Surname Caßens - Meaning and Origin

Caßens: What does the surname Caßens mean?

The last name Caßens is a German origin name derived from the Old German personal name “Caso” or “Cazo”, which was a frankified variant of the Old German name “Caz”, meaning “short” or “small”. The ending “ens” added to the name was a German patronymic suffix, meaning “son of”, so, essentially, the name “Caßens” means “son of Caz”.

The earliest written records of the family name are found in Germany during the 14th and 15th centuries, when the name began to spread across central Europe. Today, it is most commonly found in Germany and the Netherlands. It is also seen throughout the English-speaking world, having spread with German immigrants to the United States and Canada.

The variations of the name Caßens today include Cassens, Caasens, Cazen, Caassens, Casen, Casens, Carsen, Kassens, and Kasens. Variations in the spelling of the name Caßens can be attributed to its evolution through the centuries. In the earlier records, due to the use of the Latin alphabet and an older language that contained fewer letters, different versions of the same name may be seen as spelling mistakes were common. Later on, with the invention of the typewriter and the greater spread of the English language, minor spelling variations became more common.

Caßens: Where does the name Caßens come from?

The last name Caßens is a Dutch name, and is most common in the Netherlands. It is a relatively rare last name, being held by approximately 1,000 people in the Netherlands. It is believed to derive from the old German words “cash” and “sen” which means tenant or inhabitant.

The surname Caßens is widespread throughout the Netherlands, but is most common in the south. It is particularly numerous in the provinces of North Holland, South Holland, Friesland, Overijssel and Groningen. It is well represented in major Dutch cities such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht.

The coat of arms of the Caßens family consists of a black double-headed eagle and a green tree with red fruit. It symbolizes fertility, abundance and protection, and is a reminder of the family’s strong religious ties.

Outside of the Netherlands, the surname Caßens is found mainly in other parts of Europe, including Germany, Belgium, England and Denmark. It is also present among Dutch emigrants around the world, such as the United States and Canada.

Many people who bear the name Caßens today take a great deal of pride in their ancestry. They may even have online family trees to preserve their history. With such a proud heritage, it’s no surprise that the last name Caßens is still going strong in the Netherlands and beyond.

Variations of the surname Caßens

The surname Caßens is an originally Dutch family name thought to have been derived from the Middle Dutch word ‘cassen’, which meant ‘sleeper’ or ‘guardian of the cottage’.

Variant spellings of the surname include Cassens, Kassens, Caasens, Kaasens, Cassin, Gassen and Cassecs. Common diminutives and variants of the name include Cassesson, Kassebaum, Cassner, Kassay, Cassier and Cades.

The surname is also distributed across Europe, and has developed regional variants, such as Cassan in mainly southern France, Cazan in Romania, Cáseň in Slovakia, and Cassens in Germany and the Netherlands.

The name is found in historical records in countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, England, Poland, and Russia. It is also likely to have picked up variants from different language influences over the years, such as cases (case or box) in Italy and cazen (pot) in Spain.

It is also possible that the Caßens surname has transmuted into other surnames: for instance, Cazenove, Casson, Casanova and Chenault are all thought to stem from Caßens. These new surnames would typically have been adopted either when the family relocated to another area, or when a change in the person’s occupation resulted in the need for a name that better reflected his new role.

Famous people with the name Caßens

• Christian Cassens: German SPD politician
• Josef Cassens: German lawyer and jurist
• Reynold J. Cassens: American former football player
• Sheriff Cassens: fictional character in the TV series American Horror Story: Murder House
• Sabine Cassens: German architect and sustainability expert
• Theodor von Cassens: Prussian major general
• Kelly Cassens: Australian artist
• Krystyna Augustyna Cassens: Polish nun
• Johannes Hendrikus Jacobus Cornelis Caßens: Dutch resistance member
• Joseph C. Cassens: American stained glass artist

Other surnames

Caßen