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Help[Surname] Re: dutch or scandinavian or italian surname DAM
in reply to a message by Anonyme
The Dutch surname Dam is from the Dutch word dam meaning 'dam, dike, barrage'. This is a reference to the place where the ancestor lived: nearby a dam.
There is also the possibility that it is a patronym, meaning it is after the firstname of the ancestor's father. In this case the firstname would be Dam as a pet form of Adam.
Though, if you see the surname Van Dam, it is totally certain that it is a toponym (after the place where the ancestor lived).
As a Swedish surname it would mean the same and as for the Italian surname, there is no Italian Dam. It is used in English speaking countries, though, and in Germany it would probably be Damm.
There is also the possibility that it is a patronym, meaning it is after the firstname of the ancestor's father. In this case the firstname would be Dam as a pet form of Adam.
Though, if you see the surname Van Dam, it is totally certain that it is a toponym (after the place where the ancestor lived).
As a Swedish surname it would mean the same and as for the Italian surname, there is no Italian Dam. It is used in English speaking countries, though, and in Germany it would probably be Damm.
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