Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Valkeapää FinnishFrom the Finnish
valkea meaning "white", and
pää meaning "head" or "tip".
Vall EstonianVall is an Estonian surname meaning "wall" or "berm".
Vallance EnglishMeans "person from Valence", southeastern France (probably "place of the brave").
Valle Spanish, Filipino, ItalianHabitational name from any of the many places named with
valle "valley", or topographic name for someone who lived in a valley (Latin
vallis).
Vallera FrenchFrench: habitational name from Vallery in Yonne, once a Romano-Gallic estate, recorded in 1218 as Valerianus. The surname is also found in the British Isles and may be of Norman origin, from the same place.
Valley EnglishTopographic name for someone who lived in a valley, Middle English
valeye.
Vallie GermanProbably an altered spelling of German
Valee, a fairly common surname of French origin denoting someone who lived in a valley. The name in Germany is also spelled
Wallee.
Vallin SwedishCombination of either Latin
vallis "valley" or Swedish
vall "wall, pasture, field of grass" and the commons surname suffix
-in.
Vällo EstonianVällo is an Estonian surname, possibly a corruption of "väli" meaning "field" and "plain".
Valmer Estonian (?)Surname which is believed to have originated in Estonia, although its meaning is unknown.
Valmorida Filipino, CebuanoMeans "valley of the forest field" derived from Spanish
val, a contraction of
valle meaning "valley", combined with Japanese 森
(mori) meaning "forest, woods" and 田
(ta) "paddy, field" (see
Morita).
Valverde SpanishRefers to a place name which suggests a landscape, agreeable with herbs, flowers and water.
Vammus EstonianVammus is an Estonian surname meaning "jacket" and "doublet".
Van Ark DutchHabitational name from a place called Ark in Gelderland.
Van Beek DutchLike Verbeek and Van de(r) Beek, the family name Van Beek can indicate a place of residence on a certain stream, the name for a narrow and shallow (clear and sometimes erratic) water stream, or in a village or hamlet that leads to a stream... [
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Van Beethoven FlemishMeans "from the beet fields". A famous bearer of this name was German Clasical composer Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827).
Van Blankenberg Dutch, BelgianHabitational name from any of various places so called, in particular in Hennef and Gelderland, or from Blankenberge in West Flanders, Belgium.
Van Boxtel DutchThe family name Van Boxtel indicates origin from the North Brabant place Boxtel, written around 1110 Buchestelle, and later in the Middle Ages, among others, Bucstelle and Boextel.... [
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Van Burgen DutchComes from the Middle Dutch word "burch," or "burg," meaning a fortified town. The prefixes "Van" and "den" mean "from" and "the" respectively. Thus this surname means "from the hill". As such, it may have been topographic name for someone who lived by a citadel or walled city; or, it may have been a habitational name
Van Buskirk DutchThe name is made up of two Dutch words: "bos," meaning "woods," and "kerk," meaning "church." The characteristic Dutch prefix "van" literally means "from," and thus the surname indicates "one from the church in the woods."
Vancouver DutchDutch name meaning "someone from Coevorden", a city in the Netherlands.
Vandal English (Rare)A English word meaning "someone who willfully destroys or defaces property",and a member of ancient Germanic tribes.
Van Damme Dutch, BelgianMeans "from Damme", the name of towns in Belgium and Germany. A famous bearer is Belgian actor and former martial artist Jean-Claude Van Damme (1960-).
Van De Leest DutchPossibly an allusion to the shoemaker's profession, whether or not through a house name 'De Leest', which may have been the name of a shoemaker's building. A last is a (wooden) shape over which shoes are formed.
Van De Mark DutchTopographic name for someone who lived by a border or boundary, from Middle Dutch marke, merke meaning "boundary", "borderland".
Van Den Broek DutchThe family name Van den Broek is derived from a toponym with the component Broek, for example a farm name that owes its name to its location near a Broek, a name for a swampy terrain.
Van Der Bilt Dutch (Rare)Topographic name for someone living by a low hill, from Middle Low German bulte "mound", "low hill"
Vanderbilt Dutch, GermanTopographic name for someone living by a low hill, from Middle Low German
bulte "mound", "low hill".
Van Der Graaf DutchDutch toponymic surname. Although graaf is a Dutch noble title similar to "count", here it refers to an old term for a canal with the same origin in the verb graven ("to dig") as gracht and grave.
Van Der Heijden DutchThe family name Van der Heijden indicates that the original name bearers inhabited a settlement or a farm located near an area or a heathland that was known as 'de Heide'.
