[Facts] The name Janssen
My grandparents were from the Nederlands and my grandmother, Antji, was all Dutch but I'm told that my Grandfather, Albert Janssen, was Jewish. I'd like to know, as it would please me to know he was of Jewish decent. They came to America in 1921 the first time and settled in Philadelphia PA. Could the name, Janssen be a Jewish name?
Replies
It just means Son of John. Which makes it probably the most common surname available in Western languages, after Smith and its variants. Yes, it could easily be Jewish - why not? Either going right back to the time of surname formation, or as a nice, anonymous choice that enables one to fade into the background.