Find out how popular the last name Janssen is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Janssen.

Janssen, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Janssen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Janssen in America

Janssen is the 3160th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Janssen surname appeared 11,423 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Janssen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Janssen to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Janssen

The surname Janssen originated in the Low Countries, which included parts of modern-day Netherlands, Belgium, and northern France. It first appeared in the late 14th century and is believed to be derived from the personal name Johannes, the Dutch variant of John.

The name Janssen is a patronymic surname, meaning it was initially formed by adding the suffix "-sen" or "-szen" to the father's given name, in this case Johannes. This practice was common in the Low Countries and other parts of northern Europe during the Middle Ages as a way to identify individuals beyond just their first names.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Janssen can be found in the Calendars of the Duchy of Brabant, a historical record from the 15th century. The name appears in various spellings, such as Janssens, Janszen, and Jansen, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings during that time.

The Janssen surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Jan Janssen (c. 1415-1480), a Dutch painter and illuminator known for his work on religious manuscripts and altarpieces. Another early bearer of the name was Cornelis Janssen (c. 1592-1664), a Flemish painter renowned for his portraiture and religious works.

In the 17th century, the Janssen name gained prominence with the Dutch scientist Zacharias Janssen (1585-1638), who is credited with contributing to the invention of the compound microscope. His work paved the way for significant advancements in the field of microscopy and the study of microorganisms.

Other notable individuals with the surname Janssen include the Dutch artist Christiaan Janssen (1817-1892), known for his landscapes and genre paintings, and the Belgian astronomer Pierre Janssen (1824-1907), who discovered the chemical element helium during a solar eclipse in 1868.

The Janssen surname has also been found in various place names throughout the Low Countries, such as Janssens Hof in Belgium and Janssens Straat in the Netherlands, further highlighting its historical presence in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Janssen

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Janssen.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Janssen was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Janssen has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Janssen was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Janssen, please contact us.

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