Show ContentsJorgensen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Jorgensen

What does the name Jorgensen mean?

The surname Jorgensen is derived from the personal name Jörge or its diminutive form, Jörgen. These are both derived from the same root as the name George, which in turn comes from the Greek name "Georgios," which means 'farmer.' The suffix -son and its variants are translatable as 'son of.'

Jorgensen Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Jirgesen, Jirgeson, Jirgessen, Jirgesson, Jirgensen, Jirgenson, Jirgenssen, Jirgensson, Jírgesen, Jírgeson, Jírgessen, Jírgesson, Jírgensen, Jírgenson, Jírgenssen, Jírgensson, Jorgesen, Jorgeson, Jorgessen, Jorgesson, Jorgensen, Jorgenson, Jorgenssen, Jorgensson, Jörgesen, Jörgeson, Jörgessen, Jörgesson, Jörgensen, Jörgenson, Jörgenssen, Jörgensson, Juergesen, Juergeson, Juergessen, Juergesson, Juergensen, Juergenson, Juergenssen, Juergensson, Jurgesen, Jurgeson, Jurgessen, Jurgesson, Jurgensen, Jurgenson, Jurgenssen and many more.

Jorgensen Ranking

In the United States, the name Jorgensen is the 1,772nd most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 1 However, in Australia, the name Jorgensen is ranked the 914th most popular surname with an estimated 4,307 people with that name. 2


Jorgensen migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Jorgensen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Anne E. Jorgensen, who arrived in New Orleans in 1855
  • Niels Soren Jorgensen, aged 26, who arrived in New York, NY in 1869 3
  • Rasmus Jorgensen, aged 25, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1870 3
  • Anne Christe Jorgensen, who arrived in New York, NY in 1882
  • Ole Jorgensen, who landed in Mississippi in 1885 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Jorgensen Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Sven Jorgensen, who arrived in Mississippi in 1902 3
  • Andrew Jorgensen, who settled in Illinois in 1909
  • Andreas Jorgensen, who arrived in North Dakota in 1909
  • Alfred Jorgensen, who arrived in Arkansas in 1918
  • Ane Margerethe Jorgensen, who settled in Illinois in 1941

Jorgensen migration to Australia +

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

Jorgensen Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Christian Seidler Jorgensen, a cabinetmaker, who arrived in South Australia in 1848 aboard the ship "Alfred" 4

Jorgensen migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Jorgensen Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Jens Jorgensen, aged 27, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "England" in 1872 5
  • Mr. Olaf F B Jórgensen, (b. 1853), aged 19, Scandinavian labourer travelling from Hamburg aboard the ship "Palmerston" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 12th December 1872 6
  • Johanna M. Jorgensen, aged 24, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Zealandia" in 1879

Contemporary Notables of the name Jorgensen (post 1700) +

  • William "Bill" Jorgensen (1927-2024), American founding and longtime anchor of New York City's WNEW-TV's (now WNYW Fox 5) Ten O'Clock News
  • Richard "Rich" A. Jorgensen, American molecular geneticist
  • William L. Jorgensen (b. 1949), Sterling Professor of Chemistry at Yale University
  • Janel Simone Jorgensen (b. 1971), former American Olympic swimmer
  • Daniel Ploug Jorgensen (b. 1968), retired American freestyle swimmer and Gold Medalist at the 1988 Olympic Games
  • Jean Jorgensen, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Wyoming, 2008 7
  • Jack J. Jorgensen, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Minnesota, 1984 7
  • Henry Jorgensen, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Jersey, 1940 7
  • Hans P. Jorgensen, American politician, Socialist Labor Candidate for U.S. Representative from Washington at-large, 1902 7
  • George Lockwood Jorgensen, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Osaka, 1938 7
  • ... (Another 12 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

RMS Lusitania
  • Mrs. Karen Jorgensen, Danish Assistant Matron from Liverpool, England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 8


Suggested Readings for the name Jorgensen +

  • The DeMay, Quintin, and Jorgensen Families by Ida DeMay Wilson.

  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/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. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ALFRED 1848. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1848Alfred.htm
  5. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 4th November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  6. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 20) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  8. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/


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