Van Der Kooi Dutchname for someone from either of two places, De Kooi in South Holland or De Kooy in North Holland.
Vanderlei BrazilianIt derives from the Dutch surname Van der Leij/Ley. The surname arrived in Brazil by Kaspar Nieuwhoff Van Der Leij by 1630, a cavalry captain from the Dutch army.
Van Der Leij DutchDerived from Dutch
lei meaning "slate" (effectively meaning "from the slate"), indicating that the original bearer of this name may have come from a place where slate was produced.
Van Der Loop DutchTopographical name for someone who lived by a waterway, Middle Dutch lo(e)pe, in particular a waterway called De Loop in North Brabant.
Vandermast DutchTopographic name for someone from a place rich in animal fodder, for example acorns.
Van Der Merwe Dutch, South AfricanWhile the name is currently very common in South Africa, it originates in Holland, literally meaning "From the Merwe". The first van der Merwes hail from the Merwede river. The name went to South Africa with the Dutch settlers in 1652.
Vanderpan DutchMeans "of the bannner" meaning most likely indicates ancestry of high-ranking occupation.
Vanderpool DutchMeans, from the pool. It was a topographic name for someone who lived by a pool or pond, derived from the Dutch word POL. The name is also spelt POHL, POL, POLL, POLS, Van den POLL and POLMAN.
Van Der Steen Dutch, BelgianHabitational name for someone from any of various minor places called Steen or Ten Stene (from steen meaning "stone"), for example in the Belgian provinces of East Flanders and Brabant.
Van Der Velde DutchMeaning "of the field" from Dutch
van -"Of"-
der - "The"- and
veld - "field".
Van Der Waal DutchToponymic surname of Dutch origin. The original bearer of the name may have lived or worked at or near a "wal": a river embankment, quay, or rampage.
Van Der Zanden DutchLiterally means 'From the sand', most likely given to someone who lived near sand grounds. It originated in the southeastern part of the Netherlands.
Van Deusen DutchHabitational name for someone from the German town of Deusen, north of Dortmund, in North Rhine-Westphalia near the Dutch border.
Vandyke DutchTopographic name for someone living near a dyke or levee. Dykes are common structures for keeping lands dry in the low lying Netherlands. ... [
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Van Dyne DutchHabitational name for someone from Duinen in Gelderland.
Van Etter DutchA habitational name for someone from Etten in North Brabant
Van Gelder DutchDutch toponymic surname meaning "from/of Guelders", a county and later duchy in the Low Countries.
Van Haitsma DutchHabitational name for someone from Haitsma, a place in Friesland.
Van Heusen DutchHeusen is derived from the town Husum in Holland. The town was on the Zuyder Zee, Holstein, Holland.
Van Heutsz DutchA bearer of this name is J.B. van Heutsz, also known as the Pacificator of Aceh, former governor general of the Dutch East Indies.
Vanik EstonianVanik is an Estonian surname meaning "wreath" and "garland".
Van Kleef DutchVan meaning 'of' Kleef is a variant spelling of Kleve: a town in the Lower Rhine region of northwestern Germany near the Dutch border and the River Rhine.
Van Leeuwen DutchDerived from
Leeuwen, a former municipality consisting two villages named
Beneden-Leeuwen and
Boven-Leeuwen (now in the municipality of West Maas en Waal), in the Dutch province of Gelderland... [
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Van Look DutchTopographic name from look ‘enclosure’ or habitational name from a place named with this word.
Van Maurik DutchMeans "from Maurik" in Dutch, which is a town in the east of the Netherlands.
Vann EstonianVann is an Estonian surname meaning "bath" and "tub".
Vanna KhmerMeans "golden" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit.
Vannas EstonianVannas is an Estonian surname derived from "vana", meaning "old".
Vannebo NorwegianTaken from the farm Vanebu, spelled Vannebo in pre-1950 records. From the Norwegian words
vann, meaning water, and
bo, meaning to live or reside.
van Niekerk AfrikaansTopographic name for any of the various locations named Nieuwerkerk in The Netherlands or Nieuwerkerken in Belgium. The name itself means "of the new church" from Dutch
van meaning "of" combined with
nieuw meaning "new" and
kerk meaning "church".
Van Oss DutchVan Oss is a Dutch toponymic surname meaning "from Oss", a town in North Brabant. Variant spellings are Van Osch and Van Os.
Van Reenan DutchToponymic surname meaning "from/of Rhenen", a city in the province of Utrecht.
