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Meaning & History
Willemsen is a Dutch patronymic surname meaning "son of Willem." It is closely related to other Dutch patronymics such as Willems, Willemse, and Wilms, all of which derive from the same root name Willelm. The name Willem is the Dutch form of William, which ultimately derives from the Germanic name Willehelm, meaning "will helmet." This name was brought to England by the Normans and became extremely popular there; in the Netherlands, names derived from Willem have similarly been widespread. The first element of Willem descends from the willo element "will, desire" and the second from the helm element "helmet, protection." Notable bearers of the surname include several Dutch athletes and cultural figures: Daniël Willemsen (born 1975), a Dutch sidecarcross rider who became a nine-time World Champion; Marcel Willemsen (born 1977), a sidecarcross passenger who won the World Championship in 1999; August Willemsen (1936–2007), a Dutch translator of Portuguese and Brazilian literature; and Roger Willemsen (1955–2016), a German author, essayist, and TV presenter. Additionally, Elfje Willemsen (born 1985) is a Belgian bobsledder, and Madeline Willemsen (1915–1982) was a Puerto Rican actress and comedian. International cognates of the surname include English variations such as Williams, Williamson, and Gilliam, as well as less common forms like Minett and Mynatt.
Related Names
Roots
Other Languages & Cultures
(English)
Gilliam, William, Williams, Williamson, Minett, Mynatt, Wilcox, Wilkerson, Wilkins, Wilkinson, Willis, Wilson (French)
Guillaume, Guillot (Icelandic)
Vilhjálmsson (Irish)
Fitzwilliam, Mac Uileagóid (Italian)
Lemmi (Scottish)
MacWilliam, McWilliam
Sources: Wikipedia — Willemsen