Surname Janssens - Meaning and Origin
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Janssens: What does the surname Janssens mean?
The last name Janssens is a patronymic surname, which means it is derived from the first name of an ancestor. It is a Dutch name, derived from the given name Jan. Jan was a popular first name among the Dutch and is a variant of the name John meaning “God is gracious.” As the name is a patronymic, historically these people with the last name Janssens used to be known and identified by their father’s name.
Originally the Janssens surname generally came from Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg where it is quite common, but the name is now found all over the world due to the Dutch emigration of the 17th and 18th centuries. People with the last name may be descended from either Dutch, Flemish, or Walloon ancestors.
Today there are roughly 8,000 people with the name Janssens that are living in the United States of America, showing just how far this ancestral name has traveled.
In conclusion, the last name Janssens is a patronymic name that originated with the Dutch variation of the name John, and over the years has made its way through Dutch emigration around the world.
Order DNA origin analysisJanssens: Where does the name Janssens come from?
Today, the last name Janssens is most commonly found in Belgium and the Netherlands. It is a patronymic surname that originated from the given name Jan. It is derived from the Dutch diminutive ‘jans’ which is an affectionate form of the given name Jan. It literally means ‘little Jan’.
The surname Janssens is most commonly found in Dutch-speaking areas of Belgium and the Netherlands, but also in Germany and France. In Belgium, most people bearing the last name Janssens can be found in the provinces of Limburg, Flanders, and East and West Flanders, in particular in the cities of Antwerp, Ghent, Brussels, Leuven, Bruges, and Namur.
In the Netherlands, the top provinces in terms of numbers of people with the last name Janssens are Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, Groningen, North Holland, South Holland, and Limburg. It is also likely to be found in other parts of the Netherlands, particularly in Friesland, Zeeland, and the provinces of Drenthe, Overijssel, and Gelderland.
Outside of Europe, the surname has spread to the United States, Canada, and Australia. In the United States, most of the Janssens who can trace their name to Europe are found in the Pennsylvania Dutch area, particularly in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana.
In general, the last name Janssens is most commonly found in the region of origin, in Belgium and the Netherlands, but it is also well-spread abroad, especially in the United States.
Variations of the surname Janssens
The surname Janssens is of Dutch origin and is one of the many Dutch patronymic last names. It is derived from the given name Jan, the original Dutch form of the English name John. Other variants of this surname include Jans, Jansen, Janzen, and Janse.
Spellings of the surname Janssens vary but always follow the Dutch spelling pattern using double s in the middle of the surname. An alternate spelling could be Jansens, however this would have the same meaning and pronunciation.
Janssens is a common surname in Europe, especially the Netherlands, Belgium, and Flanders. It is also common in areas that have had Dutch settlers like South Africa, Australia and Canada.
Surnames derived from the same origin as Janssens include Jans, Jansen, Jansens, Janzen, and Janse. Other variants of the surname include Jaan, Jansen, Jansson, Johanson, and Johansson.
Janssens is included among popular Dutch patronymic surnames which include Hendriks, Jacobs, Peters, and Willems. These names were created by dropping the last syllable in a man’s given name and adding an s. For example, Jan became Jans and Hendrik became Hendriks.
The name Janssens has been around since the late 16th century and remains popular to this day. It continues to be used by families from the Netherlands, Belgium, and other places that have retained Dutch culture.
Famous people with the name Janssens
- Jean-Pierre Janssens: Belgian bobsledder
- Bart Janssens: Belgian politician
- Piet Janssens: Dutch swimmer
- Billy Janssens: Belgian cyclist
- Erik Janssens: Dutch-American cosmologist
- Joost Janssens: Belgian fencer
- Filip Janssens: Belgian field hockey player
- Yvette Janssens: Dutch swimmer
- Florian Janssens: Belgian footballer
- L downtown Janssens: Belgian architect
- Rita Janssens: Belgian dancer and choreographer
- Jef Janssens: Belgian figure skater
- Don Janssens: Belgian footballer
- Pieter Janssens: Dutch rower
- Pim Janssens: Dutch footballer
- Steven Janssens: Dutch sprint canoeist
- Els Janssens: Belgian gymnast
- Kelly Janssens: Belgian cyclist
- Ronnie Janssens: Dutch footballer
- George Janssens: Dutch long-distance runner