Surname Justen - Meaning and Origin
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Justen: What does the surname Justen mean?
The last name Justen is of German origin, derived from the name Justinus, meaning "fair" or "upright." It is believed to have first been used as a personal name, and likely first appeared as a surname in northern Europe during the Middle Ages.
Justen is a patronymic surname, meaning it is derived from the given name of one's father. A common practice during the Middle Ages was to take the father's given name and add an ending such as "-son" or "-en" to it. Because Justinus was a popular name at the time, many variations of Justen emerged, such as Justen, Justenen, Justeson, and Justinen.
Today, the surname Justen can be found mainly in northern Europe, especially in Germany and the Netherlands. It is also common in the United States, as many immigrants brought this name with them when coming to America. Those with this last name are likely distant relatives, as it is not a particularly common name in today's world.
Regardless of where the surname originated, those with the name Justen can take pride in its origins. Justen has a long and illustrious history, as its meaning and history can tell us that those with this name likely have a strength of character and an unwavering sense of justice and fairness.
Order DNA origin analysisJusten: Where does the name Justen come from?
The last name Justen is common today in many European countries, such as Germany, Holland, and Switzerland. It is also found in the United States, Canada, and Australia, especially in states such as New York, Illinois, and New Jersey. In addition, it is becoming increasingly more widespread in Latin American countries, particularly in Brazil, Chile, and Argentina.
The Justen surname likely developed from the given name Justinus, which derives from the Latin name Justinus, meaning “just” or “fair”. One likely explanation for its multiple territory distribution is that the surname's use could have come from a lineage of immigrants tracing back to various places, or that it could have primarily belonged to a particular ethnic or tribal group of people. It is possible that the Justen surname has been carried on from a large family line of a prominent European country and connected to similar families of other regions.
The Justen surname has been found to appear as various surnames that include Justen, Justice, Justis, and Juston, depending on how an ancestor pronounced or spelled the name. The prior research has not discovered one particular origin of the name, but merely where it’s most commonly seen. It is clear that the surname Justen is well established, and is today scattered throughout Europe, the Americas, and beyond.
Variations of the surname Justen
Justen is a German surname, which is also found in other languages and countries outside of Germany. Variants, spellings and other surnames of the same origin include: Justen (German), Justin (English and French), Gusztáv (Hungarian), Goustav (Finnish), Gusztav (Polish), Gustaf (Swedish), Gustavo (Spanish and Italian), Gustaw (Polish) and Gustave (French).
Justen is derived from the medieval personal name Gautz, which is itself derived from the name Gaut, a mythical Scandinavian chief in the Poetic Edda. The name means “Goth” or “to rule” in Old Norse, and was a popular name among Germanic peoples from the 5th to 11th centuries.
The Justen surname appears to have originated in the German Palatinate in the 17th century, and spread from there to other German-speaking countries such as Austria, Switzerland and Czechoslovakia. Over time, the name was adopted in other countries in a variety of spellings and linguistic variants.
In the United States, the Justin and Justen surnames were among the most common German Surnames in the late 19th century, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. It is still a common name today in both the United States and Europe.
Famous people with the name Justen
- Karl Justen: German entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist
- Jim Justen: American Country Music singer
- Christina Justen: American singer-songwriter and actress
- Ernie Justen: Canadian ice hockey player
- Torsten Justen: German footballer
- Robin Justen: American professional basketball player
- Karl Justen: German football manager
- Will Justen: American musician and composer
- Jack Justen: American actor
- Bill Justen: American photographer