The name Thielen is relatively new to the U.S. baby name data, having debuted in 2018:
- 2020: 14 baby boys named Thielen
- 2019: 34 baby boys named Thielen
- 12 born in Minnesota, 5 born in South Dakota
- 2018: 21 baby boys named Theilen [debut]
- 10 born in Minnesota
- 2017: unlisted
- 2016: unlisted
Where did it come from?
Professional football player Adam Thielen, who’s been a wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings since 2013. His surname is pronounced THEE-len (the “th” is unvoiced, as in the words theme, or three).
He’s a Minnesota native who also played football for Minnesota State University (2009-2012), so it seems appropriate that a good proportion of the usage has occurred in Minnesota specifically. :)
Adam Thielen’s breakout season was 2016. His next two seasons were so successful that he ended up being both chosen for the Pro Bowl (2018 & 2019) and voted an NFL Top 100 Player (2018 & 2019) twice in a row.
The German/Dutch surname Thielen can be traced back to the early medieval name Thietilo, a pet form of Dietrich, Diederik, or any other compound personal name starting with the Germanic element theud-, meaning “people,” “race.”
What are your thoughts on this name? Would you use it?
Sources:
- Adam Thielen – Wikipedia
- Hanks, Patrick. (Ed.) Dictionary of American Family Names. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.
Using a surname as a first name is not allowed in the Netherlands, so babies named Thielen are unheard of. It also rhymes with a number of questionable words.
In Dutch the name is pronounced TEE-len btw. It’s a family name you’ll mainly hear in the south of the country/near the German border: https://www.cbgfamilienamen.nl/nfb/detail_naam.php?info=kaart2007&t=rel&zw=cs&gba_naam=Thielen&nfd_naam=Thielen&operator=eq&taal=#kaartweergave
Thank you for the extra background on the name, Emma!