Show ContentsAsmus History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Asmus Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Asmus

What does the name Asmus mean?

The surname Asmus is a patronymic name derived from the German personal name Erasmus (which in turn was derived from the Latinized form of the Greek word "erasmos," meaning love), borne by an early Christian saint. 1 Generally, many of the family evolved the name to Rasmussen in Denmark. The suffix '-sen' is translatable as 'son of.'

Erasmus is a notable forename that dates back to Erasmus of Formia, also known as Saint Elmo (died c. 303), a Christian saint and martyr. This saint gave rise to the forename in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries including: Erasmus of Lueg, the 15th century renowned robber baron; Erasmus Grasser (c. 1450-c. 1515), the German master builder and sculptor; Erasmus Reinhold (1511-1553), the German astronomer and mathematician; Erasmus Finx (1627-1694), also known as Erasmus Francisci, the German polymath, author, and writer; and later in England, Erasmus Darwin (1731-1802), English physician and poet, grandfather of Charles Darwin.

Early Origins of the Asmus family

The surname Asmus was first found in Denmark where surnames were generally not adopted by the general population until the nineteenth century. In 1828 the Danish government ordered that children at baptism be given a "family name" along with a "first name". A second law (1860) made the family name hereditary.

Early History of the Asmus family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Asmus research. The years 1466, 1536, 1585 and 1652 are included under the topic Early Asmus History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Asmus Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Rasmussen, Rasmusen, Asmussen, Rasmus, Asmus, Erasmus and many more.

Early Notables of the Asmus family

  • Desiderius Erasmus of Roterdam (c. 1466-1536), perhaps the most influential intellectual of the Renaissance period...
  • Jesper Rasmussen Brochmand (1585-1652) was a Danish Lutheran clergyman, theologian and professor who served as Bishop of the Diocese of Zealand...

Asmus Ranking

the United States, the name Asmus is the 18,354th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Asmus migration to the United States +



Asmus Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • C J A Asmus, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 3

Asmus migration to Australia +

Asmus Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Johann Christian Asmus, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Steinwaerder" 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Asmus (post 1700) +

  • Ronald Asmus (1957-2011), American diplomat and political analyst, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (1997-2000)
  • John F. Asmus (1937-2024), American research physicist who focused his work on the use of scientific techniques in art conservation
  • James Asmus, American writer, actor and comedian
  • Ken Asmus (b. 1954), American politician, Representative from Michigan 6th District, 1998 5
  • Karin Asmus, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1984 6
  • Walter D. Asmus (b. 1941), German theater director
  • Valentin Ferdinandovich Asmus (1894-1975), Russian philosopher
  • Marion Asmus (1927-1999), birth name of Marion Boyars, a British book publisher
  • Lena Asmus (b. 1982), Russian-born, German rhythmic gymnast at the 2000 Summer Olympics
  • ... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
  1. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. 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)
  4. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) STEINWARDER 1849 aka STEINWAERDER. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Steinwarder.htm
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html

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