| ![Show Contents]() Rasmus History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of RasmusWhat does the name Rasmus mean? The surname Rasmus is a patronymic name derived from the German personal name Erasmus (which in turn was derived from the Latinized form of the Greek word "erasmos," meaning love), borne by an early Christian saint. 1 Generally, many of the family evolved the name to Rasmussen in Denmark. The suffix '-sen' is translatable as 'son of.' Erasmus is a notable forename that dates back to Erasmus of Formia, also known as Saint Elmo (died c. 303), a Christian saint and martyr. This saint gave rise to the forename in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries including: Erasmus of Lueg, the 15th century renowned robber baron; Erasmus Grasser (c. 1450-c. 1515), the German master builder and sculptor; Erasmus Reinhold (1511-1553), the German astronomer and mathematician; Erasmus Finx (1627-1694), also known as Erasmus Francisci, the German polymath, author, and writer; and later in England, Erasmus Darwin (1731-1802), English physician and poet, grandfather of Charles Darwin. Early Origins of the Rasmus familyThe surname Rasmus was first found in Denmark where surnames were generally not adopted by the general population until the nineteenth century. In 1828 the Danish government ordered that children at baptism be given a "family name" along with a "first name". A second law (1860) made the family name hereditary. Early History of the Rasmus familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rasmus research. The years 1466, 1536, 1585 and 1652 are included under the topic Early Rasmus History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Rasmus Spelling VariationsSpelling variations of this family name include: Rasmussen, Rasmusen, Asmussen, Rasmus, Asmus, Erasmus and many more. Early Notables of the Rasmus familyProminent among bearers of this surname in early times were - Desiderius Erasmus of Roterdam (c. 1466-1536), perhaps the most influential intellectual of the Renaissance period...
- Jesper Rasmussen Brochmand (1585-1652) was a Danish Lutheran clergyman, theologian and professor who served as Bishop of the Diocese of Zealand...
| Rasmus 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: Rasmus Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- Niels Rasmus, aged 23, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Halcione" in 1870 2
| Contemporary Notables of the name Rasmus (post 1700) | + |
- Colby Ryan Rasmus (b. 1986), American Major League Baseball outfielder
- Kay Rasmus Nielsen (1886-1957), Danish illustrator
- Peder Rasmus Lyng (1799-1863), Norwegian politician
- Rasmus Fleischer (b. 1978), Swedish historian, essayist and musician
- Rasmus Pettersen (1877-1957), Norwegian gymnast
- Rasmus S Midgett (1851-1926), United States Life-Saving Service, recipient of the Gold Lifesaving Medal, single-handedly rescued ten men from the sinking barkentine "Priscilla"
- Rasmus Bengtsson (b. 1993), Swedish professional ice hockey player
- Rasmus Bengtsson (b. 1986), Swedish footballer
- Rasmus Hanson, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 1892; Presidential Elector for Michigan, 1896 3
- Rasmus Christoffer Elm (b. 1988), Swedish footballer
| Suggested Readings for the name Rasmus | + |
- Hans and Sofie Rasmussen by Maynard LeRoy May.
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