Van Rooyen Afrikaansvan Rooyen related to
van Rooijen, is an Afrikaans and Dutch toponymic surname. May be rooted from the Rhine area of the Netherlands, possibly having meant "from Rhine" originally... [
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Van Smoot DutchAmericanized spelling of Dutch Smout, a metonymic occupational name for someone who sold fat or lard, Dutch smout, or a nickname for someone who had a taste for, and could afford, rich foods.
Van Tristaan DutchFrom Julian Van Tristaan(1995-) professional footballer for Tottenham Hontspurs and Holland.
Van Zandt Dutch, BelgianHabitational name for someone from any of the places called Zandt, in Gelderland, Friesland, South Holland, and Zeeland; or Zande in Belgium.
Varandi EstonianVarandi is an Estonian surname derived from "varandus", meaning "property" and "belongings".
Värbu EstonianVärbu is an Estonian surname; a diminutive of "värb" meaning "sparrow".
Vardy EnglishVariant of
Verity. A name given to actors who played the part in the medieval travelling theatres.
Vargeid NorwegianInvented by Sverre Kristian (then) Olsen and his brother Willy Anfinn (also then) Olsen. They thought Olsen was boring, and invented the new Vargeid.
Värk EstonianVärk is an Estonian surname meaning both "celebration" and "hootenanny", as well as "thing", "stuff", or a "job".
Varnell EnglishVariant of
Farnell. This form originated in southwestern England, where the change from
F to
V arose from the voicing of
F that was characteristic of this area in Middle English.
Varner GermanHabitational name for someone from Farn near Oberkirch, or Fahrnau near Schopfheim.
Värv EstonianVärv is an Estonian surname meaning "color" and "paint".
Vasa Old Swedish, Swedish (Archaic)Swedish noble and former royal family. Possibly from
vase meaning "bundle" or "withy". The name is believed to be a reference to the family's coat of arms. The most notable member of the family was Gustav Eriksson Vasa (1496-1560), later known as Gustav I of Sweden (in modern times known exclusively as Gustav Vasa)... [
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Vasey EnglishDerived from the Norman french word
enveisie "playful, merry"
Vass EnglishStatus name denoting a serf, Middle English, Old French
vass(e), from Late Latin
vassus, of Celtic origin. Compare Welsh
gwas "boy", Gaelic
foss "servant".
Vassallo MalteseRich people who formed part of the night of saint john "vassals"
Vasseur FrenchFrom Old French
vavasour meaning "subvassal", a historical term used to refer to a tenant of a baron or lord who also had tenants under him.
Vasta ItalianVasta is derived from the Italian word Vast. Vasta means wide in Italian. It is a common name in Italy preferably in Milan, Italy.
Västrik EstonianVästrik is an Estonian surname meaning "wagtail (bird genus: Motacilla)".
Vatanabe Japanese (Russified)Alternate transcription of
Watanabe more commonly used by ethnic Japanese living in parts of the former Soviet Union and Sakhalin Japanese residing on Sakhalin Island in Russia.
Vaux FrenchFrench, English, and Scottish habitational name from any of various places in northern France called Vaux, from the Old French plural of
val ‘valley’.
Vayner YiddishWeiner is a surname or, in fact, the spelling of two different surnames originating in German and the closely related Yiddish language. In German, the name is pronounced
vaɪnɐ(ʁ),of which the rare English pronunciation
vaɪnər is a close approximation... [
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Vəzirov AzerbaijaniMeans "son of the vizier", from the Arabic title وَزِير
(wazīr) denoting a minister or high-ranking official in an Islamic government.
Vea Spanish, GalicianHabitational name, principally from Vea in Soria province, but in some cases from any of four places with the same name in Pontevedra province, Galicia.
Vea NorwegianHabitational name from any of four farmsteads so named, from the plural of Old Norse viðr meaning "wood", "tree".
Veca ItalianSouthern Italian: possibly from vece ‘change’, ‘mutation’, ‘alternation’ (from Latin vix, vicis, plural vices), or from a pet form of a personal name formed with this element.
Vecchio ItalianMeans "old, aged" in Italian, originally used as a nickname for an older or oldest son or for someone who was prematurely grey or wrinkled.
Vee NorwegianHabitational name from farmsteads named Ve, for example in Hordaland and Sogn, from Old Norse
vé "sacred place".
Veeber EstonianVeeber is an Estonian surname, an Estonianization of the German surname "Weber".
Veedla EstonianVeedla is an Estonian surname meaning "watery/waters area".