Surname Jörn - Meaning and Origin

Jörn: What does the surname Jörn mean?

The last name Jörn is of German-Scandinavian origin. It derives from the Germanic male given-name Jørn, meaning "farmer" or "earth-worker". This last name has seen a lot of variation over time – more modern spellings include ‘Jorn’, ‘Yorn’, and ‘Yoren’.

The surname can be found mostly in Germany, Denmark, and the Scandinavian countries, as well as throughout different parts of Europe. The last name is indicative of an individual's agricultural background, most likely that of a small-scale farmer.

In more recent decades, with the increased mobility of the population and the availability of new job markets within the EU, the surname Jörn is less representative of an individual agricultural background, but instead reflects the generations of labourers from the countryside.

Within the United States, the surname Jörn is quite prevalent. This is most likely due to the large influx of German immigrants during the early- and mid-20th Century, although records suggest that individuals of this name can be traced back as far as the 17th Century.

Today, there may be more than 10,000 people who bear the name of Jörn in the United States alone. This figure is projected to continue to grow in the next few decades as increasingly more individuals of German-Scandinavian descent move abroad in search of better economic opportunities.

Jörn: Where does the name Jörn come from?

The last name Jörn is common in northern Germany and Scandinavia. In Germany, it is chiefly found in the states of Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and Lower Saxony. In Denmark, it's relatively common as well. The name is spread across Denmark with the most populous areas being Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense, and Aalborg. In Sweden, it is found mainly in Stockholm and the south/central parts of the country.

Outside of northern Europe, the name is not very common and is found only in smaller pockets. It is of more frequent occurrence in the United States, where it is especially found in the states of Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. In Canada, it is fairly rare and is mainly found around the Winnipeg area and a few select cities in Ontario.

Generally speaking, Jörn is a far less common last name than its related forms which include Jørn, Jörin, Jörling, or Jørglappen. As such, it is not as common as one might think.

Variations of the surname Jörn

The surname Jörn is believed to be of Germanic origin. It derives from the personal name "Jürgen", which is composed of the elements "gari", meaning army, and "wīg", meaning battle. Other variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname Jörn include Joern, Jurgan, Jouren, Jorgen, Jurgen, Jurn, Yorn, Eirnin, Erin, Erren, Jorn, Jarrn and Yarrn.

In Germany, the variants include Jörngen, Joergens, Joerger, Joergers, Joergen, Joergensen, Jöhren, Jöhr, Jöhrs, Jorns, Jornsen, Jurn and Jürns. In Denmark, the variants include Jørgen, Jørgensen, Jørgsen, Jøren, Jørensen and Jørgnersen.

In the United States, the surname Jörn is found in several variants. The surname Jorn is one of the most common variants. Another spelling variants, such as Yorn, Yurn and Yarrn, are also found in the United States. There are also several surnames of a similar origin, including Eirnin, Erin, Erren, Jarrn and Jurn.

In Scandinavia, the surname Jörn is also found in various forms. Jören, Jörn, Jörensen, Jörgensen and Jörgerson are some of the common spelling variants found in Sweden, Norway and Finland.

Overall, the variants, spelling and surnames of the same origin for the surname Jörn are numerous and varied. While most of these surnames are found in Germany, Denmark, the United States and Scandinavia, the name may exist in other countries or regions as well.

Famous people with the name Jörn

• Sven Jörn: former German footballer
• Christian Jörn: German fashion model
• Björn Jörn: Swedish mayor
• Kristian Jörn: Danish actor
• Karina Jörn: Danish gymnast
• Bjarne Jörn: Swedish actor and filmmaker
• Michael Jörn: German contemporary artist
• Torsten Jörn: German contemporary artist
• Mattias Jörn: Swedish web and media developer
• Uvo Jörn: German folk singer and songwriter

Other surnames

JornsJörns