indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Type Surname (from occupation)
Usage Old Dutch
Meaning & History
Occupational name and feminine title from Old Dutch meaning Lord Protector or Governor. Derived from Latin advocatus. Dutch masculine variant Voogd, German variant Vogt, Polish variant Wójt, Swedish variant Fogde. When the Netherlands was controlled by the Holy Roman Empire and Kingdom of Spain it was governed by a Landvoogd. For example, the king's sister Landvoogdes Margaretha van Parma used the feminine form of the title.