Christensen

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A Scandinavian family name of Danish origin, meaning son of Christen, carried by many people around the world
2. A patronymic surname of Danish origin, derived from the given name Christen and shared by numerous families
3. A common Danish-derived family name, literally meaning the son of Christen, borne by people in many countries

Etymology: "Christensen" is a patronymic surname, meaning "son of Christen." "Christen" is the Danish and Norwegian form of "Christian," so the name literally means "Christian's son," the same pattern as English surnames such as Johnson or Stevenson. Scandinavian families adopted this kind of name in large numbers, and in Denmark and Norway the "-sen" ending marked a son's descent from a father of that given name. The name reached English as a borrowing from Danish and Norwegian, carried by Scandinavian bearers and their descendants rather than by any English-language coinage. It is used as a family name in English-speaking countries, where it is now found among people of many backgrounds.