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Dutch family names started existing only after the invasion of Napoleon. He was the person who made it compulsory for people to use their surnames along with their names while registering themselves (1). Since then, the Dutch started adopting surnames. Dutch surnames are mostly descended from their ancestors, family occupation, or names of objects and animals. They provide insights into Dutch history and heritage, revealing information about geographical locations, professions, and societal roles and emphasizing the connection between identity and ancestry. This post gives you a list of frequently used Dutch family names, their meanings, and reasons for their usage.
150 Dutch Family Names With Their Meanings
1. Aaldenberg
It is given to people who came from ‘Aaldenberg,’ a place of uncertain location. ‘Aaldenberg’ means ‘old mountain.’
2. Aarden
It is the Dutch word for ‘clay,’ ‘stone,’ or ‘earth.’ This name was likely given to people who worked with these materials.
3. Aarle
A name for a person who belongs to ‘Aarle’ in The Netherlands.
4. Abspoel
This Dutch surname is derived from the name ‘Abtspoel’ which is the name of an estate near ‘Oegstgeest’ in the South Holland. This name means ‘abbot’s pool.’
5. Achterberg
This Dutch last name comes from various places of the same name in The Netherlands and Germany. The word ‘Achterberg’ is a combination of two words, namely ‘achter’ meaning ‘behind’ and ‘berg’ meaning a ‘mountain’ or ‘hill.’
6. Achterkamp
The word comes from Lower German and is a combination of the words ‘achter’ meaning ‘behind’ and ‘kamp’ meaning ‘field.’
7. Achthoven
It comes from the name of several towns of this name in The Netherlands. The name is a combination of the Dutch words ‘acht’ meaning ‘eight’ and ‘hoven’ meaning ‘gardens.’
8. Admiraal
It means ‘admiral’ in Dutch.
9. Adrichem
It comes from the name of a castle and its estate that existed in The Netherlands during the 19th century. The meaning of the name is ‘Adrik’s home.’
10. Akkersdijk
This Dutch last name means ‘field by the dyke.’ The last name was given to the people of the town named Akkersdijk in The Netherlands.
11. Alberink
It stands for ‘Albert’s farm’ in Dutch.
12. Albronda
It is a last name derived from the names of several streets in The Netherlands.
13. Aldenkamp
This Dutch surname means ‘old field.’
14. Alderliesten
It comes from the Dutch word ‘allerliefste,’ which means ‘ the dearest.’ This name could have originally denoted the nature of the person or could be a phrase the person most commonly used.
15. Aldershof
It combines the name ‘Aldert’ with the Dutch word ‘hof’ meaning ‘garden’ or ‘courtyard.’ ‘Aldershof’ thus means ‘Aldert’s garden’ or ‘Aldert’s courtyard.’
16. Alferink
It is the Dutch word for ‘Alfhard’s farm.’
17. Altena
It means ‘close’ or ‘near’ in Dutch. Altena is likely to be inspired from the name of a town of the same name in The Netherlands.
18. Amsing
It means ‘Amse’s farm’ in Dutch.
19. Andringa
It stands for ‘Andrie’s farm’ in Dutch.
20. Angenent
This surname comes from the Dutch phrase ‘an gen ent’ meaning ‘at the end.’ Its original reference is likely to be for someone who lived at the end of the road or village.
21. Anholts
This name was originally given to the people from Anholt in The Netherlands. The word ‘anholt’ means ‘hold’ or ‘rest’ and may have likely referred to a place where people would halt or rest for the night.
22. Anker
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Anker means ‘anchor’ in Dutch, and it is likely to be a metonymic surname for a sailor.
23. Annevelink
This surname comes from the Dutch phrase ‘aan ‘tveldink,’ which means ‘next to the little field.’
24. Apeldoorn
It originates from a city of the same name in The Netherlands. The word ‘Apeldoorn’ means ‘apple tree’ in Dutch.
25. Applelhof
The word ‘Appel’ means ‘apple,’ and ‘hof’ means ‘garden.’ This Dutch last name likely indicated a person who lived close to or within an apple garden.
