indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Type Surname (from occupation & from location)
Usage Dutch
Other Forms FormsVanderwerf, Van der Werff, Vanderwerff
Meaning & History
Means "from the wharf" or "from the shipyard" in Dutch, derived from werf meaning "quay, wharf, shipyard", or from the older form werve "dyke, quay, bank". Can be a topographic name for someone who lived near such a place, or an occupational name for someone who worked at a shipyard, such as a carpenter.