Jansen is of Dutch origin, meaning 'son of John'. It is derived from the Latin name Johannes, which was popular among early Christians due to its biblical associations. The name Jansen gained prominence during the Middle Ages in Europe and has since been used consistently, though it remains more common in the Netherlands than elsewhere. The variant spelling of Janssen is also found, particularly in Belgium.
The name Jansen experienced a peak in popularity between 1993 and 2007, with the highest number of births recorded at 18 in 1997. However, since then, its prevalence has decreased significantly, with only 6 births reported in both 2012 and 2014, and a further decline to 5 births in 2015. Overall, there have been a total of 214 births named Jansen from 1982 to 2015.