26. Appelo
This name indicates a person who came from a farm called ‘Aperloo.’ The word ‘aperloo’ comes from ‘appel’ meaning apple. ‘Aperloo’ thus refers to an apple farm.
27. Arbeid
It is the Dutch word for ‘work’ or ‘labor.’
28. Arbeider
It is a Dutch last name that means ‘worker’ or ‘laborer.’
29. Arendonk
It denotes someone who came from the town of Arendonk in Belgium. This Dutch surname combines the words ‘arend’ meaning ‘eagle’ and ‘donk’ meaning a ‘hill.’
30. Arzt
This Dutch last name comes from the German word ‘arzt’ meaning a doctor. This surname may have likely referred to physicians of German origin.
31. Asselman
It denotes a person either from Asselt, a town in The Netherlands or Hasselt, a city in Belgium. The word ‘Asselt’ comes from the Germanic words ‘asc’ meaning ‘ash tree’ and ‘lauha’ meaning ‘woods on sandy soil.’ The name ‘Hasselt’ comes from the German word ‘Hasel’ for ‘hazel tree.’
32. Assenberg
It is a combination of the Dutch word ‘essen’ meaning ‘ash tree’ and ‘berg’ meaning ‘mountain.’
33. Assendorp
It likely refers to someone from the town of Assendorp in The Netherlands. The word ‘Assendorp’ is a combination of the Dutch words ‘essen’ meaning ‘ash tree’ and ‘dorp’ meaning ‘village.’
34. Assink
It denotes a place called ‘Asse’s farm.’ The surname likely referred to people who came from or around the farm of unknown location.
35. Averesch
This Dutch surname is likely a combination of Dutch words representing the phrase ‘over the ash tree.’
36. Aveskamp
It means ‘the edge of the camp’ in Dutch.
37. Baaiman
It means ‘son of Baaij.’ The name ‘Baaij’ originates from the names of Baugulf, Boudewijn or Bernard.
38. Baardwijk
It likely refers to the people from Baardwijk, a place in The Netherlands. The name was probably derived from the combination of the word ‘Baard,’ a variant of ‘Bert’ meaning ‘bright’ and ‘Wijk,’ which means ‘neighborhood’ or ‘district’ in Dutch.
39. Baars
It refers to a person who came from the town called Beers in The Netherlands.
40. Baart
This name is a variation of the word ‘baard,’ which means ‘beard’ in Dutch.
41. Baas
It is the Dutch word for ‘boss,’ ‘master’ or ‘chief.’
42. Bakhuizen
It translates to ‘bakehouse’ in Dutch and thus the surname refers to a ‘bakery.’ This Dutch surname likely refers to a baker or someone who worked at a bakery.
43. Berg
It is the Dutch and Germanic word for ‘mountain.’ It probably referred to someone who lived in or near the mountains.
44. Bezuidenhout
This Dutch last name comes by combining the words ‘zuid’ meaning ‘ ‘south’ and ‘hout’ meaning ‘forest.’ The surname thus means ‘south forest.’
45. Boerefijn
This surname likely comes from the French word ‘beurre fin’ meaning ‘fine butter’ or ‘good butter.’
46. Borst
It is the Dutch word for ‘chest’ (part of the body).
47. Bosch
It means ‘the woods’ or a ‘forest’ in Dutch.
48. Bouwmeester
This surname means an ‘architect’ or ‘builder’ in Dutch.
49. Bunschoten
This name was given to people from the town of Bunschoten in The Netherlands. The word means a ‘raised, enclosed land.’
50. Cruyssen
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It is derived from the word ‘kruis,’ which means ‘cross’ in Dutch.
51. Daalmans
It combines the words ‘dal’ meaning a ‘dale’ or ‘valley’ and ‘mans’ meaning ‘man.’ It translates to ‘valley man’ thus referring to people who lived in the valley.
52. Dam
It is the Dutch word for ‘dam’ or a ‘dike.’
53. De Groot
It is a variant of the word ‘groot,’ which means ‘great’ or ‘large’ or ‘big’ in Dutch.
