Claessens Surname: Origin, Meaning & Coat of Arms

Looking for a Claessens coat of arms? Arms were granted to families, not to surnames, and our research shows which heraldic tradition fits yours.

Meaning of the name

Ancestors listed as Claessens are often found as Claesson a generation earlier. Surname dictionaries give the meaning as “The son of Claes, a pet form of Nikolaus (people, victory)”.

Records show Claessens as one of the forms Claesson took over time. Census takers and immigration officers often wrote what they heard. The same family of names includes Claeson. French birth records list 296 children named Claessens between 1891 and 2000.

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