Claussen
A surname usually understood as a Scandinavian or Germanic patronymic meaning “son of Claus,” a short form of Nicholas.
The #9,405 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 89,310 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Claussen is a patronymic surname built from Claus, a common short form of Nicholas, plus the northern Germanic/Scandinavian ending -sen, meaning “son of.” In literal terms, it means “son of Claus.” The cited older works also place Claussen alongside forms such as Clausen, Classen, and Glausson, reflecting the same basic naming pattern across German and Scandinavian spelling traditions.
History
The surname is most at home in northern Germany and Scandinavia, where -sen surnames are common. English-language surname writers of the 19th and early 20th centuries treated it as part of a wider family of Claus-derived names rather than as an isolated form. In the United States it likely arrived through German and Scandinavian immigration and later became relatively uncommon.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because Claus is a nickname for Nicholas, Claussen is indirectly related to surnames like Nicholson, though they arose in different language traditions.
From the historical record
“GLASS. 1. From Glass, a parish in cos. Aberdeen and Banff. 2. From Nicholas. Cf. Class and the German Glaus ; whence Clause, Clausse, Claussen, Classen. 3. From Gael, glas, grey, blue, green ; found in Ir., W., Armor., and Corn. GLASSCOCK. See GLASS. GLAZARD. See HAZARD.”
— Ludus Patronymicus; or, the etymology of curious surnames