Switzerland, Finland, and Sweden.
Variations of the surname Thönneßen
The surname Thönneßen is of German origin and is derived from the Middle Low German word "thonne", which means "thorn". Variants of the surname Thönneßen include Thonnesen, Thonessen, Thoonen, and Thoennissen.
The most common spelling for this name is Thönneßen with two dots above the second "o". This spellings of the surname is found mainly in German records. Other variants include Thonnesen, Thonessen and Thoennissen.
The variant Thoonen is a Dutch spelling derived from the Middle Low German word "thonne" meaning "thorn".
In Germany, the name is common in the Lower Rhine region. The Oldenburg variation of the surname is Thuness, which is derived from the Low German word "thuun" meaning "prickly".
The variant Thoneßen is found in North Rhein-Westphalia. It is a spelling derived from the Middle Low German word "thonne" and "essen" meaning "provision".
The variant Thoeneßen is popular in northern Germany and is derived from the Middle High German word "thunis" meaning "oak-tree". In this variation, the suffix "-en" is also added to the word to specify that it is a surname.
Another variant is Thøneßen. This spelling is found mainly in the North Norway region and is derived from the Old Norse personal name "Thonar".
The variant Thouanen is found throughout Eastern Europe, particularly in Russia and Ukraine. Its origin is obscure but it is believed to be related to the Middle High German word "thunnen" typically found in names from southern Prussia.
Although the spelling of the name can differ, the pronunciation remains more or less the same in all variants. The name is typically pronounced "tɔnəsən".
Famous people with the name Thönneßen
- Jes Thönneßen, Danish professional footballer
- Patrik Thönneßen, Swedish skater
- Christine Thönneßen, German professional tennis player
- Lukas Thönneßen, German TV show host and actor
- Mark Thönneßen, German professional footballer
- Inga Thönneßen, Swedish actress
- Xavier Thönneßen, Swiss-Belgian actor
- Christian Thönneßen, German composer and conductor
- Jörg Thönneßen, professor of musicology at the University of Mainz
- Sebastian Thönneßen, German professional golfer
- Lunivers Thönneßen, French EDM artist
- Uli Thönneßen, German professional rugby player
- Garik Thönneßen, Ukrainian professional weightlifter
- Sören Thönneßen, German photographer and filmmaker
- David Thönneßen, German photographer and graphic designer
- Archie Thönneßen, Spanish professional footballer
- Marcel Thönneßen, Dutch professional ice hockey player
- Hubert Thönneßen, German contemporary sculptor
- Konstantin Thönneßen, German professional ice hockey player
- Bernard Thönneßen, German Olympic rower