Gerritsen

Gerritsen is a Dutch surname of patronymic origin, meaning “son of Gerrit,” with Gerrit being the Dutch form of Gerard. The suffix -sen indicates filiation, so Gerritsen typically signifies descent from an ancestor named Gerrit. Variants and related forms include Gerritse and Gerrits, among others, reflecting regional spelling differences and historical usage.

The name is most common in the Netherlands and among people of Dutch descent in North America and other parts of the world. As with many Dutch patronymics, the spelling and frequency of Gerritsen can vary by region and over time.

Notable individuals with the surname include Tess Gerritsen (born 1953), an American physician and novelist known for the Rizzoli & Isles series, which has gained international readership and adaptation into other media.

Gerritsen also appears in geographic contexts. Gerritsen Beach is a neighborhood in the southern part of Brooklyn, New York, named after the Gerritsen family, one of the early Dutch settler families in the area. Gerritsen Avenue is a main street in that locality, helping to preserve the historical association of the name with the neighborhood.