Save Type Surname (from location) Usage Dutch (Rare) Pronounced Pron. [vɑn ˈhɛl.sɪŋ] [key·simplify] Meaning & History Habitational name that can derive from any of several locations. It is most famously used by the fictional character Abraham Van Helsing in Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula, in which case it may be invented.