Surname Aertsen - Meaning and Origin

Aertsen: What does the surname Aertsen mean?

The last name Aertsen is of Dutch origin, and is believed to derive from the Dutch word "aert," meaning eagle. The name is likely to have first been used as a nickname for somebody who was seen as having the characteristics and traits of an eagle. Over time, this nickname became adopted as a last name for some families.

The eagle was strongly associated with power, strength, courage and wisdom in Dutch culture, so it was an ideal symbol to be adopted as a surname. Most Dutch surnames end in -sen, and Aertsen is no exception. This -sen suffix is typically used to indicate that the bearer was the son of somebody with the same name.

Today the surname Aertsen is commonly found throughout the Netherlands and also in some other countries, such as Belgium and the United States. Individuals with the Aertsen name often form local clubs and societies to keep alive a sense of family and cultural identity. As of 2018, it was reported that Aertsen is the 30th most common surname in the Netherlands.

Aertsen: Where does the name Aertsen come from?

The last name Aertsen is most commonly found throughout the Netherlands, Belgium, and the surrounding countries of Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. In the Netherlands, the name is found most prevalently in the provinces of North Holland and South Holland, and is one of the top 50 most common surnames in each of these provinces. It is considered to be a particularly old Dutch surname, going back as far as the 13th century.

In Belgium, the name is found most prevalently in Flemish speaking regions, particularly the provinces of Flanders and West Flanders, and is also among the top 50 most common surnames in the entire country. The samename is also found throughout Germany, particularly in the northern regions near the Dutch and Belgian borders, and it is thought the name arrived here along with other Dutch immigrants in the 19th century.

In the United Kingdom, Aertsen is also a relatively common name, with many people of Dutch-Belgian descent settling in England and Scotland. It appears to have increased in popularity since World War II, as a popular last name among soldiers and war brides from continental Europe. Many citizens of the UK can also trace their heritage directly back to the Netherlands and Belgium, and the Aertsen surname is often passed down through the generations as a part of this shared history.

Variations of the surname Aertsen

Aertsen is an ancient Dutch surname which has several variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. The most common variants of the surname include Aerts, Aertz, Artz, Artzen, Aarts, Aarzen, Aers, Aerssen, Aerssens, Athzen, Aretzen, and Atsen.

Aarts, Aartz, Aerts, and Aertz are the most popular variants of the Aertsen surname. In America, the spelling of the surname has shortened to "Artz". The Aarsen and Aarz variants of the surname are also popular in the Netherlands, derived from a Dutch word "Aers", meaning "eagle".

The Aerssen, Aerssens, Arsen, Arssens, Athzen, and Aretzen variants of the surname arose from the German spelling of "Aertsen", and the Atsen variant is a slang version of the same. This surname was originally derived from the name of an ancestor, which was formed with the help of the prefix "Aer" (meaning eagles) and suffix "-sen" (meaning son). As a result, the name was adopted by generations of people, making it an integral part of their identity in the form of a surname.

Famous people with the name Aertsen

• Pieter Aertsen: Dutch painter in the 16th century
• Adriaen van Aertsen: Dutch painter of the same era
• Peter Aertsen: Belgian sculptor
• Jacob Aertsen: 17th century Dutch ship builder
• Alissa Aertsen: Dutch TV presenter
• Oene Aertsen: Dutch actor
• Eelke Aertsen: Dutch comedian
• Kees Aertsen: Dutch cartoonist
• Jules Aertsen: Belgian scientist
• Pieter Aertsen: Dutch philosopher

Other surnames