Espensen is a Norwegian patronymic surname meaning "son of Espen". The root name Espen is a variant of Asbjørn, the Norwegian and Danish form of the Old Norse name Ásbjǫrn. Ásbjǫrn derives from the elements áss "god" and bjǫrn "bear", making it a cognate of the English name Osborne and its variant Osbourne, though the second element's meaning as "bear"-"god bear" differs from Osborne's second element meaning "bear" as well; the divergence is in the semantic development.Notable BearersNotable individuals bearing the surname Espensen include Tiffany Espensen (born 1999), an American actress known for her roles in films such as Spider-Man: Homecoming and television series like Kirby Buckets. Malene Espensen (born 1981) is a Danish glamour model and actress. Additionally, the surname is phonetically similar to the unrelated surname of Jane Espenson, an American television writer and producer known for her work on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Once Upon a Time, though her surname originates from a different etymology.Related FormsPatronymic cousin forms include the English-descended Espenson (variant spelling) and the Danish Bjarnesen, which shares the element "bear" in its root (Bjørn). The name maintains the Scandinavian tradition of -sen endings signifying "son of" and is closely tied to the legacy of the mythological thunder-god aspect of Áss.Meaning: Son of Espen (which means "god bear")Origin: Old Norse via Norwegian given name EspenType: Patronymic surnameUsage: Norway, with modern bearers in the United States and Denmark