Magnus History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Denmark
England
Germany
Norway
Scotland
Sweden

The origin of the distinguished Magnus family can be traced to the historic Scandinavian country of Sweden. The surname Magnus is derived from the Scandianavian personal name Magnús. This name was borne by several kings of Norway, the first of whom was Magnus the Good (1024-1047). He was named after Charlemagne, whose name was rendered Carolus Magnus in Latin. The popularity of this name in Norway was increased by the exploits of Earl Magnus Erlendsson of Orkney, who was treacherously executed by his cousin in 1117 and became known as St. Magnus. From Norway, the name spread into the royal houses of eastern Scandinavia, and it subsequently became popular throughout that region. The suffix -sson and its variants are translatable as son of.

Magnus Ranking

In the United States, the name Magnus is the 13,720^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Magnus migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Magnus Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Jonas Magnus, who landed in New York City in 1660

Magnus Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Henrich Magnus, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1752 2
Charles Magnus, who was recorded in 1782 as being a British deserter in the American Revolution
Charles Magnus, who landed in America in 1782 2

Magnus Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Alexander Magnus, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1806
Samuel Magnus, who settled in New York, NY in 1834
John Magnus, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1839 2
Frederick Magnus, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1844 2
Godfrey Magnus, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1844 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Magnus migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Magnus Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Maurice Magnus, British convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 29th September 1831, settling in New South Wales, Australia 3
Susannah Magnus, aged 31, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "William Money" 4
Susannah Magnus, aged 31, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "William Money" in 1849 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Magnus (post 1700) +

Sandra H. Magnus PH.D. (b. 1964), American engineer and NASA Astronaut with over 22 days in space 5
Paul Wilhelm Magnus (1844-1914), German botanist and mycologist
Ludwig Immanuel Magnus (1790-1861), German Jewish mathematician
Heinrich Gustav Magnus (1802-1870), German experimental scientist who discovered the Magnus effect
Wilhelm Magnus (1907-1990), German mathematician
Hans Magnus Enzensberger (1929-2022), German author, poet, translator and editor who also wrote under the pseudonyms Andreas Thalmayr, Elisabeth Ambras, Linda Quilt and Giorgio Pellizzi. Enzensberger
Erik Magnus Madsen (1903-1968), Norwegian chess player
Erik Magnus Lindberg (1952-2019), Swedish musician, singer and composer
Geir Magnus Nyborg (1951-2018), Norwegian media scholar and theologian
Robert Magnus Martinson (1927-1979), American sociologist, best known for his 1974 study "What Works?"

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1831
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) "WILLIAM MONEY" 1848-49. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849WmMoney.htm
NASA Astronauts Homepage. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Sandra Magnus. Retrieved from http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/magnus.html