Surname Steenhus - Meaning and Origin
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Steenhus: What does the surname Steenhus mean?
The last name Steenhus is a patronymic surname of Danish origin. It comes from an Old Danish word, ‘steen’, which is a short form of the personal name ‘Steen’. The suffix ‘hus’ has the meaning of a house or home. Therefore, the original meaning of the surname Steenhus was the ‘house of Steen’ and traditionally the name was used to describe a family or family group that lived together in the same house. It particularly referred to a family that had sons or male children living with them.
Today, the Steenhus surname is predominantly found in Denmark, but it can also be found among Danish immigrants in other countries. In 2020, the search engine Ancestry.com reported that there were over 1,500 people from countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, Sweden, Norway, and the United Kingdom who had the Steenhus surname.
The Steenhus name is a reminder of the Scandinavian roots of the family. It serves to remind people in contemporary times that their ancestors had strong ties to their homeland, and that the enduring values that they brought with them, such as a priority for familial relationships and community ties, remain strong today.
Order DNA origin analysisSteenhus: Where does the name Steenhus come from?
The last name Steenhus is a fairly common Scandinavian surname. It is most commonly found in Norway, particularly in the counties of Nordland and Troms. It may also be found in Sweden, particularly in the northern parts of the country. It is believed to have originated in the Danish village of Steenhus in southern Jutland. The Steenhus family were influential landowners there during the Middle Ages and their descendants spread out across northern Europe.
In Norway, the Steenhus surname is most common in the counties of Nordland and Troms, which are in the far north of the country. These two counties include some of the country's most rural communities, many of which have remained isolated for generations. The Steenhus surname is still very much alive here, with many families carrying on their traditions and staying in the same area for generations.
In Sweden, the Steenhus surname is most commonly found in the northern parts of the country, such as Norrland and Lapland. Like Norway, these are some of the most rural and sparsely populated parts of the country. Here, the Steenhus surname is still relatively common and the family is often connected to the same areas for generations.
Overall, the Steenhus surname is most commonly found in Norway and Sweden, in particular the rural communities of the far north. However, it may be present elsewhere in the world, as many Scandinavian surnames have been carried out by emigrants and settled in new lands.
Variations of the surname Steenhus
The surname Steenhus is a primarily Danish and Scandinavian surname meaning “stone house” and may have its roots in either Denmark or The Netherlands. It can arise from working with stone such as masonry and can be seen in many forms such as Steenhusen, Steuhusen, Steenhoven, and Steinhausen.
Common variants of the surname often feature an extra letter such as “e” at the end of the spelling, as in Steenhusen which arises due to an elongation of the second syllable of the surname. It is also seen as Stenhouse or Stonehouse in other areas, although both these variants are less common.
The spelling of the surname can also vary due to its pronunciation, with the most common variant being Steenhuis, where the final letter “s” has been dropped to accommodate the local dialect.
In some countries such as Norway, Sweden and Germany, the surname can be seen as Steinhaus, again due to dialect and homophonic translation from the original Danish spelling.
Surnames of similar origin are also seen in other countries such as Finland and Iceland, where variants of the original spelling can be seen, such as Satanus, Stenhus and Solanus.
In the Caribbean, particularly Jamaica, some variants of Steenhus can be seen such as Steannotice, due to the introduction of African slavery and the Yoruba naming culture where the surname has been adapted to fit the local vernacular.
Finally, there are also non-Scandinavian forms of the surname that arise from North America, such as Steinhaus, Stinhouse, Stinehouse and Steenhausser.
Overall, the surname Steenhus holds a variety of spelling and name variants and happily, has kept its core meaning of “stone house” throughout all its variants and across the world.
Famous people with the name Steenhus
- Morten Simonsen Steenhus: Danish film director and screenwriter
- Gerda Steenhus: Danish singer and visual artist
- Sigurd Steenhus: Norwegian priest and writer
- Monica Steenhus: Norwegian novelist and poet
- Jan-Ole H Steenhus: Norwegian medical doctor and author
- Camiel Steenhus: Dutch soccer player
- Henrik Steenhus: Danish actor and musician
- Thyge Steenhus: Danish politician
- Rasmus Steenhus: Danish businessman and investor 10.Bjørn Steenhus: Norwegian civil servant and diplomat 11.Mogens Steenhus: Danish publisher 12.Gert Steenhus: Danish actor 13.Cato Steenhus: Danish hurdler 14.Solveig Steenhus: Norwegian actress 15.Henk Steenhus: Dutch speedway racer 16.Hans Steenhus: Danish former handball player 17.Runa Steenhus: Norwegian visual artist and LGBT activist.