NameCensus.

UK surname

Theis

A German and Dutch surname derived from the given name Matthias or Mathias, meaning "gift of Yahweh."

In the 1881 census there were 29 people recorded with the Theis surname, ranking it #29,484 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 118, ranked #27,873, up from #29,484 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hertsmere, Hackney and Hillingdon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Theis is 129 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 306.9%.

1881 census count

29

Ranked #29,484

Modern count

118

2016, ranked #27,873

Peak year

2013

129 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Theis had 29 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,484 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 118 in 2016, ranked #27,873.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 59 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Theis surname distribution map

The map shows where the Theis surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Theis surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Theis over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 7 #32,070
1861 historical 16 #31,832
1881 historical 29 #29,484
1891 historical 42 #31,018
1901 historical 59 #27,609
1911 historical 55 #27,313
1997 modern 108 #25,788
1998 modern 107 #26,555
1999 modern 107 #26,754
2000 modern 109 #26,381
2001 modern 112 #25,644
2002 modern 111 #26,291
2003 modern 107 #26,617
2004 modern 113 #25,999
2005 modern 105 #27,203
2006 modern 111 #26,565
2007 modern 106 #27,722
2008 modern 105 #28,180
2009 modern 106 #28,666
2010 modern 114 #28,017
2011 modern 120 #26,930
2012 modern 122 #26,696
2013 modern 129 #26,211
2014 modern 124 #27,049
2015 modern 122 #27,245
2016 modern 118 #27,873

Geography

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Where Theis' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hertsmere, Hackney, Hillingdon, Tendring and Westminster. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hertsmere 012 Hertsmere
2 Hackney 027 Hackney
3 Hillingdon 017 Hillingdon
4 Tendring 002 Tendring
5 Westminster 010 Westminster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Theis

These lists show first names that appear often with the Theis surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Theis

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Theis, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Theis surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Theis household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Theis is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Theis is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Theis falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Theis is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Theis, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Theis

The surname Theis is of German origin, originating in the regions of Bavaria and Franconia during the medieval period. It is derived from the Germanic personal name "Theudis," which means "ruler of the people." The name was likely introduced into the region by the Visigoths, a Germanic tribe that ruled parts of Europe in the early medieval era.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Theis can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from Bavaria, which mentions a person named "Theudo" in the year 788. The name also appears in the Freisinger Traditionen, a record of property transfers in the Freising region of Bavaria, from the 9th century.

In the 13th century, the name Theis was documented in various legal and administrative records in the town of Nuremberg, a prominent city in Franconia. One notable figure from this time was Johannes Theis, a merchant and member of the town council, who lived around 1260.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the name Theis gained popularity among the educated and affluent classes in southern Germany. Johann Theis, a renowned humanist scholar and poet, was born in Nuremberg in 1455. Another prominent individual was Georg Theis, a Reformation-era theologian and professor at the University of Wittenberg, who lived from 1488 to 1542.

In the 17th century, the name Theis spread to other parts of Germany and neighboring regions. One notable figure was Johann Friedrich Theis (1618-1688), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Duke of Saxe-Gotha.

As the Theis family migrated to different parts of Europe and beyond, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as Theiss, Theiss, and Teis. In the 19th century, a prominent American figure with this surname was Lewis Theis (1824-1897), a Union Army officer during the American Civil War.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Theis families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Theis surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 20 Theis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.07x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 20 7.07x
Surrey 7 5.08x
Kent 1 1.04x
Lincolnshire 1 2.21x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Poplar London in Middlesex leads with 11 Theis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 205.99x.

Place Total Index
Poplar London 11 205.99x
Hackney London 5 31.55x
Bermondsey 3 35.63x
Camberwell 2 11.07x
Clapham 2 56.50x
St Pancras London 2 8.79x
Deptford St Paul 1 13.44x
Great Grimsby 1 34.84x
Kensington London 1 6.36x
Shoreditch London 1 8.16x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Theis surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Louisa 3
Anna 1
Auguster 1
Charlotte 1
Flora 1
Mabel 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Theis surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Theis households.

FAQ

Theis surname: questions and answers

How common was the Theis surname in 1881?

In 1881, 29 people were recorded with the Theis surname. That placed it at #29,484 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Theis surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 118 in 2016. That gives Theis a modern rank of #27,873.

What does the Theis surname mean?

A German and Dutch surname derived from the given name Matthias or Mathias, meaning "gift of Yahweh."

What does the Theis map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Theis bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.