2000
#3,100
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,720
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.97
Uncommon Last name
Janssen
A patronymic surname of Dutch origin meaning "son of Jan" or "son of John."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,584 Americans carry the last name Janssen. That puts it at #3,207 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 27,237 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Janssen surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Janssen with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 27,237
Census rank
#3,207
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,974 bearers of the surname Janssen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3207th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Janssen, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Janssen
Among Census respondents with the surname Janssen, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Janssen bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Janssen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 10,163
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 368
- Two or more races2.8% · 308
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 85
- Black or African American0.3% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Janssen
Janssen appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,160
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,423
+703 bearers (+6.6%)
Per 100,000 3.87
Rank movement Down 60 places
2020
#3,207
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,974
-449 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 3.67
Rank movement Down 47 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,100 | 10,720 | 3.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,160 | 11,423 | 3.87 | +703 bearers (+6.6%) | Down 60 places |
| 2020 | #3,207 | 10,974 | 3.67 | -449 bearers (-3.9%) | Down 47 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Janssen surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,160 | #3,207 | -1.5% |
| Count | 11,423 | 10,974 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 3.87 | 3.67 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Janssen bearers went from 11,423 to 10,974 (-3.9% change). The surname moved down 47 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,160 to #3,207.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Janssen
FAQ
Janssen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Janssen?
Name Census estimates that about 12,584 living Americans carry the surname Janssen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 27,237 residents.
How common is Janssen?
Janssen ranks #3,207 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,974 people with the surname Janssen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,584), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Janssen.
Has Janssen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Janssen went from 11,423 recorded bearers to 10,974. That is a decrease of 449 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,160 to #3,207.
What does the Census say about the background of Janssen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Janssen, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Janssen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (10,163 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Janssen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (2.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Janssen (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Janssen mean?
A patronymic surname of Dutch origin meaning "son of Jan" or "son of John." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Janssen (3.67 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Janssen?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.