Surname Laurentzen - Meaning and Origin
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Laurentzen: What does the surname Laurentzen mean?
The surname Laurentzen is of Danish origin and is derived from the first name Lars, which is a shortened form of Laurentius—a Latin name derived from the Roman family Laurence. The name Laurence is derived from the Latin laurus meaning "bay laurel tree."
The name Laurentzen refers to the son of Lars, and can denote either a patronymic or a place name. The name was found primarily in Scandinavia and parts of France and England during medieval times, when many settlers from these countries moved around the region as they sought resources and opportunities at a time when their home countries were often Times of war and instability.
In general, the name Laurentzen translates to mean “son of Lars.” It is a patronymic name, rather than an inherited last name. It is quite common in Denmark and other Scandinavian countries.
Through the ages, the name has been spelled in many different ways, including Lauritzen, Lauritsen, Lauritzson, Laurtisen, and Spielberg. No matter the spelling, when you see the name Laurentzen, it’s safe to assume the bearer is of Danish decent and the family descends from Lars.
The name is still prominent today, but with the increased mobility and blended families, it is not necessarily restricted to one country. It is also found in the United States and Canada, especially with families who came from Scandinavia in the 19th Century.
Order DNA origin analysisLaurentzen: Where does the name Laurentzen come from?
The last name Laurentzen is most commonly found in Scandinavian countries today, particularly in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. This is due to the name's roots as an old Scandinavian patronymic name, derived from Lars or Laurentius, which is the Latinized form of the old Greek name "Laurentius". Often patronymic surnames were formed by adding the suffix "-sen" or "-sson" to indicate that it was a son of a man named Laurentius. The meaning of the name Laurentius was "man of laurel".
In addition to Scandinavia, the last name Laurentzen is also found in parts of Germany, particularly within the former East German territories. This is in part due to the Danish influence on that region. There are also a few people living in North America who are of Laurentzen descent, due to immigration from the Scandinavian countries.
In Denmark, the surname Laurentzen was found to be the 83rd most common surname (out of a total of 177,023). According to some sources, it is even more common in other parts of Scandinavia; in Norway it ranks 11th most common, and in Sweden it is the 76th most common.
Overall, the last name Laurentzen is still a fairly common name, particularly in Scandinavian countries, and to a lesser extent in Germany and North America as well.
Variations of the surname Laurentzen
The surname Laurentzen is a patronymic surname derived from the first name Laurens, which is itself a variant of the name Lawrence. A large variety of spellings and variants of this surname exist.
One variant of Laurentzen is Lauterzahn. This is likely a Germanized version of the surname, as it follows the German practice of combining the laurens syllable with ‘-zahn’, a German word meaning ‘tooth’. This surname is found primarily in Germany.
Another is Laursen. This is the Danish spelling and pronunciation of the name. This surname is found primarily in Denmark and the surrounding areas.
Other variants of Laurentzen include Laurents, Lorensen, and Lorentz. These vary in region of origin, and are found most commonly in the Netherlands, Scandinavia, and Germany.
Variants of Laurentzen that were adopted into English or Americanized are Lawton and Lorton. These are believed to be the result of mix-ups or errors made during the immigration process.
Some other common variants are Lausewitz, Lauritzen, Laurey, and Lorenzo. These all vary in origin and region of prevalence.
Finally, versions of the surname in other languages such as Polish or Italian also exist. Those include Lorenc, Lorentowicz, and Lorencz, respectively.
All in all, the surname Laurentzen has a large variety of spellings and surnames of the same origin.
Famous people with the name Laurentzen
- Soren Laurentzen: Danish theatre critic, Film Critic, and film historian
- Maayan Laurentzen: Israeli stained glass artist
- Audi Laurentzen: Norwegian visual artist and entrepreneur
- Emil Laurentzen: Norwegian Lutheran missionary to China
- Torhild Laurentzen: Norwegian politician who was the mayor of Berger municipality from 2003 to 2011
- Børre Laurentzen: Norwegian explorer and wilderness photographer
- Else Marie Laurentzen: Norwegian model, ballet dancer and actress
- Stefan Laurentzen: Norwegian banker and politician
- Trond Laurentzen: Norwegian professional footballer
- Paal Laurentzen: Norwegian entrepreneur who co-founded the software company Chess Corporate Solutions AS