Andresen
A Scandinavian patronymic surname meaning “son of Andres/Andrew.”
The #8,939 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 84,311 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Andresen is a patronymic formed from the given name Andres, a northern and continental form of Andrew. The name ultimately goes back to Greek Andreas, meaning “manly” or “brave.” The ending -sen is the common Scandinavian surname ending meaning “son of,” so the literal sense is “son of Andres.”
History
The surname is especially associated with Denmark and Norway, and it is also found in German-speaking areas through Scandinavian influence and migration. Historical name studies cited in the excerpts list Andresen alongside other common patronymics such as Hansen and Petersen, showing that it belonged to a well-established naming pattern. In modern use it often appears as a hereditary family name rather than a literal statement of paternity.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older surname statistics and name studies, Andresen is usually treated as one of the classic Scandinavian -sen names, alongside Hansen, Petersen, and Nielsen.
From the historical record
“Die Grundlage dieser Darstellung bilden zunächst die einschlagenden Werke von Förstemann, Pott, Abel, Stark, Andresen, denen sich für die Namen der zweiten und dritten Schicht der freilich oft unkritische Vilmar anreiht. Wenig Ausbeute lieferten im allgemeinen die Namenbücher, welche den Wohnungsanzeiger irgend…”
— Die deutschen Familiennamen