The Jenssen Family Name

In parish registers, Jenssen often stands in for Jensen. In origin, the name means “Son of Jens”.

Jenssen and Jensen

Jenssen adds “s” to Jensen, a small change that crept in as the name was written down. Census takers and immigration officers often wrote what they heard. The same family of names includes Jensson and Jensenius.

In the 2010 US Census, 271 Americans gave Jenssen as their last name (rank 71,886). Similar-sounding surnames on Herald Lab: Janssen and Jansen.

Arms associated with the name

A coat of arms belongs to a particular family line rather than to everyone named Jenssen, so the heraldry linked to Jensen is a starting point, not an automatic right.

Want more than a summary? See the Jenssen family name pack.