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Jensen History Etymology Early Origins Spelling Variations World Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Jensen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Denmark
Germany
Scotland

Etymology of Jensen

What does the name Jensen mean?

This Danish and Norwegian name is derived from Jan's or Johan's son and in many cases is the equivalent of Johnson. 1

The Jensen variant is the second most common surname in Denmark. All these names are derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan, which literally means "Jehovah has favored," which was Latinized as Johannes, gained tremendous popularity during the medieval era. This is due to the exploits of St. John the Baptist, St. John the Evangelist, and nearly one thousand other saints of the same name. The suffix -son and its variants are translatable as 'son of.'

Early Origins of the Jensen family

The surname Jensen was first found in many places throughout ancient Denmark due to the popularity of the name "John," initially as a forename, but later as a surname with the typical "sen" or "son" suffix. The name is fairly popular in the Faroe Islands, about two hundred miles north-northwest of Scotland, midway between Norway and Iceland.

Jensen Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Jahn, Johansen, Johannsen, Johannesen, Jonsen, Johnsen, Jensen, Joensen, Jansen, Jahnsen, Jantzen, Johanson, Johansson, Johanesson, Johannsson, Johannesson, Jonsson, Johnsson, Jönsson and many more.

Jensen World Ranking

In the United States, the name Jensen is the 259^th most popular surname with an estimated 101,967 people with that name. 2 However, in Canada, the name Jensen is ranked the 343^rd most popular surname with an estimated 13,322 people with that name. 3 And in Australia, the name Jensen is the 340^th popular surname with an estimated 10,632 people with that name. 4 New Zealand ranks Jensen as 214^th with 2,660 people. 5

Jensen migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Jensen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Peter Jensen, aged 32, who arrived in Missouri in 1840 6
Peder Jensen, aged 25, who landed in New York, NY in 1843 6
Hans Andrias Jensen, aged 2, who landed in New York, NY in 1843 6
Emma Jensen, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 6
Trol Conrad Jensen, who landed in New York in 1850 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Jensen Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Sara Benthim Jensen, who landed in Arkansas in 1904 6
Knud T Jensen, aged 21, who arrived in New York, NY in 1904 6
Dorthea Jensen, who landed in Colorado in 1905 6
Paul Jensen, who arrived in Arkansas in 1905 6
Lauriz Jensen, who arrived in Mississippi in 1906 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Jensen migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Jensen Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Johann Jensen, aged 33, who arrived in Quebec in 1868 aboard the ship "Leibig"

Jensen Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Mr. Karl E. B. Jensen, Danish settler who sailed aboard the ship "Stavangerfjord" arriving in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada in 1951
Mr. Andor Jensen, American settler who sailed aboard the ship "Stavangerfjord" arriving in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada in 1951
Mr. Jens B. Jensen, Norwegian settler who sailed aboard the ship "Stavangerfjord" arriving in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada in 1951
Miss Randi Jensen, American settler who sailed aboard the ship "Stavangerfjord" arriving in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada in 1951
Mr. Thor Jensen, Norwegian settler who sailed aboard the ship "Stavangerfjord" arriving in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada in 1951
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Jensen migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Jensen Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mathias Jensen, aged 34, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Halcione" in 1870 7
Karen M. Jensen, aged 34, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Halcione" in 1870 7
Peter H. Jensen, aged 6, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Halcione" in 1870 7
Ano J. Jensen, aged 3, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Halcione" in 1870 7
Hans Jensen, aged 21, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Halcione" in 1870 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Jensen (post 1700) +

Steven Allan "Steve" Jensen (1955-2022), American professional ice hockey player and owner and director of Heartland Hockey Camps
Derrick Jensen (1956-2017), professional American football tight end for Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders (1978–1986)
Annis "Big Red" Jensen (1921-2015), American roller derby skater, 1st women's captain of the San Francisco Bay Bombers, inducted into the Roller Derby Hall of Fame in 1964
Debra Jensen (b. 1958), American model
Ronald Bjorn Jensen (b. 1936), American mathematician awarded the Steele Prize for Seminal Contribution to Research in 2003
Hayden M. Jensen, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Navy, during World War II, credited with 5 aerial victories
Mrs. C. B. Jensen, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Minnesota, 1940 8
C. Jensen, American politician, Member of South Dakota State House of Representatives 36th District, 1929-30 8
Benton Franklin Jensen (1892-1970), American Republican politician, U.S. Representative from Iowa 7th District, 1939-65; Defeated, 1964 8
August Jensen, American politician, Member of South Dakota State House of Representatives 33rd District, 1933-34 8
... (Another 102 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Jensen family +

Bismarck

Hans-Adolf Jensen (1921-1941), German Matrosengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 9

Empress of Ireland

Miss Annie Jensen (d. 1914), Canadian Third Class Passenger from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 10

Flight TWA 800

Miss. Susanne Grandt Jensen (1965-1996), from Greenwich, Connecticut, USA, American passenger flying aboard Flight TWA 800 from J.F.K. Airport, New York to Leonardo da Vinci Airport, Rome when the plane crashed after takeoff ; she died in the crash 11

Halifax Explosion

Mr. Andies Jensen (1894-1917), Danish Fireman aboard the SS Curaca from Magleby, Denmark who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 12

RMS Titanic

Mr. Charles Valdemar Jensen (d. 1912), aged 25, English Saloon Steward from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 13
Mr. Hans Peder Jensen (d. 1912), aged 20, Danish Third Class passenger from Eskilstrup who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 13
Mr. Niels Peder "Rasmus" Jensen (d. 1912), aged 48, American Third Class passenger from Portland, Oregon who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 13
Mr. Svend Lauritz Jensen (d. 1912), aged 17, Danish Third Class passenger from Eskilstrup who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 13

USS Arizona

Mr. Keith Marlow Jensen, American Electrician's Mate Third Class from Utah, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 14

USS Indianapolis

Chris Alstrum Jensen, American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he was one of the many who were killed in the sinking due to exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark attacks 15
Eugene Wenzel Jensen (1926-2000), American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he survived the sinking 15

Vimy Ridge

Arne Jensen (1889-1917), Canadian Private in the 44th Battalion from Manitoba who died at Vimy Ridge April 1917

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 12th December 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
The Washington Post Passenger List TWA Flight 800. (Retrieved 2018, February 15th). Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/twa800/list01.htm
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html
Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew