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Thelen Family History

Thelen Surname Meaning

Dutch and North German: patronymic from a pet form of the ancient Germanic personal name Thietilo. Thelen is a variant of Thielen.

Swedish (Thelén): ornamental or habitational name from the element Thel- of uncertain meaning (see Thelander) + the adjectival suffix -én, a derivative of Latin -enius ‘relating to’.

Compare Thelin.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Thelen family from?

You can see how Thelen families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Thelen family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Thelen families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 12 Thelen families living in London. This was about 67% of all the recorded Thelen's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Thelen families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Thelen surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Thelen ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Thelen. 50% of Thelen women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Thelen | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    50%
  • Tailoress
    50%

What Thelen family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 9,000 census records available for the last name Thelen. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Thelen census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Thelen

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Thelen. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Thelen immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Thelen. For the veterans among your Thelen ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Thelen military records

You've only scratched the surface of Thelen family history

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What is the average Thelen lifespan?

Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Thelen life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Thelen in 1946 was 25, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Thelen

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Thelen ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Thelen family tree

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