Claessens History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Germany

Etymology of Claessens

The roots of the Claessens family are found in the ancient German state of Bavaria. Claessens is one of the most common styles of German surname, that of patronymics and matronymics - names derived from the given names of the father or mother of their original bearers. Claessens is derived from the medieval given name Klaus, which is a shortened form of the personal name Niklaus or Nicholas. The given name Nicholas, which means people's victory, was popular among Christians throughout Europe in the Middle Ages.

Early Origins of the Claessens family

Early History of the Claessens family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Claessens research. Another 177 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1656, 1679, 1681, 1691, 1713 and 1755 are included under the topic Early Claessens History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Claessens Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Claessens include Klaus, Klauss, Claus, Clauss, Klauhs, Clauhs, Klausing (Westphalia), Klauser (Switzerland), Clausing, Clauser, Klausen, Klaussen, Clausen and many more.

Early Notables of the Claessens family

John Closterman (1656-1713), portrait-painter, born at Osnaburg, Hanover, in 1656, the son of an artist, who taught him the rudiments of design. "In 1679 he went to Paris, accompanied by his countryman Tiburen, and there worked under Jean...
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Claessens Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Claessens Ranking

Netherlands, the name Claessens is the 697^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,686 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Claessens family

The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from Bavaria who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. For many Bavarian tenant farmers, the chance to own their own land was a major incentive. So the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlement centered in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Among those of this surname listed in various historical records were: Bernhart Klaus, who came to New York City in 1709 with his wife and four children. Henrich Klaus left the Palatinate for England with his wife and two daughters in 1709.