Surname Tönnissen - Meaning and Origin

Tönnissen: What does the surname Tönnissen mean?

The surname Tönnissen is a Germanic name originating from North Rhine-Westphalia and its environs in Germany. As a habitational name, it is derived from the Germanic or Middle Low German word "Tun", which means "farm" or "homestead". This word was combined with the Germanic word "issen" which means "from/of". Therefore, the surname Tönnissen literally translates to "from/of the homestead/farm".

The name likely had its first application in the Middle Ages as a reference to the place and origin of an individual. It is believed that the first record of the Tönnissen surname appeared in the 15th century, when one Reineke Toennisen of Bruckhausen was recorded. The Tönnissen family was a large and prosperous one in the Rhineland.

The name is still found in modern times, with the most populous concentration found in Germany. North Rhine-Westphalia is the most prominent origin of the Tönnissen surname. It is also found in the United States, particularly in New York and California.

The Tönnissen surname will remain a symbol of the proud German heritage, and its bearers are proud to count themselves among its ranks.

Tönnissen: Where does the name Tönnissen come from?

The last name Tönnissen is most common in Belarus, where it ranks 1,056th in the nation for population prevalence. It is also present in Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Ukraine, Germany, Russia and the United States.

In Belarus, the surname Tönnissen is mostly found in the Brest region and the Minsk region. Last name frequency in these regions is about 13 per million inhabitants. In the city of Minsk alone, approximately 600 people bear the last name.

Moving west to Poland, the surname is most present in the Podlaskie Voivodeship and the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, although it is found in other regions as well. The prevalence in each of these is around 2 to 4 per million inhabitants.

In Latvia, the surname is found most frequently in the Zemgale and Kurzeme regions, where it is present at a rate of about 4 per million inhabitants in Kurzeme and 2 per million inhabitants in Zemgale.

Further south, the surname is also present in Germany, particularly in the state of Lower Saxony. Here, the prevalence is lower at about 1 per million inhabitants.

It is also found in the United States, mostly in Disney World, where it appears on Signage throughout the theme park.

Overall, the surname Tönnissen is most prevalent in Belarus, followed by Poland and Latvia. It is also present in the United States, Germany, Lithuania and Ukraine.

Variations of the surname Tönnissen

The surname Tönnissen is of Germanic origin, and is derived from the Latin word Antonius, meaning "invaluable". It is mainly found in Germany, though it may be also found in other countries throughout Europe and North America. Common variants of this surname include Tönnesen, Tönesen, Tönis, Tönig, Töniges, and Tonning, among others.

In Germany, Tönnissen is often written with the umlaut, ö, which is not used in some other countries. Alternately, the name may be written without the umlaut, for example as “Toennissen” or “Toennesen”.

In some cases, the name may be translated to its German equivalent, such as Tönnig or Tonni. There are also some spelling variations of the surname that are specific to different countries. For example, in Denmark, it may be spelled “Tunnesen”, and in Norway, it may be spelled “Tunnes”.

For a patronymic surname, a form of the name derived from one's father's given name, the spelling is typically Tönni(ssen). In certain contexts, this form may also be spelled “Tounissen” or “Tiunissen”.

Other surnames derived from the same origin include Tonissen, Tunnesen, Tounissen, Tiunissen, Tonjes, Tohning, Tohningen, Tonig, and Toniges.

Overall, the surname Tönnissen has a wide variety of spellings and surnames of the same origin, depending on the language and country where it is used. By understanding the different variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin, it is possible to trace one's family history with more accuracy.

Famous people with the name Tönnissen

• Peter Tönnissen: Dutch professional football player, who plays for Jupiler League team NEC Nijmegen.
• Josh Tönnissen: Australian comedian, best known for his work with the self-proclaimed “world’s greatest comedy trio”, The Axis of Awesome.
• Jürgen Tönnissen: German economist and political analyst, currently a professor at the University of Cologne.
• Jan Tönnissen: Dutch entrepreneur, founder of the Dutch online fashion retailer Luomo and the Europe-wide luxury hotel chain Tastemade.
• Torsten Tönnissen: German singer and songwriter, known for his melodic, acoustic guitar-driven adult contemporary music.
• Stephanie Tönnissen: German fashion model, who was the first model from Germany to appear on the cover of Elle Germany.
• Olaf Tönnissen: German photographer, best known for his iconic portraits of celebrities and his photographs of the natural landscapes of Europe.
• Bart Tönnissen: Dutch painter and sculptor, whose works are featured in various private and public collections around the world.
• Raphael Tönnissen: German designer, specializing in digital media production, currently the principal designer at reactor interactive AG.
• Gudrun Tönnissen: German theater actress, best known for her roles in the plays of Nobel Prize-winning playwright Elfriede Jelinek.

Other surnames

Tönniss