Show ContentsJanzen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The history of the Janzen 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 Janzen 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 Janzen family

The surname Janzen 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 Janzen family

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

Janzen 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 Janzen 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 Janzen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Janzen Ranking

In the United States, the name Janzen is the 11,207th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name Janzen is ranked the 731st most popular surname with an estimated 7,318 people with that name. 2


United States Janzen migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Janzen Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Catryn Janzen, aged 8, who arrived in New York in 1659 3
  • Elsie Janzen, aged 5, who arrived in New York in 1659 3
  • Margarytje Janzen, aged 6, who arrived in New York in 1659 3
  • Roeloff VanMeppelen Janzen, who arrived in New York in 1664 3
  • Romein Simon Janzen, who landed in New York in 1664 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Janzen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Frank Janzen, who landed in Nebraska in 1874 3
  • Peter Janzen, aged 25, who landed in New York, NY in 1874 3
  • Sara Janzen, aged 20, who landed in New York, NY in 1874 3
  • Sarah Janzen, aged 60, who arrived in New York, NY in 1874 3
  • Justine Janzen, aged 41, who arrived in New York, NY in 1875 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Janzen migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Janzen Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Anna Janzen, who arrived in Manitoba in 1875
  • David Janzen, who arrived in Manitoba in 1875
  • Franz Janzen, who arrived in Manitoba in 1875
  • Gerhard Janzen, who arrived in Manitoba in 1875
  • Isaac Janzen, who arrived in Manitoba in 1875
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Janzen (post 1700) +

  • Matthew Janzen (b. 1974), American film director
  • Marty Janzen (b. 1973), American baseball player
  • Lee Janzen (b. 1964), American golfer
  • John M. Janzen (b. 1937), American anthropologist
  • Henry Janzen (1940-2022), Canadian football player with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League, rookie of the year in 1965 and won 3 Grey Cups with the Bombers, professor at the University of Manitoba
  • Daniel Hunt Janzen (b. 1939), American professor of biology at the University of Pennsylvania since 1976
  • Chantal Janzen (b. 1979), Dutch actress

Bismarck
  • Günther Janzen (b. 1922), German Maschinengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck (1941) during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he survived the sinking 4


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  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. Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details


Houseofnames.com on Facebook