54. De Jonker
This Dutch surname is a variant of the word ‘jonker,’ which means ‘young lord.’
55. De Haven
It means ‘haven,’ ‘harbor’ or a ‘port’ in Dutch.
56. De Klerk
It is variant of the name ‘klerk, which is the Dutch word for ‘clerk.’
57. De Vries
It means ‘the Frisian’ referring to someone from Friesland – a region in the northern Netherlands.
58. De Witte
It means ‘the white’ in Dutch and likely refers to someone with white hair.
59. Eikenboom
This Dutch surname translates to an ‘oak tree.’
60. Elzinga
It is derived from the word ‘els,’ which is the Dutch word for an alder tree.
61. Haak
It is an occupational surname which means ‘peddler’” in Dutch.
62. Haanraads
This surname was originally used for someone from Haanrade, a village in The Netherlands.
63. Hagen
It is derived from the Old Dutch word ‘Hago’ meaning an ‘enclosure’ or ‘pasture.’ ‘Hagen’ also translates to a ‘fence’ or ‘hedge’ in modern Dutch.
64. Heeren
It comes from the word ‘Heer,’ which means ‘lord’ or ‘master.’ This surname was likely given to someone who worked as a lord (aristocrat) or worked with a lord.
65. Hoedemaker
It is a Dutch occupational surname made from ‘hoed’ meaning ‘hat’ and ‘maker.’ It was probably given to hat makers or those who worked with hat makers.
66. Hoek
It means an ‘angle’ or ‘corner’ in Dutch.
67. Holst
It refers to someone originally from the region called Holstein between the Denmark and Germany border.
68. Holt
It comes from the Old Dutch word ‘Holt’ meaning forest.
69. Houtkooper
It is the Dutch word for ‘buyer of wood’ or ‘wood merchant.’
70. Hummel
It originated as a nickname for a busy person. This surname meant ‘bee’ in Middle German thus probably referring to someone ‘as busy as a bee.’
71. Jonker
It means ‘young lord’ or a ‘young nobleman’ in Dutch.
72. Kappel
It is a variation of the word ‘kapel,’ which means ‘chapel’ in Dutch. The surname likely referred to a person who worked in a chapel or lived near a chapel.
73. Kikkert
It is derived from the Dutch word ‘kikker’ meaning a ‘frog.’
74. Klein
It means ‘small’ or ‘little’ in Dutch.
75. Kloet
It is the Old Dutch word for a ‘lump’ or a ‘ball.’
76. Koopman
This occupational surname means ‘merchant’ in Dutch.
77. Kuiper
It is the Dutch word for ‘cooper’ thus making it an occupational surname for those who worked as a cooper – a maker and repairer of casks and barrels.
Trivia78. Langbroek
It originally referred to someone from Langbroek, a town in The Netherlands. The word Langbroek is a combination of ‘lang’ meaning ‘wide,’ and ‘broek’ meaning a ‘meadow.’
79. Langenberg
It means ‘long mountain’ in Dutch, and there are several places by this name in The Netherlands.
80. Leeuwenhoek
It means ‘lion’s corner’ in Dutch. A notable bearer of this surname was Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, a Dutch microbiologist, who is often referred to as ‘The Father of Microbiology.’
81. Loman
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It refers to people who belong to any of the various places named Lonan in The Netherlands. The word ‘Loman’ comes from the Old Dutch word ‘loh’ meaning a ‘meadow’ or a ‘clearing.’
82. Muyskens
This surname refers to an animal since ‘Muyskens’ translates to ‘little mouse’ in Dutch.
83. Nagel
Nagel means ‘nail’ in Dutch. This surname was likely used to refer to those who worked as carpenters or made nails.
84. Offermans
It is derived from the Dutch word ‘Offer,’ which means a ‘donation’ or ‘offering.’ This Dutch surname was likely given to those who collected money in a church.
85. Oomen
It is a patronymic name derived from ‘oom’ referring to ‘maternal uncle’ in Middle Dutch.
86. Peerenboom
It is the Dutch word for a ‘pear tree.’ It was probably given to someone who lived or worked near pear orchards.
