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ArchivesRe: Laken
in reply to a message by Sagani
Good idea! In German "Laken" means "sheet" or "cloth", either linnen or woolen, and it is also an old word for the sail of a ship. There is also the surname Lakenmacher (clothmaker), so Laken could be short for this.
Andy ;—)
Andy ;—)
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It has the same meaning in Dutch.
Laken is also, I believe, a Belgian place-name, though I've seen no evidence of it as a Belgian surname.
Laken is also, I believe, a Belgian place-name, though I've seen no evidence of it as a Belgian surname.
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However both in Germany and Holland this surnames is extremely rare. So it seems quite uncertain to give an intrepretation of the real meaning of the last name.
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Any better ideas?
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The Meertens Instituut confirms that the surname Laken, at least as a Dutch one, is a reference to a profession related to 'sheets' or likewise. Thus a seller or manufacturer of sheets most likely. The surname Laken is indeed rare in the Netherlands. The same source tells us that in 1947 when the census was held that there were only 42 persons bearing this surname, of which 37 lived in the province Zuid-Holland, but not in The Hague or Rotterdam. Remarkable is that the Lakenhal, a building where sheets were traded (the only one in the Netherlands) is in Leiden, Zuid-Holland. This could be a lead.
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