Claassen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The name Claassen was first used by the people of the German province of Westphalia, which lay in the area between the Rhine and Wesser rivers. It is a patronymic name, derived from the given name of the father of the original bearer. Along with metronymic names, which come from the name of the mother of the bearer, patronymics were one of the most popular early German name types. Claassen was derived from the baptismal name Clausen, which is a form of the name Nicholas. The given name Nicholas, which means people's victory, was popular among Christians throughout Europe in the Middle Ages.

Early Origins of the Claassen family

The surname Claassen was first found in Westphalia, where the family made a considerable contribution to the feudal society which shaped modern Europe. The family branched into several houses, all of which played important roles in the local political conflicts which forged the nation.

Early History of the Claassen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Claassen research. Another 176 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1622, 1676, 1678, 1786 and 1850 are included under the topic Early Claassen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Claassen Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Claassen include Klassen, Klasse, Klass, Klasen, Klase, Klas, Classen, Classe, Class, Clasen, Clase, Clas, Klasing, Klaasen, Klaasen, Claasen, Klaase, Claase, Klaas and many more.

Early Notables of the Claassen family

Notables of the period with the name Claassen were Daniel Clasen, in Latin Danielis Clasenius or Clasenus (1622-1678), a German political theorist, religious scholar, and classicist; and...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Claassen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Claassen World Ranking

In the United States, the name Claassen is the 13,560^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1 However, in Netherlands, the name Claassen is ranked the 430^th most popular surname with an estimated 3,873 people with that name. 2 And in South Africa, the name Claassen is the 445^th popular surname with an estimated 15,994 people with that name. 3

Claassen migration to the United States +

After 1650, thousands of German settlers came to North America to escape the religious persecution and poverty that wracked Europe and to make the most of the opportunity to own their own land in a new country. They settled across the United States in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California, and in Canada in Ontario and on the fertile plains of the prairie provinces. Among them:

Claassen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

David Claassen, aged 60, who arrived in New York, NY in 1873 4
Joh Claassen, aged 28, who arrived in New York, NY in 1874 4
Johann Claassen, aged 10, who landed in New York, NY in 1876 4
Jacob Claassen, aged 21, who landed in New York, NY in 1876 4
Justine Claassen, aged 6, who landed in New York, NY in 1876 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Claassen (post 1700) +

Utz Claassen (b. 1963), German manager, management consultant, entrepreneur, investor and author
Arthur Claassen Sr. (1859-1920), German orchestral conductor
Johan Claassen (1929-2019), South African rugby player and captain of the South African National Team in 1958
Neil Claassen (b. 1992), South African rugby union player
Ruben Claassen (b. 1993), South African first-class cricketer
George Claassen, South African journalist
J. G. Claassen (b. 1991), South African professional golfer
Antonie Delport Claassen (b. 1984), French and South African rugby union playe
Wynand Claassen (b. 1951), South African rugby player

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in Netherlands." Forebears, https://forebears.io/netherlands/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/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)