Surname Niclaassen - Meaning and Origin
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Niclaassen: What does the surname Niclaassen mean?
The surname Niclaassen is a patronymic name derived from the given name Nicolaas, or Nicholas. The suffix "sen" is a common Dutch formative, so the surname itself means "son of Nicolas".
Nicolaas is itself derived from the Greek name Nikolaos, which is composed of two elements - nike, which means victory, and laos, meaning people. So, the name Niclaassen itself can be interpreted as signifying "descendant of a victorious people".
The given name was common throughout Europe in the Middle Ages, due to the fact that it was the name of the 4th century Christian Saint Nicholas, known as the patron saint of children. It was popularised in England during the 17th and 18th centuries, when many Dutch settlers arrived in the United Kingdom.
The surname is still most common in the Netherlands, with thousands of people bearing the name. Many of the Niclaassens who still live in the Netherlands are descended from well-known Dutch figures, such as the famous philosopher and theologian Nicolaas VanStolk, who was born in 1668.
Other individuals who bear the surname throughout the world are likely to be descended from Dutch immigrants who left the Netherlands during this period and later settled in other countries.
Order DNA origin analysisNiclaassen: Where does the name Niclaassen come from?
The last name Niclaassen is a rare surname, mostly found in the Netherlands and northern Germany but also appearing in the United States and Canada in smaller numbers.
In the Netherlands, the name is very common on the island of Terschelling in the province of Friesland, where it is the second most common surname. It can also be found in other parts of the Netherlands, especially in the provinces of Zeeland, Groningen, and Overijssel.
In Germany, the last name is mostly found in the states of Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the north of the country.
In the United States, the name is more common in states with a large Dutch population, such as Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Interestingly, it can also be found in states with a large Scandinavian population, suggesting that the name may have been adopted by recent Swedish or Danish immigrants.
In Canada, the name is found most commonly in Ontario, where the large Dutch population may have brought it with them.
Overall, the last name Niclaassen is fairly rare and only noticeably common in the Netherlands, Germany, the United States, and Canada.
Variations of the surname Niclaassen
Niclaassen is a Dutch surname from the patronymic name Nicolaas, the Dutch variant of the name Nicholas. Common variants of the Niclaassen surname are Niklaassen, Nicolasen, Niklasson, Nicolasson, Nicolaasen, Nicolaessens, Niklaassens, Nicolassens, Nikolaessen and Vanniklaassen. In some cases, the spelling may also include a double 's' at the end, such as Niclaassens.
The Niklaassen spelling may be mistaken for Niklaasen or Niklassen, which are distinct surnames derived from a different source: the medieval personal name Niklas.
The origin of the Niclaassen surname can also be traced to various Scandinavian countries, as Nicolaas is a popular name in Sweden, Denmark and Norway. In Sweden, Nikolaasson is the most common variant of the surname, while the Danish and Norwegian equivalent is Nikolassen.
Adjacent Germanic countries also have their own spelled variants of the surname, such as the German spelling of Nickelsen or Niemecke. Meanwhile in France, the surname is spelled as Nicolazen, Nikolas or Nicolazet.
Common Anglo-American variants of Niclaassen include Nicolason, Nicolson, Nicolsen, Nicoleson and Nicolasson. The same surname may also be found in Spain and Italy, where it is spelled as Nicolás, Nicolazzo or Niccolazio.
Overall, Niclaassen is a versatile surname with various spellings that can be found all around the world. Alternative spellings are just as common as the traditional Dutch surname and they can still be traced back to their original Dutch roots.
Famous people with the name Niclaassen
- Anouk Niclaassen: Dutch actress
- René Niclaassen: Dutch footballer
- Ida Niclaassen: Norwegian cross-country skier
- Jon Niclaassen: Danish actor
- Jens Niclaassen: Danish footballer
- Toon Niclaassen: Dutch rugby player
- Irin Niclaassen: German politician
- Abraham Niclaassen: Dutch messenger of the Maatschappij tot voorziening van Staalkonreners
- Remco Niclaassen: Dutch volleyball player
- Sven Niclaassen: Dutch mountainbiker