BEHRENS
Behrens is a surname of German origin, first recorded in the late fourteenth century within the region of northern Germany. The name is patronymic, originally signifying the descendants of an individual named Bernhard.
The personal name Bernhard is a compound formed from the Old-High-German elements bern (meaning “bear”) and hard (meaning “brave”, “hardy” or “strong”). Consequently, the surname Behrens literally translates to “son of the brave or hardy bear”. This form of derivation is common among German surnames, in which the final s indicates “son of”.
During the early medieval period the name Bernhard enjoyed considerable popularity, particularly in Holland and northern Germany. Its prominence was amplified by the cult of St. Bernard of Menthon, patron saint of mountaineers, and by the influence of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, a leading ecclesiastical figure of the eleventh century. These associations encouraged many parents to name their sons Bernhard, which in turn increased the frequency of the patronymic surname throughout Germanic territories.
Historical documents provide early evidence of the surname’s use. A record from 1223 in Speyer cites a Cuonrad filius Bernhardi, while a document relative to the Stralsunder Stadtbuch of around 1300 records the name Berend. The first recorded spelling of the family name that aligns with contemporary usage is that of Hinrik Berndes (Behrens), dated 1387 in the Early Medieval Records of Greifswald. By the sixteenth century entries in German church registers, such as the 1641 marriage of Anna Behrens to Joannes Winchess in Heinsberg, mark the continued presence of the surname in the Rhineland.
Throughout the centuries, Behrens has generated several variants that reflect regional dialects and orthographic evolution. These include Behrend, Behrendt, Barentz, Berens, and Bernhardi (the Latinised form). In contemporary orthography the name also appears as Berns and Bernsen. While the core elements remain recognisable, the spellings may differ by a single letter or by the addition of an initial or terminal consonant.
Emigration has dispersed the surname beyond German borders. A 19th‑century list of German emigrants bound from Bremen to New York, dated 1863‑1867, names twenty‑five individuals bearing the surname Behrens, including Meta Behrens of Hannover, who arrived in New York on 8 December 1865. In the United States the surname is most notable in states with large German‑descendant populations, such as Minnesota and Iowa. Occasional appearances in South Africa and Scandinavian countries are also recorded, reflecting historical migration patterns.
Heraldic history associates the surname with a distinctive coat of arms, as documented in Rietstap’s Armorial General. The arms comprise a silver shield featuring a black bear rampant positioned against the trunk of a green tree on the sinister side. This imagery echoes the etymological link between the name and the animal bear, while the tree suggests resilience and endurance.
In the present day the surname remains most common in Germany, particularly within the federal states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia. Its retention in other countries is largely attributable to historic migration, with the name surviving in diaspora communities while maintaining its German linguistic roots.
Typical given names associated with the Behrens surname
Male
- Anthony
- Christopher
- David
- James
- Justin
- Maik
- Mark
- Michael
- Nicholas
- Paul
- Peter
- Rainer
- Robert
- Scott
- Timothy
Female
- Anna
- Carol
- Christina
- Eiko
- Emma
- Georgina
- Helen
- Jessica
- Lara
- Lucy
- Maria
- Natasha
- Victoria
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Behrens in...
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There are approximately 278 people named Behrens in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around four in a million people in Britain are named Behrens.
Region of origin: Europe
Country of origin: Germany
Language of origin: German
Famous people named Behrens
- Timothy Behrens - Painter and writer (1937 to 2017)
- Jacob Behrens - Anglo-German businessman (1806 to 1889)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.