87. Penders
It is an occupational surname that comes from the Middle Dutch word ‘Paenders’ meaning a ‘brewer.’
88. Philips
A very common Dutch surname meaning ‘son of Philip.’ The name Philip comes from the Greek word ‘Philippos’ meaning ‘friends of horses.’
89. Prinsen
It means ‘son of Prince’ referring to an actual prince or someone who acted in a regal way.
90. Rademaker
The first half of the surname comes from the Dutch word ‘Rad’ meaning ‘wheel’ while the other half means ‘maker.’ It is thus an occupational surname meaning a ‘wheelmaker.’
91. Rietveld
It means ‘reed field’ originating from a combination of the Dutch words ‘riet’ meaning ‘reed’ and ‘veld’ meaning ‘field.’
92. Roggeveen
This Dutch surname refers to a ‘rye field.’
93. Romeijnders
It is derived from the Dutch word ‘Romein,’ a person who comes from Rome.
94. Rooijakkers
It is the combination of the Dutch words ‘rood’ meaning ‘red’ and ‘akker’ meaning ‘field.’ The word thus means ‘red field.’
95. Roosa
It is a derivative of the word ‘roos,’ which means ‘rose’ in Dutch.
96. Roosvelt
It means ‘rose field’ in Dutch. ‘Roos’ means ‘rose’ and ‘velt’ comes from ‘veld’ meaning ‘field’ in Dutch.
Trivia97. Ryskamp
‘Ryskam’ is derived from the word ‘kamp,’ which means ‘camp’ in Dutch.
98. Schenk
It comes from the Middle Dutch word ‘Schenke’ meaning a ‘wine server’ thus making it an occupational surname.
99. School
It is the Dutch word for ‘school’ meaning the same as English. It is an occupational surname likely used to refer to someone who works in a school.
100. Schoorl
It was likely used to refer to people who came from the coastal village of Schoorlin The Netherlands. The word ‘Schoorl’ means ‘forest by the shore.’
101. Schrijnemakers
It is an occupational surname given to cabinet makers. ‘Schrijn’ means ’box’ or ‘container.’
102. Slootmaekers
In Dutch, slot means ‘lock.’ Slootmaker is an occupational name given to locksmiths.
103. Smit
Smit means ‘metalworker’ or ‘blacksmith’ in Middle Dutch. It is probably an occupational surname.
104. TerAvest
It means ‘at the edge’ or ‘eave.’ It likely referred to someone who lived at the edge of a forest or any other region.
105. Van Aalsburg
It means a person from ‘Aalsburg.’ The word ‘Aalsburg’ likely originated from the word Adelsburg where ‘adel’ means ‘noble’ and and ‘burg’ means ‘fortress.’
106. Van Aggelen
It means ‘from Aggelen.’ The place ‘Aggelen’ is a likely reference to either ‘Achel’ in Belgium or ‘Limburg’ in The Netherlands.
107. Van Aggteren
This Dutch last name means ‘from behind.’ It probably refers to someone who lived at a place behind or at the end of the road.
108. Van Alphen
This surname means ‘from Alphen.’ Alphen is a town in The Netherlands.
109. Van Alst
In Dutch, this surname means ‘from Aalst.’ A town with the name Aalst exists in Belgium and The Netherlands. The name of the place likely comes from German and means a ‘living place.’
110. Van Amelsvoort
It means ‘from Amersfoort,’ a city in The Netherlands. The name itself means ‘ford (shallow) of the Amer River’ in Dutch.
111. Van Amstel
The Dutch surname means ‘from Amstel,’ a river in The Netherlands. The name of the river Amstel is derived from the Old Dutch phrase ‘aemestelle’ meaning ‘water area.’
112. Van Andel
It means ‘from Andel’, a town in The Netherlands. The word ‘Andel’ likely means ‘upper forest’ in Old Dutch.
113. Van Ankeren
This surname means ‘from the anchor’ in Dutch.
114. Van As
Van As means ‘from Asch’ in Dutch. Asch is a town in The Netherlands, and it means ‘ash tree.’
