Janzen (Jantzen, Janssen, Jansson, Jansen, Johnson, Jansz, Janz, Jantz, Jans) family
Janzen is one of the most widespread Mennonite family names of Dutch-Prussian background, derived from Jan (Johann, John) a given name, to which is added "zon" (zen, sen, etc.), the combination meaning "son of John." The name was very common among the Dutch Mennonites and found its way into the congregations bordering the Netherlands such as Krefeld, Gronau, and East Friesland. It was also common in Schleswig-Holstein and Prussia, where it was represented in the congregations of Elbing, Königsberg, Tiegenhagen, Ladekopp, Rosenort, Fürstenwerder, Heubuden, Tiensdorf, Orlofferfelde, Schönsee, Jeziorka, Deutsch-Kazun, etc. The name appears first on record in Danzig in 1568. From Prussia it was transplanted to Russia and later to North America, where it is found in most of the settlements started after 1874, and, later still, to South America. A branch of this name was transplanted from the Lower Rhine to Pennsylvania, where it was changed into Johnson. Jacob H. Janzen (1878-1950) was an outstanding church leader (General Conference Mennonite Church) and teacher both in Russia and Canada. He was also a pioneer Mennonite author composing at least 38 published writings.
Bibliography
Reimer, Gustav E. Die Familiennamen der westpreussischen Mennoniten. Weierhof, 1940: 111.
Author(s) | Cornelius Krahn |
---|---|
Date Published | 1957 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Krahn, Cornelius. "Janzen (Jantzen, Janssen, Jansson, Jansen, Johnson, Jansz, Janz, Jantz, Jans) family." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1957. Web. 3 Sep 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Janzen_(Jantzen,_Janssen,_Jansson,_Jansen,_Johnson,_Jansz,_Janz,_Jantz,_Jans)_family&oldid=92129.
APA style
Krahn, Cornelius. (1957). Janzen (Jantzen, Janssen, Jansson, Jansen, Johnson, Jansz, Janz, Jantz, Jans) family. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 3 September 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Janzen_(Jantzen,_Janssen,_Jansson,_Jansen,_Johnson,_Jansz,_Janz,_Jantz,_Jans)_family&oldid=92129.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 95. All rights reserved.
©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.