Aaldenberg DutchOriginally denoted a person who came from an uncertain place called
Aaldenberg, meaning "old mountain".
Aarle DutchDenoted a person who hailed from a place of this name in the Netherlands, or from Arlon in Belgium (which is
Aarlen in Dutch).
Abspoel DutchFrom
Abtspoel, the name of an estate near Oegstgeest in South Holland, meaning
"abbot's pool".
Achterberg Dutch, GermanFrom the name of various places in the Netherlands and Germany, for example the village of
achterberg in Utrecht. The place names are derived from Low German
achter "behind" and
berg "mountain, hill".
Achterkamp DutchFrom the name of various places in the Netherlands, derived from Low German
achter "behind" and
kamp "field".
Achthoven DutchDenoted a person from various towns in the Netherlands called Achthoven, which is derived from Dutch
acht "eight" and
hoven "farmsteads".
Adrichem DutchFrom the name of an estate and castle (demolished in 1812) that was formerly in North Holland, the Netherlands. It means "Adrik's home".
Akkersdijk DutchOriginally denoted a person from the town of Akkersdijk, near Delft in the Netherlands. It means "field by the dyke" in Dutch.
Albronda DutchFrom the name of various streets in the Netherlands.
Aldenkamp DutchPossibly from an unknown place name meaning "old field" in Dutch.
Altena DutchFrom the name of a town in the Netherlands, possibly meaning "close, near" in Dutch.
Angenent DutchReferred to person who lived at the end of the road or the village, derived from Dutch
an gen ent meaning
"at the end".
Anholts DutchOriginally denoted a person from Anholt in the Netherlands, which means "hold, rest" in Dutch (a place where people could rest for the night).
Annevelink DutchFrom Dutch
aan 't veldink meaning
"next to the little field".
Apeldoorn DutchFrom the name of a city in the Netherlands, meaning "apple tree" in Dutch.
Appelhof DutchIndicated a person who lived by or at an apple garden, from Dutch
appel "apple" and
hof "yard, court".
Appelo DutchIndicated a person who was from a farm called Aperloo, probably a derivative of
appel meaning "apple".
Arendonk DutchDenoted a person from Arendonk, a town between in northern Belgium. It is derived from
arend "eagle" and
donk "hill".
Asselman DutchDenoted a person from Assel, Asselt or Hasselt, the name of communities in the Netherlands and Belgium. They derive from Old Dutch
ask "ash tree" and
loh "woods on sandy soil", or
hasal "hazel tree".
Assenberg DutchFrom Dutch
es meaning "ash tree" (plural
essen) and
berg meaning "mountain".
Assendorp DutchFrom the name of a place called Assendorp, composed of Dutch
essen and
dorp, meaning "ash tree village".
Averesch DutchFrom a place name, possibly from a dialectal variation of Dutch
over meaning "over" combined with
esch meaning "ash tree".
Baardwijk DutchFrom the name of a town in the Netherlands, possibly from
Baard, a variant of
Bert, and
wijk meaning "neighbourhood, district".
Baars DutchIndicated a person coming from the town of Beers in the Netherlands.
Beauchêne FrenchFrom French place names derived from
beau "beautiful" and
chêne "oak".
Beaufort FrenchFrom various French place names derived from
beau "beautiful" and
fort "strong place, fortress".
Beaulieu FrenchFrom various French place names derived from
beau "beautiful" and
lieu "place".
Beethoven Dutch (Archaic)From a place name derived from Dutch
beet "beet, beetroot" and
hoven "farms". This name was borne by the German composer Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), whose family was of Flemish origin. The surname is now mostly extinct.
Bezuidenhout DutchFrom Dutch
zuid "south" and
hout "forest". It refers to the south of the forest in The Hague.
Borde FrenchFrom Old French
bord meaning
"board, plank", derived from Frankish *
bord. This name belonged to a person who lived in a house made of planks.
Brand 2 German, DutchFrom Old High German
brant or Old Dutch
brand meaning
"fire", originally a name for a person who lived near an area that had been cleared by fire.
Bunschoten DutchOriginally indicated a person from the Dutch town of Bunschoten, which might mean "raised, enclosed land".
