Surname Nisse - Meaning and Origin
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Nisse: What does the surname Nisse mean?
The last name Nisse is a Scandinavian origin surname derived from the Old Norse word “níss” which can mean ‘a spirit’ or ‘a mischievous spirit’. This is also closely related to the words “nisse” in Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish and “njáll” in Old Icelandic and Faroese. The original words refer to either the dwelling of a particular spirit or being or the spirit itself. In Norwegian folklore, these mischievous spirits also known as nisser were known to dwell in farms, forests, and attics, often living unnoticed around humans and providing helpful benefits such as protecting the crops from evil trolls. Nevertheless, they could be troublesome if disrespected or neglected.
The last name Nisse is also believed to originate from a personal name meaning ‘a nickname for a small man’, derived from the Old Norse word ‘níss’. It is possible that this surname was adopted initially as a byname, used to describe the character or physical attribute of an individual, and then later used as a surname.
Today, the last name Nisse is found in various countries around the world. In Denmark, the name is especially common and is even ranked as the 51st most common surname. It is used both as a nickname for people of short stature or as a family surname. Those with the last name Nisse usually have a connection with the Scandinavian countries, possibly having a familial line originating there.
Order DNA origin analysisNisse: Where does the name Nisse come from?
The last name Nisse is most common in Germany, the Netherlands, and Scandinavian countries such as Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. It's thought to have originated in northern Germany and spread to northern Europe, particularly in countries with significant German influence.
The name Nisse is also found in some parts of North America, including the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It's believed that it first became established there with the waves of German immigrants who began to arrive in the 19th century.
Other countries where you can find Nisse as a surname include Switzerland, Poland, Austria, and France. It’s even been seen in South America, particularly in Argentina.
The name Nisse is likely a patronymic name derived from the biblical name Isaac. Nisse is derived from the German diminutive form of the name which is Isaak. People bearing the Nisse name could therefore be descended from a male ancestor named Isaac or from a family with a particular association with Isaac.
Nisse is generally seen as a unisex name today. While it was once exclusively given to boys, it's now given equally to boys and girls.
Variations of the surname Nisse
The surname Nisse is of Germanic origin, derived from the Middle High German word "Nice". In various countries, the surname Nisse has been anglicized and spelled in different ways. Depending on the region, this surname can have at least 30 variants, spellings, and surnames with the same origin.
In Germany, variations of the Nisse surname include Nees, Niße, Nissen, and Nissin. In The Netherlands, variations of the name include Nassen, Nes, Nese, Neesen, and Niesen. In Denmark and Norway, variations of the name include Nielsen, Nielson, Nilsen, and Nylsen.
In the United Kingdom, the Nisse surname has been Anglicized to Nease and Neese, while in the United States, the Nisse surname has been Anglicized to Nese, Nease, Neese, and Neece. In Latin America, variations of the name include Nizzi, Nesio, and Nisio.
Other spellings of the Nisse surname based on language variations include Nese, Niese, Neesse, Niesse, Nieße, and Niesser in Germany; Nissen and Nessen in Luxembourg and Belgium, and; Neese and Nize in France.
Variants of the Nisse surname can be found in areas outside of Europe as well, such as Asia, Australia, and Latin America. Variants in Asia include Naise, Nuise, and Neyser, while in Latin America they include Nisso, Nizio, Nysio, and Nisso. In Australia, the Nisse surname can be found as Nese, Ness, and Nichs.
Famous people with the name Nisse
- Mathias Nisse Nilsson: Swedish footballer
- Jesse Nissen: American figure skater and coach
- Markus Nissen: Norwegian footballer
- Anderz Nissen: Danish footballer
- Jan Nissen: Danish actor
- Janne Nissen: Danish speed skater
- Soren Nissen: Danish Olympic swimmer
- Ole Nissen: Danish politician
- Kasper Nissen: Danish actor
- Elisabeth Nissen: Norwegian novelist
- Tellef Nissen: Norwegian composer
- Asger Nissen: Danish footballer
- Henrik Nissen: Danish footballer
- Gunnar Nissen: Norwegian biathlete
- Tommy Nissen: Norwegian actor
- Anders Nissen: Danish journalist
- Lykke Nissen: Danish actress
- Gerda Nissen: Danish ornithologist
- Magnus Nissen: Norwegian footballer
- Tone Nissen: Norwegian footballer