Theis
A German surname that often began as a short form of Matthias or related names, and sometimes as a shortened form from an old Germanic name element meaning “day” or “brightness.”
The #5,417 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 48,054 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Theis is mainly a German short form used for names such as Matthias, with Theis often standing beside Thies and Thias in older name lists. Some historical works also connect it with a very old Germanic name base involving Dag-, meaning “day,” though that explanation is less certain here. In practice, the surname most likely arose as a nickname-style hereditary form from a familiar given name.
History
The name appears in older German surname and byname traditions, especially in northern German areas where short forms like Thies, Theis, and Thiessen were common. Related surnames such as Thiesmeyer, Thiesen, and Thiesing show how the same nickname base generated larger family names. In some families the spelling Theis may reflect regional pronunciation or older orthography rather than a separate origin.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same nickname base that produced Theis also helped generate a whole cluster of related surnames, including Thiesmeyer and Thiessen.
From the historical record
“Dehling, (k): Dagiko: Deiche. Gen. Deycikß. (z) Tagizo, Tayso: Deitx — Deife — Theise; Theis, Zweistämmige Kürzung Dagb-. Dapp ~ Tapp — Daab, Zweistämmige Kürzung Dagm-. Damo: Dahm, Gen. Dahms.”
— Die deutschen Familiennamen