Chastain FrenchFrom Old French
castan "chestnut tree" (Latin
castanea), a name for someone who lived near a particular chestnut tree, or possibly a nickname for someone with chestnut-coloured hair.
Comtois FrenchIndicated a person from Franche-Comté, a province in eastern France, which translates to "free county".
Cruyssen DutchFrom the name of a place in the Netherlands, derived from
kruis "cross".
Daalmans DutchOriginally indicated a person who lived in a valley, from Dutch
dal meaning "dale, valley" and
man meaning "man".
Dam Dutch, DanishMeans
"dike, dam" in Dutch and Danish. In modern Danish it also means "pond".
D'Aramitz FrenchOriginally denoted one who came from Aramits, the name of a town in the French Pyrenees that is possibly derived from Basque
haran meaning "valley".
Desrosiers FrenchMeans
"from the rose bushes", from French
rosier "rose bush". It probably referred to a person who lived close to, or cared for a rose garden.
De Vries DutchMeans
"the Frisian" in Dutch, referring to a person from Friesland.
Dubois FrenchMeans
"from the forest", from French
bois "forest".
Dufort FrenchMeans
"from the fort", from French
fort "stronghold".
Dumas FrenchMeans
"from the farm", from Occitan
mas "farmhouse", from Latin
mansus "dwelling". A famous bearer was the French author Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870).
Dumont FrenchMeans
"from the mountain", from French
mont "mountain".
Dupont FrenchMeans
"from the bridge", from French
pont "bridge".
Dupuis FrenchMeans
"from the well", from Old French
puts, Latin
puteus "well".
Dupuy FrenchMeans
"from the hill", from Occitan
puy "hill", from Latin
podium "platform".
Eikenboom DutchMeans
"oak tree", from Dutch
eik "oak" and
boom "tree".
Elzinga DutchProbably from a place name that was a derivative of Dutch
els meaning "alder tree".
Favager FrenchPossibly indicated a person from the town of Faverges in eastern France, derived from Old French
faverge meaning "forge".
Fay 1 French, EnglishReferred to a person who came from various places named Fay or Faye in northern France, derived from Old French
fau "beech tree", from Latin
fagus.
Fleury FrenchFrom the name of various towns in northern France, derived from the Gallo-Roman personal name
Florus.
Fontaine FrenchDerived from Old French
fontane meaning
"well, fountain", a derivative of Latin
fons.
Forest English, FrenchOriginally belonged to a person who lived near or in a forest. It was probably originally derived, via Old French
forest, from Latin
forestam (silva) meaning "outer (wood)".
Frank 3 German, Dutch, Danish, NorwegianName for a person from Franconia in Germany, so called because it was settled by the Frankish people. A notable bearer was the German-Jewish diarist Anne Frank (1929-1945), a victim of the Holocaust.
Haanraads DutchOriginally indicated a person from Haanrade, a small village in the south of the province of Limburg in the Netherlands.
Holst Danish, Low German, DutchOriginally referred to a person from the region of
Holstein between Germany and Denmark. A famous bearer of this name was the English composer Gustav Holst (1874-1934).
Kappel German, DutchName for a person who lived near or worked at a chapel, ultimately from Late Latin
cappella, a diminutive of
cappa "cape", arising from the holy relic of the torn cape of Saint
Martin, which was kept in small churches.
Kloet DutchPossibly from Middle Dutch
cloet meaning
"lump, ball". In some cases this was a nickname for an oafish person. In other cases it may have been a name for someone who lived near a sign that had a globe on it.
Lachapelle FrenchMeans
"the chapel" in French, most likely used to denote a person who lived by a church or a chapel.
Lacroix FrenchMeans
"the cross" in French. It denoted one who lived near a cross symbol or near a crossroads.
Lamar French, EnglishOriginally from a place name in Normandy, derived from Old French
la mare meaning "the pool".
Langbroek DutchFrom the name of a small town in the province of Utrecht, Holland, derived from
lang meaning "wide" and
broek meaning "marsh, wetland".
Laporte FrenchMeans
"the door, the gateway" in French, from Latin
porta. This was a name for someone who lived near the town gates or who operated them.
