Frequency: (1427)
(number of times this surname appears in a sample database of 88.7 million names, representing one third of the 1997 US population)
German: from a short form of the various Slavic personal names with a first element teš ‘comfort’, ‘consolation’, for example Tešimir (with a second element meaning ‘great’, ‘famous’), Tešislav (where the second element means ‘glory’).
GIVEN NAMES: German 4%. Otto (5), Eldor (2), Armin, Dieter, Erwin, Guenter, Guenther, Kurt, Reinhard.
See the Key to the Dictionary or consult the General Introduction for further explanation.
