Surname Lensen - Meaning and Origin
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Lensen: What does the surname Lensen mean?
The surname Lensen is a patronymic name, meaning "son of the Lass." Originally, this surname derived from the personal name "Lasse," a Dutch diminutive form of the Latin name "Laurentius," meaning "man from Laurentum." The Laurentum is an old Roman city of Latium, located near the present Italian city of Lavinio, in the Alban Hills southeast of Rome.
As such, this Dutch surname was first used to denote the fact that the original bearer of the name was the son of someone named 'Lasse.' This surname has since expanded into other regions of Europe, and today is particularly widespread in Scandinavian countries such as Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.
The surname Lensen has been used by notable people in recent years, such as Dutch politician Joop Lensen and Danish handball player Morten Lensen. The name is also believed to have been borne by several notable Dutch painters, such as Pieter Lensen, Pieter Lensen Jr., and Tobias Lensen. All of these painters were active in what is now known as the Dutch Golden Age, the 17th century period in Dutch history and painting when the country gained great wealth from world exploration and trade.
In short, the name Lensen is a patronymic name derived from the Dutch personal name "Lasse," which in turn is a diminutive form of the Latin name "Laurentius"—man from Laurentum. The name has since been borne by several notables in history, particularly during the Dutch Golden Age, and is still used today in Scandinavian countries.
Order DNA origin analysisLensen: Where does the name Lensen come from?
The last name Lensen is of Dutch origin, first appearing in historical documents in the fifteenth century. It is most commonly found in the Netherlands and its former colonies such as South Africa, Indonesia and Surinam. The Netherlands and Indonesia each account for more than half of the current occurrences of the name Lensen. In the Netherlands, the name is mainly concentrated in the provinces of Friesland, Overijssel, Drenthe, Gelderland, and Utrecht. In Indonesia, the name is most frequently found in the provinces of South Sulawesi, West Sumatra and North Kalimantan.
In the United States, there are a low number of Lensen households; many of these having originated in Europe. According to the Census Bureau, there were only 283 households with the name Lensen in the United States in 1990. The states with the highest number of occurrences were Arkansas, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Texas. Canada also had a small number of Lensen households in 1990, with just over sixty.
The name Lensen is less common today than in past centuries. Over time, its spelling has changed as it has spread across the globe. Today, there are a variety of spellings for the last name including Lenssen, Lens, Lensen, and Lenser.
Variations of the surname Lensen
The surname Lensen has several variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. The most common variants are Lensen and Lensen.
Lensen is a Dutch and Danish patronymic surname, derived from the personal name "Lambert." It is also a patronymic form of the name Lammert, meaning "famed land," from the Germanic elements "lant" (land) and "berht" (bright, famous). This surname is also found in France, Belgium, and Switzerland.
Other variants of Lensen include Lensenne, Lensens, Linsen, Lynsen, Lensin, Lensing,Lensenb,Lensney,Lensnie, Lasen, and Lansin.
Lensen is also an Anglo-Saxon name, derived from the name Longsin. It is found in Great Britain, with some French and Dutch influence.
Other surnames of the same origin, include Linsing, Lynsing, and Lurz.
In addition, it is a variant of the Swedish name Lindson, derived from the first name Lind, meaning "linden tree."
Lensen is also a Flemish form of the German surname Lenscup, which is derived from the Old German word "lenskuppe," meaning "allen tender."
Finally, Lenson, an Americanized spelling of the surname, is also found in the US.
Altogether, Lensen is a surname with many variants and spellings, which can be found around the world and in many cultures.
Famous people with the name Lensen
- Paul Lensen: Dutch Olympic footballer (1984).
- Rob Lensen: Dutch footballer who played for Willem II Tilburg and FC Emmen.
- Jan Lensen: Dutch politician and member of the Senate for the Christian Democratic Appeal.
- Joost Lensen: Dutch classical saxophonist and professor at The Hague Conservatory.
- Michael Lensen: German visual artist and founder of the Lensen Art Group.
- Jean-Paul Lensen: French painter, poet, and sculptor.
- Jürgen Lensen: German-American photographic sociologist.
- Jody Lensen: Dutch television presenter and show host.
- Pieter D. Lensen: Dutch film director, screenwriter, and cinematographer.
- Marie-Louise Lensen: Dutch politician and Member of Parliament for the Labour Party.