Lavigne FrenchMeans
"the vineyard" in French, referring to a person who lived close to a vineyard, or was from the town of Lavigny.
Lavoie FrenchMeans
"the road, the lane" in French, a name for someone who lived close to a road.
Leeuwenhoek DutchMeans
"lion's corner" in Dutch. The first bearer of this name lived on the corner (Dutch
hoek) of the Lion's Gate (Dutch
Leeuwenpoort) in the city of Delft.
Lémieux FrenchDerived from the place name
Leymieux, a town in the Rhône-Alpes region of France.
Loman DutchFrom various place names in the Netherlands, derived from Old Dutch
loh meaning "meadow, clearing".
Lyon 1 English, FrenchOriginally denoted a person from the city of Lyon in central France, originally Latin
Lugdunum, of Gaulish origin meaning "hill fort of
Lugus". It could also denote a person from the small town of Lyons-la-Forêt in Normandy.
Neuville FrenchFrom the names of various French towns meaning "new town".
Ogtrop DutchOriginally denoted a person who was from the town of Ochtrup in Germany, which is of uncertain origin.
Paris French, Italian, EnglishOriginally denoted a person who came from the French city of
Paris, which got its name from the ancient Celtic tribe known as the Parisii.
Peerenboom DutchFrom Dutch meaning
"pear tree", referring to someone who lived or worked at a pear orchard.
Périgord FrenchFrom the name of a region in southern France, possibly of Gaulish origin.
Picard FrenchOriginally denoted a person from Picardy, a historical region of northern France. It is derived from Old French
pic meaning "pike, spike".
Plamondon FrenchDerived from French
plat "flat" and
mont "mountain", referring to someone who lived near a flat-topped mountain.
Poirier FrenchMeans
"pear tree" in French, originally a nickname for someone who lived close to such a tree.
Poirot French, LiteratureFrom a diminutive of French
poire "pear", originally referring to a pear merchant or someone who lived near a pear tree. Starting in 1920 this name was used by the mystery writer Agatha Christie for her Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. Christie based the name on that of Jules Poiret, a contemporary fictional detective.
Richelieu FrenchFrom the name of the town of Richelieu, derived from French
riche "wealthy" and
lieu "place". The historic figure Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642), born Armand du Plessis, was so-called because he became the first Duke of Richelieu. He appears in Alexander Dumas' novel
The Three Musketeers (1844).
Rietveld DutchMeans
"reed field", from Dutch
riet "reed" and
veld "field". It is found mostly in the western part of the Netherlands (the Holland area).
Roggeveen DutchMeans
"rye field" in Dutch. A famous bearer was Jacob Roggeveen (1659-1729), the first European explorer to Easter Island.
Roosevelt DutchMeans
"rose field" from Dutch
roos "rose" and
veld "field". This was the surname of American presidents Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) and Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945).
Rose 1 English, French, German, JewishMeans
"rose" from Middle English, Old French and Middle High German
rose, all from Latin
rosa. All denote a person of a rosy complexion or a person who lived in an area abundant with roses. As a Jewish surname it is ornamental, from Yiddish
רויז (roiz).
Ryskamp DutchMeaning unknown, probably ending with Dutch
kamp meaning "camp".
Sauveterre FrenchFrom the name of various towns in France, derived from French
sauve "safe" and
terre "land".
School DutchFrom Dutch
school, ultimately from Latin
schola meaning
"school", indicating a person who worked at or lived near a school.
Schoorl DutchOriginally indicated a person from the town of Schoorl in the province of Noord-Holland in the Netherlands. It means "forest by the shore" in Dutch.
Soucy FrenchOriginally denoted someone from French towns by this name in Aisne or Yonne, both derived from the Latin name
Suciacum.
Spijker 1 DutchDenoted a dweller by or worker at a granary, from Dutch
spijker "granary".
Ter Avest DutchMeans
"at the edge, eave" indicating a person who lived at the edge of a forest or under a covered shelter.
Travers English, FrenchFrom an English and French place name that described a person who lived near a bridge or ford, or occasionally as an occupational name for the collector of tolls at such a location. The place name is derived from Old French
traverser (from Latin
transversus), which means
"to cross".
Tremblay FrenchFrom French
tremble meaning
"aspen". It is especially widespread in Quebec, being the most common surname there.
