The name Gerritsen

The surname Gerritsen or Gerrits is what is called a 'patronime'. It means that originally this family did not have a fixed surname. Gerritsen means son of Gerrit. Gerrit is a Christian name. Assumed that a son gets the first name Willem, as a son of Gerrit, then his full name was Willem Gerritsen. If Willem had a son named Jan, his full name should be Jan Willemsen. And so on. This was usual in the northern and eastern part of the Netherlands up till about 1810, when Napoleon stated that all people had to choose a fixed surname. This was registered during the French occupation.

Because the early generations did not have a defined surname, the genealogical research is very difficult, or sometimes impossible.

It might be clear that not all people with the surname Gerritsen are members of the same family. Known variations of the name are:

Gaartman?, Garratt, Garrets, Garretsen, Garretzen, Garrits, Garritsen, Garritzen, (Gars, Garsen, Garson, Garssen), Gart, Gartsen, Gartz, Geeraadts, Geeraard, Geeraeds, Geeraedts, Geeraerdts, Geeraert, Geeraerts, Geeraets, Geerards, Geerars, Geerarts, Geeraths, Geerats, Geeratz, Geerdes, Geerdinck, Geerding, Geerdink, Geerds, Geerdsema, Geerdsen, Geereking, Geerets, Geerinck, Geerinckx, Geering, Geerings, Geerink, Geerits, Geerking, Geerrink, Geers, Geerse, Geersema, Geersen, Geersenga, Geersing, Geersinga, Geerssen, Geerssinga, Geertjens, Geertjes, Geertman?, Geerts, Geertse, Geertsema, Geertsen, Geertsma, Geertz, Geertzema, Geertzen, Geraads, Geraadts, Geraards, Geraats, Gerades, Gerads, Geradts, Geraeds, Geraedts, Geraerds, Geraerdts, Geraerts, Geraets, Gerard, Gerardi, Gerards, Gerardts, Gerardu, Gerarts, Gerats, Gerdes, Gerdessen, Gerdez, Gerding, Gerdingh, Gerds, Gerdsen, Gerdt, Gerdzen, Geres, Gerets, Gerhard, Gerhards, Gerhardt, Gerhardus, Gerharts, Gerhartz, Gerharz, Gering, Gerink, Geris, Gerissen, Gerits, Geritz, Gerrads, Gerraets, Gerrards, Gerrats, Gerrekens, Gerres, Gerrese, Gerressen, Gerrets, Gerretschen, Gerretse, Gerretsen, Gerretsma, Gerretson, Gerretze, Gerretzen, Gerrickens, Gerridsen, Gerridzen, Gerriesen, Gerrietsen, Gerrijts, Gerring, Gerringa, Gerris, Gerrisse, Gerrissen, Gerrist, Gerrits, Gerritschen, Gerritse, Gerritsen Mulkes, Gerritsen Plaggert, Gerritsen van der Hoop, Gerritsen Timmer, Gerritsen Weustink, Gerritsens, Gerritsjans, Gerritsma, Gerritz, Gerritze, Gerritzen, Gers, Gerse, Gersee, Gersen, Gersie, Gersjes, Gerson, Gersonius, Gersons, Gertges, Gerth?, Gerts, Gertsen, Gertsma, Gertz, Gertzen, Ghering, Girard, Graatsma, Gradisen, Gradissen, Gradus, Gradussen, Grates.
 

The story

The name Gerritsen goes back to mid 1700 when Jacobus Gerrits and Agatha Harinx married in Leeuwarden, capital of the province Friesland, in the most northern part of the Netherlands. The oldest son  Antonius (1765) was accepted in the 'Regiment of Gen Maj. M. van Aorinius (1739-1795) on 17th of January 1791 for the time of 12 years. In 1795 he was a soldier in the 7th Battalion of the Second Half Brigade in Campen where he married a girl named Maria Magdalena Kuipers coming from Deventer. From then till today the family Gerritsen is living in this old town on the river IJssel. 

 

Family picture Johannes Bernardus Gerritsen (1865) (left on the table) and his wife Hendrina Petronella Derksen (1869) (right on the table) with their nine children. The photograph is from about 1916.