Surname Laursen - Meaning and Origin

Laursen: What does the surname Laursen mean?

Laursen is a patronymic surname of Danish and Norwegian origin, stemming from the personal name "Laurens," an alternate form of Lawrence. The meaning of Lawrence is derived from the Latin "Laurentius," which refers to someone from Laurentum, a city in ancient Italy. The suffix "-sen" indicates "son of" in Danish and Norwegian languages, so Laursen essentially means "son of Laurens" or "son of Lawrence." It's a common practice in Scandinavian cultures to form a surname by combining the father's name with "-sen" or "-son". Therefore, someone with the last name Laursen is traditionally a descendant of someone named Laurens or Lawrence.

Laursen: Where does the name Laursen come from?

The surname Laursen is of Scandinavian origin, specifically Denmark, and it follows the old Nordic tradition of patronymic surnames, where a person’s last name was determined by the first name of his father. In the case of Laursen, the name translates to "son of Laurs" or "son of Laur," where Laurs or Laur is a Danish form of the name Lawrence.

The name is still widespread in Denmark today, but it's also common in other countries due to historical emigration patterns. Many Danes emigrated to the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and their descendants can be found throughout the US, particularly in the Midwest. You also find the surname in nations like Norway and Sweden due to regional migrations and interchanging cultural influences in Scandinavia. However, it is not nearly as common there as in Denmark. Therefore, outside Denmark, you're most likely to encounter the surname Laursen in the United States.

Variations of the surname Laursen

The surname Laursen is Scandinavian in origin, predominantly used in Denmark and Norway. Variations of this surname result from phonetic and regional differences, and sometimes even from personal preference. It tends to stem from the patronymic naming tradition, where a part of a person's identity comes from the father's first name, Laurence in this case.

Variants and spellings of the surname Laursen include Laurson, Laurzen, Laurie, Larsson, Larsen, and even Larson in English-speaking countries. In the case of Laursen, the "-sen" suffix indicates “son” in its original meaning. So, this surname literally translates to "son of Laurence".

In the case of Larsson, it is more common in Sweden while Larsen is more common in Norway and Denmark. However, all these variants share the same root. You might also find people with the surname Laurensen or Lorenson, which are simply other spellings of Laursen that have developed over time.

It’s also worth noting that there can be very minor changes in spelling depending on the country's language, for example "Lauritzen" and "Lauridsen" where "-sen" has been replaced by "-zen" or "-dsen".

As for surnames of the same origin, they would be other patronymic names evolving from the first name Laurence such as Lawrenson, Lawrence, Laurent, Laurentson, and others.

Famous people with the name Laursen

• Martin Laursen: A Former Danish footballer who played for teams such as Aston Villa, Udinese, and AC Milan.
• Morten Laursen: A Danish professional footballer who plays as a defender for Danish Superliga side AC Horsens.
• Morten Laursen: Former mountain biker from Denmark who won a gold medal at the World Championships in 1999.
• Kenneth Laursen: A Danish javelin thrower and former European Junior Champion in 1995.
• Anja Laursen: A Danish model, actress, and singer.
• Victor Laursen: A Danish footballer currently playing for Hobro.
• Henning Laursen: A Danish former professional footballer who played as a forward.
• Benjamin Laursen: A Danish footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder.
• Helle Laursen: A Danish former handball player.
• Rasmus Laursen: A Danish former professional racing cyclist.

Other surnames

Laurson