115. Van Bokhoven
It means ‘from Bokhoven’, a town in The Netherlands. The name of the place means ‘goat yards’ in Dutch.
116. Van Breda
It means the person is ‘from Breda’, a city in The Netherlands. The name Breda is a combination of the Dutch word ‘breed’ meaning ‘wide’ and ‘Aa’ the name of a river.
117. Van Buren
This last name means ‘from Buren.’ Buren is the name of a couple of towns in The Netherlands. The name is derived from the Old Dutch word ‘bur’ that means ‘house’ or a ‘dwelling.’
118. Van Dalen
Dal means ‘valley’ in Dutch. This surname means ‘from the Valley.’
119. Van Der Aart
The word ‘Aart’ is derived from the Dutch word ‘Aarde’ meaning ‘earth.’ The name means ‘from the earth.’ It was probably used for a farmer.
120. Van Der Beek
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In Dutch, this surname means ‘from the creek’ or ‘from the brook’ since ‘Beek’ refers to a ‘creek’ or a ‘brook.’
121. Van Der Berg
It means ‘from the mountains’ since ‘Berg’ means ‘mountains.’
122. Van Der Stoep
It means ‘from the paved entrance.’ ‘Stoep’ is the Dutch word for a ‘paved porch at the house entrance.’
123. Van Der Veen
This name means ‘from the swamp’ or ‘from the peat.’ Veen refers to a ‘swamp,’ ‘peat’ or ‘marsh.’ It likely refers to someone who lived close to a swamp.
124. Van Der Zee
The word ‘Zee’ means ‘sea’ in Dutch. This last name means ‘from the sea’ thus originally used to refer to coastal inhabitants.
125. Van Der Vliert
This name means ‘from the elderberry’ and may have been used as a name for someone who lived in or around an elderberry orchard.
126. Van Donk
This Dutch last name means ‘from the hill.’ The word ‘Donk’ means ‘sandy hill’ in Dutch.
127. Van Dijk
This Dutch surname means ‘from the Dike.’
128. Van Hassel
This name means ‘from Hassel.’ Hassel could refer to a town in Germany. The word ‘Hassel’ is a likely derivation of ‘Hasel,’ which means ‘Hazel tree.’
129. Van Herten
This Dutch surname means ‘from Herten.’ ‘Herten’ is a town in The Netherlands, and its name means ‘deer’ in Dutch.
130. Van Laar
‘Laar’ is the Dutch word for an ‘open spot in the forest.’ The surname means ‘from Laar’, that is, someone who may have lived in a clearing in the forest.
131. Van Middelburg
It means ‘from Middelburg’, a city in The Netherlands. The name of the city means ‘middle fortress’ in Dutch.
132. Van Ophoven
This name means ‘from Ophoven’, which is the name of several towns in The Netherlands. The word ‘Ophoven’ means ‘upper garden’ or ‘upper courtyard.’
133. Van Rompaey
This name means ‘from the wide path.’ The word ‘Rompaey’ is the combination of two Middle Dutch words, namely ‘ruum’ meaning ‘wide’ and ‘pat’ meaning ‘path.’
134. Van Rossum
This Dutch baby name means ‘from Rossum,’ a town in The Netherlands. The name ‘Rossum’ is derived from the Dutch words ‘rothe’ meaning a ‘clearing in a forest’ and ‘heim’ meaning ‘home.’
135. Van Wegberg
It means ‘from Wegberg’, a small German town that lies on the German-Dutch border. The name ‘Wegberg’ is derived from Old German words ‘weg’ meaning ‘way’ or ‘path’ and ‘berg’ meaning ‘mountain.’
136. Van Willigen
It means ‘from willows.’ The word ‘Willigen’ comes from the Old Dutch word ‘wilga’ meaning ‘willow.’
137. Verboom
This Dutch surname means ‘from the tree.’
138. Verhoeven
This name means ‘from the farm’ in Dutch. ‘Hoeve’ means ‘farm’ and thus the name was given to a person who lived on a farm.
139. Vermeulen
This Dutch surname means ‘from the mill.’