Van Aalsburg DutchMeans
"from Aalsburg", which is possibly
Adelsburg, composed of
adal "noble" and
burg "fortress".
Van Aggelen DutchDenoted someone from Aggelen, which could refer to Achel in the Belgian province of Limburg or Egchel in the Dutch province of Limburg.
Van Agteren DutchMeans
"from behind", probably referring to a place behind something, such as a building or a place at the end of the road.
Van Aller DutchMeans
"from the Aller", a river in Germany, of uncertain meaning.
Van Alphen DutchMeans
"from Alphen", a town in the Netherlands. It is derived from the name of the Roman fort
Albaniana, itself from Latin
albus "white".
Van Alst DutchMeans
"from Aalst", the name of towns in Belgium and the Netherlands, which is possibly from Germanic *
alhs meaning "temple, shelter".
Van Amelsvoort DutchMeans
"from Amersfoort", a city in the Netherlands. It means "ford of the Amer (Eem) River" in Dutch.
Van Amstel DutchMeans
"from Amstel", a Dutch river that means "water area".
Van Andel DutchMeans
"from Andel", a town in the Netherlands, possibly meaning "upper forest" in Old Dutch.
Van As DutchMeans
"from Asch", a town in the Netherlands, meaning "ash tree".
Van Assen DutchMeans
"from Assen", a city in the Netherlands, which is possibly from
essen meaning "ash trees".
Van Baarle DutchMeans
"from Baarle", a town in both the Netherlands and Belgium.
Van Bokhoven DutchMeans
"from Bokhoven", a small town in the province of Noord-Brabant in the Netherlands. It means "goat yards" in Dutch.
Van Breda DutchMeans
"from Breda", a city in the province of Noord-Brabant in the Netherlands. It is derived from Dutch
breed meaning "wide" and
Aa, the name of a river.
Van Buggenum DutchMeans
"from Buggenum", a small town in the middle of the province of Limburg in the Netherlands.
Van Buren DutchMeans
"from Buren", a small town on the island of Ameland in the north of the Netherlands, as well as a small city in the Dutch province Gelderland. The place names derive from Old Dutch
bur meaning "house, dwelling". In the 16th century the countess Anna van Buren married William of Orange, the founder of the Dutch royal family. A famous bearer of this surname was Martin van Buren (1782-1862), the eighth President of the United States.
Van Dalen DutchMeans
"from the valley", from Old Dutch
dal meaning "valley".
Van Damme FlemishMeans
"from Damme", the name of a town in Belgium, derived from Dutch
dam meaning "dam". A famous bearer is the Belgian actor Jean-Claude Van Damme (1960-), who was born with the surname
Van Varenberg.
Van den Berg DutchMeans
"from the mountain", derived from Dutch
berg meaning "mountain".
Van der Aart DutchMeans
"from the earth", derived from Dutch
aarde "earth". It perhaps referred to either an earth bank or to a farmer.
Van der Stoep DutchMeans
"from the paved entrance", from Dutch
stoep meaning "paved porch at the entrance to a house".
Van der Veen DutchMeans
"from the swamp", from Dutch
veen meaning "fen, swamp, peat". It originally indicated a person who resided in a peat district or fen colony.
Van der Zee DutchMeans
"from the sea" in Dutch. The original bearer may have been someone who lived on the coast.
Van Donk DutchMeans
"from the hill", derived from Dutch
donk meaning "(sandy) hill".
Van Gogh DutchMeans
"from Goch", a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, near the border with the Netherlands. It may be derived from a Low German word meaning "meadow, floodplain". This name was borne by the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890).
Van Hassel DutchMeans
"from Hassel", a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It may be derived from Old Dutch
hasal meaning "hazel tree".
Van Heel DutchMeans
"from Heel", a small town in the province of Limburg in the Netherlands.
Van Herten DutchMeans
"from Herten", a small town in the province of Limburg in the Netherlands. The town's name comes from Dutch
herten, the plural of
hert meaning "deer".
Van Hofwegen DutchMeans
"from Hofwegen", a town in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands, itself derived from Dutch
hof "garden, courtyard" and
weg "way, path, road".