Thielke Name Study

Surnames/tags: thielke tielke tilke

This is a project that I hope will become a valuable reference point for any Thielke researchers alike to share their knowledge by posting their DNA tests, resources, pictures, stories, and anything else of interest to this surname.

Please join by contacting the project leader, Brian Zalewski. See the section on goals and what you can do below. Post questions and comments to the bulletin board and add details about your particular area of interest.

Contents 1 Etymology 2 Goals 3 Participation 3.1 Category Code 3.2 Profile Stickers 3.2.1 Sticker for Ancestral Profiles 3.2.2 Sticker for Your Own Profile 4 What Can I Do? 5 DNA 6 Country of Origin 7 Interactive Map from Aleš Trtnik and WikiTree+ 8 Thielke Lines 9 Pronunciation 10 Resources

Etymology

The Thielke surname is North German: from a pet form of Thiel 1. Eastern German: variant of Thiel 2.

Then, looking at the Thiel name: North German and Dutch: reduced form of the personal name Thietilo, an early medieval pet form of Dietrich (German), Diederik (Dutch), or from some other compound name with the same first element. Eastern German: from a short form of Sorbian Bartyl, from the personal name Bartholomäus (see Bartholomew).^[1]

Goals

This surname study is still very new. Currently, it mainly includes Thielke lines from the Wisconsin area. The main goal would be to try to at least connect some of these lines back to Germany and other areas where the Thielke name seems to originate.

The purpose of this study is to bring together any Thielke descendants who are willing to work together to establish an accurate Thielke Family tree by using the best possible sources available for documentation to make new connections. There are many spelling variations (i.e., Thilke, Tilke.)

Participation

There is no obligatory time commitment or work responsibility required. Contribute as you like, when you can. Researching and refining the documentation of your own Thielke ancestry is obviously of enormous value.

To keep abreast of WikiTree communications dealing with the Study, add the G2G tag "Thielke".

To view individual WikiTree profiles currently associated with the effort, please visit the Study's WikiTree Category page.

Category Code

To get started as a Study participant, all you need to do is add the Study's WikiTree Category Code to the profiles of people you manage who were born with the surname or any of its variant spellings:

[[Category:Thielke Name Study]]

Just copy and paste that line immediately above the "== Biography ==" line of the relevant profiles that you manage. Simple and easy. This adds the profile automatically to the page that maintains a list of all associated profiles. If you don't wish to have the ONS sticker displayed near the top of the biography section of a profile, using only this Category code will include the profile in the Study in an unobtrusive way.

Profile Stickers

Optionally, there are two WikiTree "stickers" you can use to highlight your Thielke profiles.

Sticker for Ancestral Profiles

The first is specifically for Thielke (and related variant) lineages. It can be used in place of the Category code shown above: including the sticker automatically adds a profile to the Category. Category information now appears at the very bottom of the profile page, so if you wish to better highlight that the profile is part of the Study you can add this sticker directly underneath the "== Biography ==" line:

{{One Name Study|name=Thielke}}

The result—with a unique icon designed for the Study—will look like the small box at right, above.

Sticker for Your Own Profile

The second sticker is for use only on the profiles of living people who are participating in the Study. Like you! Again, paste it underneath the "== Biography ==" line:

{{Member|ONS|name=Thielke}}

It will look something like the second box on the right, but your name will be inserted automatically in place of the dots that you see.

What Can I Do?

If you've put up all of the Thielke individuals in your family (or at least all the ones you've found so far), and are looking for something else to do, here are some tasks that you might be willing to help with:

1. Biographies:
   • We need to make sure that each Thielke on WikiTree has a narrative biography containing all the genealogically relevant facts about them (birth, marriage, and death at the very least). For information on biographies, see the Biographies help page.
2. Categories:
   • We need to make sure that each Thielke on WikiTree has the appropriate categories applied to their profile. For information on categories, see the Categorization help page and the Categorization Project.
3. Connecting:
   • We need to connect all the Unconnected Thielke profiles on WikiTree. (This can count towards the Connectors Challenge if you're feeling competitive.) For information on connecting profiles, see the Connectors Project.
4. Merging:
   • We need to merge any duplicate profiles for the same person into one profile for that person. For information on merging profiles, see the Merging help page.
5. Sourcing:
   • We need to have sources for all the profiles on WikiTree. Specifically, we need at least one (and preferably more) sources added for all the Unsourced Thielke profiles on WikiTree. (This can count towards the Sourcerers Challenge if you're feeling competitive.) For information on sourcing profiles, see the Sources help page and the Sourcerers Project.
6. Thielkes in Wikipedia:
   • We need to make sure that all deceased Thielkes with Wikipedia entries have profiles on WikiTree, and are sourced and connected to the main tree.

DNA

DNA is becoming a very important piece to our genealogy research toolbox. As they say, DNA doesn't lie. Currently, we're only aware of a few Thielke descendants who have been tested and are available on GedMatch.

There are a few other Thielke tested on 23andMe and Ancestry.

See other Thielke profiles that are connected to DNA tests on WikiTree.

Country of Origin

Current research points to modern day Germany being the origin of the Thielke surname. Thielke Line A (see below) originates in the Mecklenberg/Schwerin area of Germany, specifically the village of Bernitt between Schwerin and Rostock. Line B seems to from the more Prussian areas.

Interactive Map from Aleš Trtnik and WikiTree+

This interactive world map can be adjusted to filter for various options, and you can pan around the map and even zoom in to display the names of the individuals whose profiles are categorized as part of the WikiTree Thielke Name Study.

Here is the URL to view the fully-interactive map: https://plus.wikitree.com/findmap.htm?aid=Thielke_Name_Study&grouptype=C. You can use the URL to link to the map from any WikiTree profile or FreeSpace page you wish. The map content is updated automatically as new profiles are added to the Thielke Name Study.

Thielke Lines

Here are some Thielke lines that are available. Currently, most of these lines are from the Wisconsin area, please help by adding more.

You can also see all profiles linked to the study by viewing the Thielke Name Study category.

ID	Earliest Ancestors	Earliest Date	Earliest Location	Current/Main Location	Y-DNA	GEDMatch ID(s)	Notes
A	Heinrich Peter Thielke / Marie Dorothea Specht	1839	Bernitt, Bützow, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Germany	Ozaukee, Wisconsin, United States		PT5895258, PX9561579
B	Carl F W Thielke / Dorothea Sophia Mueller	1820	Neumark, Merseburg-Querfurt, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany	Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States		M957360
C	August Thielke (1831-1907) / Margaretha Huels (1838-1904)	1831	Zechin, Lebus, Brandenburg, Prussia	Dodge, Wisconsin, United States

Pronunciation

The most common way that the name is pronounced is with a hard "Th" like Till-key. Though, I have heard other people pronounce it as Thill-key. While in Germany, it is sometimes pronounced like Till-ka.

Resources

• List of Thielkes on Wikitree

• G2G feed of questions tagged "Thielke".

• Orphaned Thielke profiles on WikiTree.

• Unsourced Thielke profiles on WikiTree.

• Unconnected Thielke profiles on WikiTree.

1. ↑ Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press'