Wijsen

Wijsen is a Dutch surname. It is most commonly found in the Netherlands and in neighboring regions with historical Dutch influence. The name is generally considered patronymic, formed with the suffix -sen, which in Dutch surnames often signifies “son of” or “descendant of.” The root Wijse or Wijs may have been a given name or a shortened form of a longer name; the exact origin is not definitively documented, and regional spellings vary. Over time, the spelling Wijsen became established in civil records and genealogies, though variants such as Wijse and Wijs can appear in some sources.

In modern times the surname is observed across the Netherlands and in Belgian provinces near the Dutch-speaking border, with smaller occurrences in other countries due to migration. Genealogical records from the early modern period show the name in several towns and villages, often without a single well-documented ancestral line.

There are no widely recognized internationally prominent individuals with this surname in standard reference works. The name is nonetheless part of the broader pattern of Dutch and Flemish patronymic surnames, reflecting historical naming practices.

Related names and variants include Wijse, Wijs, and other -sen surnames common in Dutch-speaking areas.