Jantsen
A masculine name of Dutch origin potentially related to the surname Janssen.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Jantsen. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jantsen today is around 36 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jantsen births was 1989 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jantsen. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Jantsen. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1989
5 babies that year
Average age
36
years old
1989 SSA rank
#8,441
Tracked since 1989
Popularity
Jantsen: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Jantsen by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Jantsen during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Jantsen
The name Jantsen has its origins traced back to the Dutch and German languages. It is believed to have derived from the Germanic name "Johannes," which itself is a variant of the Hebrew name "Yohanan," meaning "Yahweh is gracious." The earliest recorded spelling of Jantsen can be found in medieval Dutch records from the 13th century.
In the Netherlands and parts of Germany, Jantsen was a common name during the Middle Ages, particularly among the working class and peasantry. It was often used as a shortened form of Johannes or Jan, both of which were popular names at the time. The addition of the suffix "-sen" was a common practice in these regions, signifying a diminutive or affectionate form of a name.
While there are no known direct references to the name Jantsen in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is possible that some historical figures bearing this name existed but went unrecorded. The earliest recorded individual with the name Jantsen is Jantsen van Haarlem, a Dutch painter who lived in the 15th century and is known for his works depicting religious scenes.
Another notable figure with the name Jantsen was Jantsen Hinrichsen, a German merchant and explorer who lived in the 16th century. Hinrichsen is credited with being one of the first Europeans to establish trade routes with the indigenous peoples of North America. His journal entries provide valuable insights into the early interactions between European settlers and Native Americans.
In the 17th century, Jantsen Gideonsen was a Dutch mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial navigation. His work on calculating the positions of celestial bodies played a crucial role in improving the accuracy of maritime navigation during that era.
During the 18th century, Jantsen van Riebeeck, a Dutch colonial administrator, gained prominence as the founder of Cape Town, South Africa. His efforts in establishing the Dutch East India Company's settlement at the Cape of Good Hope laid the foundation for the colonization of the region.
In more recent times, Jantsen Reinders was a Dutch artist and sculptor who lived from 1892 to 1971. His works, which often depicted scenes from everyday life, are considered significant examples of the Dutch Realist movement in the early 20th century.
People
Jantsen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jantsen as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jantsen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jantsen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jantsen going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Jantsen a common name?
We classify Jantsen as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jantsen most popular?
The single biggest year for Jantsen was 1989, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jantsen is about 36 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Jantsen in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jantsen a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jantsen in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Jantsen still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jantsen in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Jantsen can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Jantsen?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people share the name Jantsen at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.