HEINSIUS.name

The main spreading area of the name Heinsius today lies in Germany, the Netherlands and the USA. Heinsius is the latinized form of the German and Dutch names Heintze, Heinze, Heinse, Heins, Heyns and eventual further variants. Many of the people who carry the name Heinsius today are probably not related to each other. Most of the different family branches can be traced back to the 16th century. During the 16th, 17th and still the 18th century it was usual, that studied people latinized their names. This was also for their first names, which like the surnames have been mentioned in their latin written studies. Due to the much more frequent spread of above mentioned source names it can be assumed that there are different origins of the Heinsius families. Nevertheless a possible connection between the Dutch and the German branches is based on a verbal tradition. Accordingly during the 16th century (about 1570) two or more brothers came from the Spanish Netherlands to Germany. They had been expelled due to their protestant belief. Their place of origin could be today's Belgian city of Gent. They or their descendents, who lived for many gererations in today's Polish city of Zary, former German Sorau, should as said have corresponded with their Dutch relatives, so with the Dutch statesman Antoni Heinsius (1641-1720). German biographies of three Heinsius men of the 17th and 18th century are online at HEINSIUS.de.