Surname Janse - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'J'
Janse: What does the surname Janse mean?
The last name Janse is an occupational surname, derived from the old Dutch word “Jansen,” which denotes a peasant, peasant-farmer, commoner, or humble tradesman, such as a tenant farmer or tinsmith. It is believed to have originated in North or West Holland, where most of the medieval population were carpenters, cabinetmakers, or other kinds of laborers.
The surname Janse is commonly found throughout the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and other areas of Europe that were once part of the Dutch Empire. It is believed to be derived from the same source as the name Jasper, which is a shortened version of the Germanic personal name Giselbert, which is made up of two elements: “gisil” and “berht,” meaning “hostage” and “bright.” The two names are similar in meaning, and therefore can be traced back to the same source.
In modern times, the last name Janse is most commonly found among Afrikaners in South Africa, who are descendants of Dutch settlers who moved to the region in the 1600s. It is also found among Dutch-Americans and in parts of Canada, as well as in other parts of the world due to immigration.
Overall, the last name Janse likely denotes a person of humble origins who descended from Dutch settlers and grew up in conservative rural communities. It could also represent a person who has worked hard to develop their craft and build a brighter future for themselves and their family.
Order DNA origin analysisJanse: Where does the name Janse come from?
The surname Janse is primarily found today in the Netherlands. It is believed to be a Dutch patronymic name derived from the Hebrew name Johannes, meaning "God is gracious". Janse can also be found in countries such as South Africa, Suriname, France, and the United States.
Within the Netherlands, it is the 64th most common surname and is concentrated in the northern parts of the country. Janse is often found in the province of Fryslan, especially in the cities of Leeuwarden, Heerenveen, and Drachten. It is also quite common in the provinces of Friesland and Gelderland.
The South African population of Janse has been traced back to Dutch settlers who originally arrived during the 20th century. The majority of Janses have been traced to the city of Johannesburg, though smaller numbers exist in regions such as Pretoria, Cape Town, and Durban.
In the United States, there are about 1,400 people with the surname Janse. This makes it one of the less-common Dutch surnames in the country, though the largest populations of Americans with the name can be found in the Midwestern states of Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Overall, the surname Janse is mainly concentrated in the northern regions of the Netherlands, but smaller populations also exist in other parts of the world, including South Africa, Suriname, France, and the United States.
Variations of the surname Janse
The surname Janse is a Dutch patronymic surname which originated in the Netherlands and is derived from the given name Jan. This surname is most common in the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Afrikaans-speaking populations, and Dutch-speaking populations in South Africa. Variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin include Jansema, Janssen, Jansen, Janzen, Janssens, Janzema, Jansemes, Jaunsen, Jansma, Janssen, Jaunzens, Janzenes, Jonsma, Jonson, and Jonsen.
Janse is an anglicized version of the Dutch patronymic surname Jansema, which is derived from the given name Jan. This given name Jan is a Dutch diminutive of the name Johannes, which is the Latin and Greek form of the Hebrew name Yehonatan meaning "YAHWEH has given". This was a popular name for the Dutch population and is still used today.
Jansen is a variant of Janse which is derived from Jansema. This surname may have originated from Dutch regions and is found throughout the Netherlands as well as Denmark, Germany, South Africa and Afrikaans-speaking countries. It is believed to be a patronymic surname derived from Jan, the Dutch form of John.
Janssen is another variant of Janse. This surname is a Dutch patronymic form of the given name Jan and is used in Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark. Similarly, Janssen is a Dutch patronymic surname which is formed by adding "-sen" to the end of the given name "Jan." It is used in Nordrhein-Westfalen in Germany and the Netherlands.
Janzema is another variant of Janse which is found in Northern Europe including Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands. This patronymic surname is derived from "Jan" and is the same origin as Janse, Jansen, Janssen, and Janssen.
Overall, some of the variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname Janse include Jansema, Janssen, Jansen, Janzen, Janssens, Janzema, Jansemes, Jaunsen, Jansma, Janssen, Jaunzens, Janzenes, Jonsma, Jonson, and Jonsen.
Famous people with the name Janse
- Vincent Janse: Dutch professional footballer
- Geert Janse: Dutch bobsledder
- Pieter Janse: South African artist
- Elize Janse: South African author
- Willem Janse: Dutch water polo player
- Bas Janse: Dutch novelist
- Dirk Janse: Dutch professional road cyclist
- Pieter-Jan Janse: Dutch professional footballer
- Piet Janse: Dutch professional cyclist
- Paul Janse: Dutch professional tennis player
- Elsa Janse van Rensburg: South African professional golfer
- Mathieu Janse: Dutch professional road cyclist
- Jacob Janse van der Merwe: South African wrestler
- Rob Janse: Dutch professional cyclist
- Armien Janse: South African professional athlete
- Jan Janse: Dutch professional cyclist
- Herbert Janse: South African professional athlete
- Epke Janse: Dutch professional swimmer
- Carel Janse: Dutch professional cyclist
- Jonathan Janse: South African professional road cyclist