Surname Janßens - Meaning and Origin

Janßens: What does the surname Janßens mean?

The last name Janßens is a German topographic surname derived from the word Janßen, which means a large pool of water. This type of topographic name was given to a person who lived on or near a large patch of standing water such as a lake, pond, or swamp.

The Janßens surname is traceable back to the late Middle Ages in North-West Germany. During this period the name was mainly confined to areas near the Germany-Belgium border. The earliest recorded occurrence of the surname was in 1435 when a Bernhard Janßen is mentioned in a document issued at the city hall in Lünen.

The Janßen family increased in influence over time and spread to other parts of Germany in the 17th and 18th centuries, growing more prominent as they settled in various parts of the country. The Janßen family members were mainly farmers and tradespeople in the early years but moved up the social ladder in the early 19th century, with some members becoming prominent politicians and other significant figures in modern Germany.

Some of the more notable members of the Janßen family include Heinrich Janßen, a German resistance fighter who led the Dortmund uprising against the Nazi regime in 1944, and Dr. Oskar Janßen, a medieval German historian who wrote several important works on the Middle Ages.

Today, the Janßens surname is still widespread in Germany, as well as in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Australia.

Janßens: Where does the name Janßens come from?

Janßens is a German surname, which is most commonly found in Germany and the Netherlands. In Germany, the highest concentration of Janßens is in the Lower Saxony state, in the north-western part of the country. Other notable concentrations of Janßens are in Bremerhaven, a seaport city in Lower Saxony, and the Osnabruck-Emsland region.

In the Netherlands, the Janßens surname is most commonly found in the provinces of North Holland, South Holland and Zeeland, particularly in the cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague.

Janßens is also present in other parts of Europe, such as in the United Kingdom, France and Italy. In the United Kingdom, the highest concentrations of the Janßens name are in Lancashire and Greater London, notably in the London Boroughs of Brent and Hammersmith & Fulham.

In the United States, the Janßens name is much less common, with the majority of individuals bearing the name living in the states of California, New Jersey and New York. Janßens are also present in small numbers in Australia and Canada.

Despite its original German origin, the Janßens surname can now be found all over the world. It is likely that Janßens have developed a high degree of global dispersal through emigration over the centuries, particularly during the 19th and 20th centuries as many Europeans sought their fortune overseas.

Variations of the surname Janßens

The surname Janßens is a German and Dutch patronymic surname, derived from the given name Jan, a form of the name John. It is also commonly found transcribed in the Latin alphabet as Janssen. Variants include Janzens, Jansen, Jansens, Janssens, Janszing, Johnsons, Johansens, Juhansens, Jonsens, and Yansens.

In terms of spelling, in the Netherlands, the name can be found with three different spellings: 'Janssen', 'Janssens', and 'Jansen'. 'Janssen' is the most common spelling, while 'Janssens' and 'Jansen' are comparatively rare. 'Jansen' appears to be the more original-state spelling, while 'Janssen' and 'Janssens' are differentiated through suffixes, where the '-s' at the end of 'Janssens' is a possessive ending that was added in order to indicate a plural form.

In Germany, the spelling of the surname can vary across regions; 'Janßen' is the most common form, and can be found with both single and double 's' at the end, while 'Janßens' is the possessive ending-indicating plural form. Additionally, the surname can also be found involving vowel shifts (in particular, the letter 'a' may replace 'ß' as 'Jansen'), and in its latinized form as 'Janssen'.

Variants of the surname have developed due to orthographical factors and dialectical differences. For example, in Germany, 'Janßen' is often found transliterated to English as 'Janssen', while Dutch-speaking countries often dialectally interchange 'ß' with 's' or 'z', resulting in alternative spellings such as 'Jansens' and 'Janszing'. As such, there are a variety of alternately spelled surnames which trace their origin back to the same given name.

Famous people with the name Janßens

• Thomas Janssen: German professional footballer.
• Felix Janssen: Dutch Olympic judo athlete.
• Till Janssen: German actor.
• Jan Janssen: Dutch Olympic cyclist.
• Brooke Janssen: Australian actress.
• Anke Janssen: German professional tennis player.
• Uwe Janssen: German politician.
• Meike Janssen: German political scientist.
• Bill Janssen: American football player.
• Marcel Janssen: Dutch motocross racer.
• Lucyna Janssen-Dielissen: Dutch opera singer.
• Freddy Janssen: Dutch presenter and singer.
• Kim Janssen: Dutch singer-songwriter.
• Damian Janssen: Australian cricketeer.
• Johann Pierre Janssen: German divine.
• Dirk Jan Janssen: Dutch graphic artist.
• Petra Janssen-Koray: German Olympic track cyclist.
• Jojanneke Janssen: Dutch actress.
• Evert Janssen: Dutch journalist.
• Rens Janssen: Dutch actor and musician.

Other surnames

Janßen