140. Ververs
The word ‘Verver’ refers to a ‘dyer’ or a ‘painter.’ Hence, this is an occupational surname.
141. Vervloet
It means ‘from the stream’ in the Flemish dialect of Dutch.
142. Visscher
It originates from the Dutch word ‘visser,’ which means ‘fisherman.’ ‘Visscher’ is an occupational Dutch last name.
143. Vogel
This name means ‘bird’ in Dutch. It was a surname probably given to people who caught birds and a nickname to a person who likes singing.
144. Vossen
It comes from the word ‘Vos,’ which originated from the Old Germanic word ‘Fos’ meaning ‘folk’ or ‘people.’
145. Vroom
This Dutch surname means ‘pious’ or ‘devout.’
146. Wang
It is the Dutch word for ‘cheek.’ It was the last name originally denoted to someone with prominent, round or rosy cheeks.
147. Waterman
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It means a ‘boatman’ or a ‘ferryman.’ It was probably an occupational surname but may also have been used for someone who lived by water.
148. Westenberg
In Dutch, Westenberg means ‘west of the mountain,’ and the surname was likely used for referring to someone who lived there.
149. Zaal
‘Zaal’ is the Dutch word for ‘hall.’
150. Zuiderduin
This Dutch surname means ‘southern Dune.’
Discover More Names
When you have to choose a name for your baby, a few hundreds of names may not be just enough. Keep digging our mine of baby names until you find that one precious gem.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do the Dutch have middle names?
Instead of a traditional middle name, the Dutch often have two first names, which are both considered personal names and are given equal importance. This unique aspect of Dutch culture adds an extra layer of personalization to their names (2).
2. How do Dutch last names work?
The Dutch follow a Western-style naming convention with a given name followed by the family name. The surname may represent both the mother’s and father’s sides. Children are often named after their grandparents.
3. How do I know if a last name is Dutch?
Dutch surnames often contain certain linguistic characteristics that indicate their origin. They often contain familiar Dutch sounds and combinations of letters with certain prefixes like ‘de,’ ‘van,’ or ‘van der,’ indicating Dutch origin. These prefixes translate to ‘the’ or ‘from the,’ thus associating the individuals to their ancestral occupation or location through their surnames.
4. How common are Dutch family names?
Dutch family names are relatively more common in the Netherlands. Its popularity and frequency may be owed to historical connections and regional and ancestral influences.
5. Have there been any changes or trends in Dutch family names over time?
Historically, Dutch naming practices included the use of patronymics, where a person’s last name was derived from their father’s first name with the addition of a suffix such as “-szoon” (son) or “-dochter” (daughter). However, this practice may have declined, and fixed family surnames might have become more common. Many Dutch surnames were derived from occupations or trades. Over time, with the shift away from traditional ancestral occupations, some of these surnames became less common or evolved into different forms.
Surnames provide a unique identity to a person that reflects their origin or ancestry. Similarly, Dutch family names have originated from the people’s native place or indicate their occupation. Although the Dutch have now spread across the world throughout different continents, they carried their surnames for centuries. Therefore, these names provide an insight into their history and diversity of culture.
Infographic: Dutch Family Names With Their Meanings
Dutch surnames or family names help us get a great insight into their lineage and origins. Interested in knowing more about them? This infographic presents a list of Dutch family names along with their fascinating meanings. Illustration: Momjunction Design Team
Key Pointers
- Surnames became mandatory in The Netherlands during Napoleon Bonaparte’s reign.
- Many Dutch surnames are inspired by nature and the surroundings. For example, Achterberg means ‘hill’ and Vogel means ‘bird.’
- Dutch surnames often consist of the word ‘de,’ ‘van,’ or ‘van der.’
Illustration: Traditional And Popular Dutch Last names Or surnames
Image: Dall·E/MomJunction Design Team
Embark on a journey through the Dutch culture and tradition as this video will ebable you to explore the 50 most popular Durch baby names. Join us and unfurl the unique story behind every name.
References
1. George Devries Klein; Rocknocker: A Geologist’s Memoir
2. Quick tip – no middle names;Dutch Genealogy
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