Show ContentsJansen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The history of the Jansen 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 Jansen 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 Jansen family

The surname Jansen 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 Jansen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jansen 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 Jansen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jansen 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 Jansen 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...
Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Jansen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jansen World Ranking

In the United States, the name Jansen is the 2,445th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Jansen is ranked the 6,301st most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 2 And in Australia, the name Jansen is the 836th popular surname with an estimated 4,708 people with that name. 3 New Zealand ranks Jansen as 824th with 887 people. 4 Netherlands ranks Jansen as 2nd with 83,120 people. 5 South Africa ranks Jansen as 132nd with 43,478 people. 6


United States Jansen migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Jansen Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Lorenz Jansen, who landed in New Netherland(s) in 1605 7
  • Michael Jansen, who arrived in New Netherland(s) in 1609-1664 7
  • Roeloff Jansen, who arrived in New Netherland(s) in 1630 7
  • Gerhart Jansen, who landed in New Netherland(s) in 1632 7
  • Lyntje Jansen, aged 26, who arrived in New York in 1633 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Jansen Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Conrad Jansen, who settled in Germantown, Pennsylvania in 1709
  • Wilhelm Jansen, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1796
  • Johann Arnold Jansen, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1796 7
  • Wilhelm Jansen, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1796 7
Jansen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Julian Jansen, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1806 7
  • Christ Jansen, who landed in North America in 1832-1849 7
  • Bernard Jansen, aged 32, who landed in Missouri in 1846 7
  • Bernh Matthias Jos Jansen, who arrived in America in 1847 7
  • Daniel Jansen, aged 38, who arrived in New York, NY in 1847 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Jansen migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Jansen Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Abraham Jansen, who landed in Manitoba in 1879

New Zealand Jansen migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Jansen Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Jansen, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Flying Mist" arriving in Bluff, South Island, New Zealand on 25th August 1862, the boat sank whilst waiting in port. 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Jansen (post 1700) +

  • Dan Jansen (b. 1965), American speed skater who won a gold medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics
  • Rudolf Jansen (1940-2024), Dutch pianist known for chamber music
  • Ernst Nicolaas Herman Jansen (1945-2023), Dutch neurologist, later known as Ernst Jansen Steur
  • Per Johan Jansen (1941-2022), Norwegian stage and film actor
  • Wilhelmus Marinus Antonius "Wim" Jansen (1946-2022), Dutch professional football player and manager from Rotterdam, Netherlands
  • Birger Jansen (1948-2016), Norwegian ice hockey player at the Winter Olympics in Sapporo in 1972
  • Johannes "Hans" J. G. Jansen (1942-2015), Dutch politician, Member of the European Parliament (2014-2015)
  • Ernest George Jansen (1881-1959), British administrator in South Africa, served as the governor-general of the Union of South Africa between 1951 and 1959
  • Johannes Henricus Gerardus Jansen (1868-1936), Dutch, a former archbishop of Uthrect and Roman Catholic Primate of the Netherlands
  • Floor Jansen (b. 1981), Dutch singer
  • ... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


Suggested Readings for the name Jansen +

  • The Cornelius Jansen Family History by Betty Ann Miller.

  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  3. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  4. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  5. "Most Common Last Names in Netherlands." Forebears, https://forebears.io/netherlands/surnames
  6. "Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
  7. 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)
  8. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html


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