Surname Jansze - Meaning and Origin

Jansze: What does the surname Jansze mean?

The surname Jansze is a patronymic name, derived from the personal name Jan, which means "John". The name was a popular choice in the Low Countries of Europe during the Middle Ages for the first names of parents or grand-parents, and is still popular today in various spellings.

Jansze is an interesting and distinctive name that is most commonly associated with Holland, although its use is historically widespread. While it is not a particularly common name, it appears in many places, such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and even in the US. Historically, the name was usually given to people of Dutch or German ancestry, but in contemporary times, it is sometimes adopted by non-Dutch families.

The surname Jansze is derived from the Dutch or German word for “son of John”, and was used to indicate a close family link. It is thought that Jan was used in part because of its relative brevity, and its ability to fit easily within the one- or two-syllable conventions of the time. The use of a patronymic surname in Dutch indicates an individual's past ancestry and family pedigree.

The surname Jansze is still used today by many families of Dutch, German, or Belgian descent, and is seen in various combinations of spelling across the world. It can often be found in the form Jansen, Jansens, or Jansen’s, although each of the variations may vary in meaning slightly. It is possible that the name has been adapted in this way to make it compliant with the native language or dialect of the particular region it is being used in.

Jansze: Where does the name Jansze come from?

The last name Jansze is most commonly found in the Netherlands and commonly in Dutch speaking countries. It is a patronymic name meaning son of Jan. Jan is a popular name in both Dutch and German cultures and the Jansze patronym has traditionally been used in many Dutch and German regions. The name has several variants, including Janze, Jansze, Jansen, and Janssen.

The Netherlands is home to the highest concentration of the Jansze name, with over 6,000 people carrying the name in the country. It is most common in the region of Utrecht and Amsterdam and is the 124th most popular last name in the Netherlands.

The name is also found throughout the United States, where it is believed to have been brought by Dutch emigrants. The 2000 United States Census reported that there were around 1,500 people bearing the Jansze name in the United States, mainly concentrated on the east and west coasts.

The name has spread further throughout Europe, with records of people bearing the Jansze name in France, Germany, Denmark, and Ireland. Today, Jansze is an international name with people bearing the name in many different countries.

Variations of the surname Jansze

The surname Jansze can have different variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin.

The primary spelling of the surname Jansze is typically seen in records from the Netherlands and in parts of Germany, with the variations Janse, Jaanse and Jaansz being the most commonly found spellings. In Dutch, the letter ‘e’ is pronounced like the sound ‘e’ as in red. It is also possible to find the surnames Jansjo, Janzo and Janseson in some records and documents from countries where Dutch and Flemish speaking populations had migrated (such as North America).

In France, the primary spelling of the surname would be sanset, with the variations sansette, sanzet, sanzzet andsanzette often being found in records. This spelling of the surname is derived from the French phrase ‘sans et’ meaning ‘without and’.

In Spain, the primary spelling is Janssen or Jansseno, with variations such as Janssena, Janssenas, Jansseni, Jansseno, Jansono and Jansonas also being found in records from this country.

In Italy, the primary spelling is Gianz, with variations such as Gianzi, Gianzie, Gianzo, Gianzon, Gianzone, Gianzono, Gianzoni and Gianzonni being found in this country’s records.

The Swedish version of the surname is Janson, appearing as Jansoon, Jansohn, Janson and Jansohnson in documents from this country.

The Polish version of the surname is Jancyk, appearing as Jancik, Janczyk or Jancic in records from this country.

Finally, the Ukrainian version of the surname is Yanchyk, appearing as Yanchik, Yankovyk, Yanchov and Yanchovik in records.

Famous people with the name Jansze

• Klaas Janzie: Surinamese singer, producer, and composer.
• Kim Jansze: Dutch actress and author.
• William Jansze: Dutch politician.
• Arnold Jansze: Dutch born sculptor living in the US.
• Richard Jansze: Surinamese footballer.
• Annelies Jansze-van Veen: Dutch politician and former mayor of Utrecht.
• Willem Jansze: 17th-century Dutch painter.
• Rob Jansze: Dutch designer and creative director.
• Renske Jansze: Dutch writer and artist.
• Anne-Wil Jansze: Dutch journalist and author.

Other surnames

Jansz