Behrends is a German surname. It is a variant of Behrendt. Notable people with the surname include: Heinrich Behrends (1916–2002), German military officer during World War II Hermann Behrends (1907–1948), German Nazi SS officer executed for war crimes Jan C. Behrends (born 1969), German historian Leffmann Behrends (1630–1714), German financial agent See also Behrend (disambiguation) German-language surnames