Surname Janß - Meaning and Origin

Janß: What does the surname Janß mean?

The last name Janß is an Old German name meaning “son of Jan” from a personal name derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan which means “God is gracious”. The name Janß is prevalent predominantly in Germany and other countries in the European Union, where it is carried by 6,206 people. The earliest occurrence of the name Janß in Germany is recorded from 1632; the name is particularly mentioned in the family records of Bettendorf in Germany in 1698.

The meaning of the name conveys a message of gratitude to God for his generosity and grace in grants of blessings. Janß is also a varied form of the surname Johann, which is a reference to the classic biblical character of John the Baptist. In the family genealogy, a man born with the surname Janß often carried the same designation into the next generation, as the descendents adopted the same name.

This was done to honor the original progenitor’s memory. Additionally, theadding of a suffix “-ß” to a surname had an effect of distinguishing members of the same family living in different parts of town or region. Historically, generations of the Janß family have been prosperous and respected within the communities that they were settled in, with many succeeding generations contributing significantly to the general welfare of the community.

Janß: Where does the name Janß come from?

The last name Janß is a predominantly found in German-speaking regions such as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It is found mostly in the northern and western parts of Germany, particularly in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saxony, Lower Saxony, Hamburg, and Schleswig-Holstein.

Janß is a patronymic surname derived from the given name Jan, which is a form of the Hebrew name John meaning “God is gracious”. It is likely that the Janß surname was first brought to Germany during the medieval period, and gradually spread across the country over the centuries.

There is also a smaller concentration of people with the Janß surname in the United States, New Zealand, and Canada, mostly among immigrants and descendants of German immigrants.

The Janß surname is fairly common in Germany, with over 25,000 people carrying the name today. It is particularly common in cities such as Berlin, Hamburg, and Köln (Cologne). It is not a particularly rare name, so one is likely to encounter someone with the Janß surname in most parts of the country.

Variations of the surname Janß

The surname Janß is of German origin, and there are several variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. These are as follows.

The variant spelling of Janß is Jaenß. This is a common German spelling of the family name, often seen with an uppercase N and lowercase S.

Other spellings of the family name often seen are Janz, Jans, Janss, Jänß, Jaenzz, Jantz, Jens, Jenss, Jennss, and Jeenz. All of these variations are simply a result of different variations of the German language over time, and as various Jewish families assimilated into local communities and cultures.

Surnames of the same origin as Janß include Jans and Janssen. These are the most common surnames derived from Janß, and are often seen in German, Dutch, and Scandinavian cultures.

Finally, surnames of a similar origin, but not quite the same, are Jantzen, Janzen, Janse, Jensen, Jensson, Jansen, and Jansson. These are all variations of the same root origin, and were borne by many families in the Germanic countries and regions of Europe.

Overall, the surname Janß has many variations, spellings, and related surnames, and has remained a popular family name in Germany, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia for centuries.

Famous people with the name Janß

• Torben Janß: Former professional football player from Germany
• Mischa Janß: German actor
• Robert Janß: Retired German football player and coach
• Maik Janß: Former German sprinter
• Kadir Janß: German Artist and researcher
• Manfred Janß: German professional football player and coach
• Erwin Janß: Former German ice hockey player
• Sandra Janß: German journalist and editor
• Christoph Janß: German football coach and former player
• Philip Janß: Former German ski jumper
• Friederike Janß: Director, producer, and screenwriter
• Thomas Janß: Special FX Director, actor, and writer
• Matthias Janß: German footballer
• Heinz Janß: German civil engineer
• Wolfgang Janß: Endotron and metallurgist
• Harry Janß: German-Jewish mathematical figure
• Margarete Janß: German biologist and educationalist
• Franz Janß: Austrian physicist and metallurgist

Other surnames

JanßenJanßensJanßon