Jans History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

The history of the Jans family began in the historic kingdom of Schleswig, which is the northernmost state in western Germany. German surnames developed at a time when most of Schleswig, and most of the German provinces, were states of the Holy Roman Empire. At first people used only a single name, but as the population grew and people began to travel, they began to find it necessary to take on an additional name to differentiate themselves. Fairly general principles guided the development of hereditary surnames in Schleswig. Two of the common types of family names found in the Schleswig are patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name. The surname Jans derived from the personal names Jen, Jan, and Jon, which are all forms of the name John. The name John is originally derived from the Hebrew personal name Johanan, which literally means "Jehovah has favored."

Early Origins of the Jans family

The surname Jans was first found in Holstein, where this family made important contributions toward the development of this district from ancient times. Always prominent in social and political affairs, the family formed alliances with other families within the Feudal System and the nation. Although branches of this family are to be found in the Netherlands and Denmark, German branches were distinct and had their own history from early on.

Early History of the Jans family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jans research. Another 175 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1783, 1813, 1829, 1837, 1860, 1875, 1878, 1880, 1891, 1905 and 1911 are included under the topic Early Jans History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jans Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Jansen, Janssen, Jannsen, Jannssen, Janson, Jansson, Jansens, Janssens, Jannssens, Janzen, Jantzen, Janz, Jantz, Jans, Jaenz, Jaentz, Jaens, Jenz, Jentz, Jens, Jensen, Jenssen, Jensson, Jenzen and many more.

Early Notables of the Jans family

Notables of the time included

August Philipp Alexander Janson, a major and head of the 3rd Cuirassier regiment of the Prussian army, who received a title of nobility in 1829 in reward for his loyalty and outstanding displays of br...

Jans Ranking

In Netherlands, the name Jans is the 512^nd most popular surname with an estimated 3,422 people with that name. 1

Jans migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Jans Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Gillis Jans, aged 41, who landed in New York in 1627 2
Annetje Jans, who arrived in New York, NY in 1630 2
Claes Jans, aged 33, who arrived in New York in 1636 2
Hester Jans, who arrived in New Netherland(s) in 1637 2
Geertje Jans, who landed in New Netherland(s) in 1639 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Jans Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Wilhelm Jans, who settled in New York in 1738, at the age of 24
Wilhelm Jans, aged 24, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1738 2

Jans Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Heinrich Jans, who landed in New York, NY in 1850 2
Heinrich Jans, who sailed to New York in 1850
B Jans, aged 31, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Jans (post 1700) +

Tom Jans (1948-1984), American folk singer-songwriter and guitarist
Melanie Jans (b. 1973), Canadian professional female squash player
Lies Jans (b. 1974), Belgian politician, Member of the Flemish Parliament (2009-)
Laurent Jans (b. 1992), Luxembourg international footballer
Jan Jans (b. 1954), Dutch theologian
Jans Rautenbach (b. 1936), South African screenwriter, film producer and director

Citations +

"Most Common Last Names in Netherlands." Forebears, https://forebears.io/netherlands/surnames
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)