Surname Thönniß - Meaning and Origin

Thönniß: What does the surname Thönniß mean?

The last name Thönniß is an occupational name which is derived from the Middle High German word ‘tünne’ which means ‘container’ or ‘vat’. This is a fitting name for someone who made or sold beer barrels, wine casks, or other similar containers in medieval Europe. Alternatively, it might have referred to someone who worked as a cooper or cooperage, a skilled tradesman who made containers from staves, hoops, and lids. In English, the name might be spelled either Thönniß or Thonnis. The name is most common in Germany but also occurs in Austria, Switzerland, and other countries in Central Europe.

Interestingly, Thönniß is sometimes used as a first name, especially in Germany and Switzerland. It is believed to come from an old Germanic term ‘tunnen’, which meant ‘barrel’ or ‘cask’ and was used as a nickname for a person of strength and stature. The name was often given to men working as a cooper or cooperage.

The name is not tortuously rare, but it is not especially common either. Records indicate that there are currently about 4,300 people bearing the name Thönniß living around the world. The majority of them are centered around Germany, although there are still pockets of them in other countries throughout Europe.

In the end, the last name Thönniß is linked to trade and production of wooden containers. While some people may have inherited the name due to their family links, the majority likely received it from their work as a cooper or cooperage. The name is not uncommon, but it is still relatively uncommon, providing a unique identifier for the family and its members.

Thönniß: Where does the name Thönniß come from?

The last name Thönniß is a common German and Dutch surname, with a history stemming back to the Middle Ages. Thönniß can be traced back to the time of the Holy Roman Empire, with the earliest known record being from 1396. The surname Thönniß is spread all across Germany and the Netherlands, but is particularly concentrated in North-Rhine Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Brandenburg and Berlin. In the Netherlands it is especially found in provinces such as Gelderland, Overijssel, Drenthe, Limburg, Noord-Brabant and Zeeland.

The surname Thönniß is also found in countries outside of Europe, including the United States, Canada and Australia. In the U.S., the biggest concentrations are in California, Texas, Michigan, New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, Ohio, and Florida. In Canada, there are sizable concentrations in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec.

The general meaning of Thönniß is “son of Thön”, with the root word being an older Germanic name of Thönold. It is believed to have been derived from the name of a prominent landholding family living hundreds of years ago in the old Duchy of Westphalia.

Overall, the last name Thönniß is common in many countries and regions across the world, with the largest populations being found in Germany, the Netherlands, the United States, Canada and Australia.

Variations of the surname Thönniß

The Thönniß surname has a variety of variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. The spelling Thönnissen is the most common variation, used by families with roots in Northern Germany, Denmark, and parts of the Netherlands. Other known spellings include Thönniss, Tönnißen, Tönnissen, and Tönnisfen. Less commonly used spellings include Thönnissing, Thönising, Thönis, and Thönies. In addition, Dutch families sometimes employ the spellings Dönniß or Dönnissen.

Many of these spellings are interchangeable, with families alternating between them depending on the specific dialect of their region. In some parts of Europe, the spelling Thönning is used, indicating that it is related to the surname Thönniß. In other regions, Thönniß is replaced by the more common name Thönnes or Thönneßen.

The first recorded use of the surname Thönniß dates back to 1353, when a family of that name settled in Bommelsen, Germany. The Thönniß family in Bommelsen is likely descended from the Thönniß family in Dinklage, Germany. It is believed that the Thönniß family originated from Northern Germany, and the spelling of the surname has evolved over the centuries due to regional dialects.

The Thönniß surname is found in records all over Europe, from France to Baltic countries. Other related surnames include Thöning, Thönes, Thöneßen, Dönnissen, and Thönnissing. These names are used interchangeably in some regions, depending on the dialect.

Overall, the surname Thönniß has a variety of variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. This is likely due to the fact that the surname originated in Northern Germany and has evolved as it spread throughout Europe to adapt to different regional dialects.

Famous people with the name Thönniß

• Rutger Thönniß: Rutger Thönniß is a Belgian actor and theater director, best known for his work in the German film Dusk, which earned him a special award from the Grand Jury at the National German Film Festival in 2018.
• Johannes Thönniß: Johannes Thönniß is a German entrepreneur, best known as the founding member and Chief Executive Officer of the online stock market analysis platform Wessels & Co.
• Anna Thönniß: Anna Thönniß is a German author and illustrator. She is an award-winning illustrator and a best-selling author, most notably for her critically acclaimed children's books, The Story of Little Sepp and Friends and Rabbit Fiesta.
• Kurt Thönniß: Kurt Thönniß is a German artist and sculptor, best known for his bronze statues, which often portray famous German and international figures.
• Georg Thönniß: Georg Thönniß is a German physicist and professor at the University of Technology Berlin, specializing in theoretical quantum mechanics.
• Walter Thönniß: Walter Thönniß is a German professor and musicologist, specializing in the history and analysis of tonal music.
• Joachim Thönniß: Joachim Thönniß is a German computer scientist and professor in the Computer Science Department of the University of Erfurt. His research focuses on artificial intelligence and natural language processing.
• Ursula Thönniß: Ursula Thönniß is a German architect, specializing in historic preservation and urban design. She currently serves as director of the Institute of Preservation and Urban Design in Munich.

Other surnames

Thönnißen