Surname Gertjejanssen - Meaning and Origin
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Gertjejanssen: What does the surname Gertjejanssen mean?
The last name Gertjejanssen is likely derived from a patronymic surname originating in the Netherlands. A patronymic surname is derived from the name of the father and usually includes a diminutive suffix (in this case –janssen) to indicate it is a surname. For example, the surname Gertjejanssen may come from a father whose given name was Gert, with the janssen suffix belonging to the traditional Dutch naming convention.
Gertjejanssen is a Dutch surname that is likely derived from the Low German rendition of the name Gerard. The name Gerard is in turn derived from the Latin Gerardus, which means “strong spearman.” The name Gertjejanssen itself is likely a fairly common name in the Netherlands, since Dutch surnames often stem from given names that were popular centuries ago.
These patronymic surnames were first used in the Netherlands sometime in the 1500s, and have since become increasingly common around the world. Historically, these surnames indicated a certain lineage, with one’s surname reflecting their ancestral heritage. In modern times, surname meanings are often overlooked and the name is merely used to denote family origins, though some people do research the etymology of their surnames in order to better understand their family history.
Order DNA origin analysisGertjejanssen: Where does the name Gertjejanssen come from?
Gertjejanssen is a family name that originates from the Dutch language and is found predominantly in The Netherlands. It is, however, also prominent in other Dutch-speaking countries such as Belgium, South Africa, and Suriname.
Despite having a low global frequency ranking of 83,273, Gertjejanssen is a relatively common name within the Netherlands. In 2019, research showed that Gertjejanssen was amongst the 100 most popular surnames in the country, with a count of 0.169% of the Dutch population.
In other Dutch-speaking countries, Gertjejanssen is substantially less common than in the Netherlands, with corresponding global frequency rankings of 537,198 (Belgium), 1,420,625 (South Africa), and 5,108,715 (Suriname).
Immigration from the Netherlands also means that people with the Gertjejanssen surname can be found living in countries worldwide, even if only in small numbers. As far as can be determined, there are no indications that the surname is more common in any one specific country.
What remains true, however, is that the Gertjejanssen surname is most commonly found in the countries and territories where Dutch is spoken.
Variations of the surname Gertjejanssen
Gertjejanssen is a Dutch patronymic surname, derived from the given name Gerhard. Variant spellings and surnames of the same origin for this surname are: Gertjens, Gertejanssen, Gertejans, Gerteensen, Gertjesen, Gerdessen, Gertelin, Gerdjenssen, Gereyens, Gereyds, Geerds, Gertzens, and Gerdens.
The given name Gerhard is a Germanic name derived from the words ‘ger’, meaning ‘spear’, and ‘hard’, meaning ‘strong’ or ‘hardy’. The German version of this name was popular among medieval Christians, who used it to honour their godfathers. Over time, this name spread throughout Europe, and the surname Gertjejanssen eventually emerged in Holland, becoming a common patronymic name.
The patronymic identifier ‘-s’ or ‘-sen’ at the end of the surname appears when a father and son share the same given name. For example, Gerhard the father’s patronymic surname may be Gertjejanssen, while Gerhard the son’s patronymic surname may be Gertjejanssen’s. This suffix needs to be attached to a given name to form a patronymic name in Dutch.
Variants and spellings of Gertjejanssen have emerged over the centuries due to various reasons such as migration, regional variations in language, transformations of the spelling of names, and incorrect registrations while recording names. Today, variants of this name are spread throughout the Netherlands, Germany, and parts of America.
Famous people with the name Gertjejanssen
- Bram Gertjejanssen: Dutch professional footballer
- David Gertjejanssen: Former Major League Baseball player
- Wouter Gertjejanssen: Canadian filmmaker, songwriter and actor
- Lars Gertjejanssen: Dutch professional banker and columnist
- Klaas Gertjejanssen: Member of the Dutch ice hockey union and former captain of the Dutch men's ice hockey team
- Olivier Gertjejanssen: Belgian professional alpine ski racer
- Tom Gertjejanssen: Former professional footballer and television presenter
- Jack Gertjejanssen: Dutch professional cyclist
- Sofie Gertjejanssen: International tennis player
- Bernadette Gertjejanssen: Dutch opera singer