AppelGerman, Dutch, Jewish, Yiddish From Low German Appel, Middle Dutch appel, or Yiddish epl "apple", an occupational name for a grower or seller of the fruit. As a Jewish surname, it is generally ornamental rather than occupational.
AppelGerman, Dutch From the personal name Appel, a pet form of Apprecht (common especially in Thuringia and Franconia), itself a variant of Albrecht... [more]
AppelmanDutch Occupational name from Middle Dutch apelmanger "apple seller".
AxelDutch (Rare), Flemish (Rare) Habitational name for someone from either of two places, Aksel in East Flanders or Axel in Zeeland, both possibly derived from a relative of Old High German ahsala "shoulder", referring to an elevated piece of land.
BakkumDutch Habitational name from a village in North Holland province, Netherlands, derived from Old Germanic *baka "back, curve, elevated place" and Old Dutch hēm "home, house; settlement, hamlet".
BalDutch Diminutive form of the given name Baldwin, or perhaps another name beginning with bald "bold, brave".
BalDutch Means "ball, sphere" in Dutch, a nickname for a ball player or someone who made balls, or a habitational name for someone who lived by a landmark shaped like a ball. Cognate to English Ball.
BalkenendeDutch Possibly from a place name derived from Middle Dutch balke meaning "timber, beam" and einde meaning "end". A famous bearer is the former Dutch prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende (1956-).
BarzilaijDutch, Jewish Dutch form (or "dutchization", if you will) of Barzilai via Barzilay. This name is found exclusively in the Dutch-Jewish community, and is considered quite rare: there were only 112 bearers in 1947 and only 51 bearers in 2007.
BaumfreeDutch, American, African American This name is clearly derived from Sojourner Truth, a former African-American slave who was born as Isabella Bomefree (but at some point the surname was changed to the more German-looking Baumfree). Although Sojourner's original owners - James and Elizabeth Bomefree/Baumfree - were apparently of Dutch descent, it is questionable whether the surname is really of Dutch origin... [more]
BayEnglish, French, Dutch Derived from Middle English and Old French bay, bai and Middle Dutch bay, all meaning "reddish brown". It was originally a nickname for someone with a hair color similar to that.
BeekmanDutch, German (Americanized) Means "creek man" in Dutch, a topographic name for a person who lived by a creek, or an Americanized form of the German cognate Beekmann.
BeeksDutch From Dutch beek meaning "brook, stream".
BeendersDutch Possibly an occupational name for a bookbinder or barrel maker, from Middle Dutch binden "to bind, to tie". Alternatively, could be related to been "bone".
BeerGerman, Dutch From Middle Low German bare, Middle Dutch bere "bear". Given as a nickname to someone who was thought to resemble a bear, a metonymic occupational name for someone who kept a performing bear, or a habitational name for someone who lived near a sign depicting a bear... [more]
BeersDutch Could be a habitational name from either of two Dutch villages called Beers, or derived from a short form of the personal name Bernhard.
BergenGerman, Dutch, Flemish, Jewish Originally denoted a person from any of the various places named Bergen in Germany and the Netherlands. It is also a variant of Berg. Famous bearers include the Americans Candice Bergen (1946-), an actress, and Polly Bergen (1930-2014), an actress, singer and television host.
BergkampDutch, German From the name of various places in the Netherlands and Germany, derived from Old Dutch and Old High German berg meaning "mountain" and kamp meaning "field". This name is borne by Dutch former soccer player Dennis Bergkamp (1969-).
BiesheuvelDutch From Biesheuvel, the name of a small village in the north of the province of Noord-Brabant in the Netherlands. It is derived from Dutch bies meaning "bulrush, club rush" (a grasslike plant that grows in wetlands and damp locations) and heuvel meaning "hill"... [more]
BijlDutch Means "axe" in Dutch, a metonymic name for someone who used an axe in their work, such as a woodcutter, shipwright, or butcher. Alternatively, a metronym derived from a short form of Amabilia or Sibilia.
BlaauwDutch, South African Archaic spelling of Dutch blauw "blue", a nickname referring to the bearer’s eye colour, clothes, or possibly a pale and sickly complexion. It could also be an occupational name for someone who made blue dye, or bluing for laundry.
BlankGerman, Dutch, Jewish Means "white, pale, bright", a nickname for a person with white or fair hair or a pale complexion. As a Jewish name, it’s ornamental.
BlankeGerman, English, Dutch Nickname for someone with a fair complexion. From Old High German blanc meaning "white".
BlankenbijlDutch Means "white axe", from blanken "white, pale; bare" and bijl "axe". Possibly a toponymic name, or perhaps an occupational name for a woodcutter or carpenter.
BlazerDutch From Middle Dutch blaser "blower", from blâsen "to blow, to sound (a wind instrument); to brag", hence an occupational name for a player of the trumpet or other wind instrument, or a nickname for a braggart or boaster.
BleeckerDutch Old form of Dutch bleker "bleacher", an occupational name for a bleacher of textiles, a launderer, or the owner of a public bleaching ground.
BleekerDutch Occupational name for a bleacher of textiles, from Middle Dutch ble(e)kere.
BlemkerDutch (Americanized) Possibly an Americanized form of an occupational name for a bleacher of textiles, derived from Middle Dutch bleker.
BlijlevenDutch From a nickname meaning "happy life" in Dutch, indicating a cheerful person.
BlinkDutch Topographic name from blink "bare hill, white dune".
BloemDutch Means "flower, bloom" or "flour (of wheat, corn)" in Dutch. Could be a nickname for a pretty or cheerful person, a metonymic occupational name for a florist, gardener, baker or miller, or a habitational name for a person who lived near flowers or a sign depicting them... [more]
BloemenDutch, Flemish Means "flowers, blooms" or "flour" in Dutch. Can be a nickname denoting beauty or a cheerful disposition, an occupational name for a gardener, miller, or baker, or a habitational name for someone who lived near flowers, or a sign depicting them... [more]
BloemendaalDutch Means "valley of flowers", the name of several places in the Netherlands, derived from bloem "flower" and dal "valley, dale". Cognate to German Blumenthal.
BlokDutch Means "block" in Dutch. This could be a nickname for someone with a heavy build, a metonymic occupational name for someone who used a block of wood in their work, such as a shoemaker, a milliner, or an executioner, or a toponymic surname for someone living on an enclosed piece of land.
BlydenburghFlemish Derived from a habitational name from Blijenberg (formerly Bleidenberg) in Brabant, Belgium. (Also Van Blydenbergh)
BlylevenDutch (Anglicized) Americanized form of Blijleven. Dutch-American former baseball player Bert Blyleven (1951-), born Blijleven, is a famous bearer of this surname.
BodeGerman, Dutch, English, Danish Means "messenger, deliverer, herald; prophet, omen", ultimately from Old Germanic budą. This can be an occupational name, or a patronymic derived from a given name containing the element (see Bothe).
BolDutch From Dutch bol "ball, sphere" or "bun, roll, round piece of bread or pastry", possibly an occupational name for a baker, a habitational name for someone who lived by a sign depicting a ball or globe, or a nickname for a bald man, or perhaps a ball player.
BolDutch Derived from the given name Baldo, a short form of names beginning with the element bald "bold, brave”.
BoodaDutch (Rare) Possibly derived from a French surname or place name.
BoomDutch From Old Dutch bom "tree", a nickname for someone tall or robust, or a toponymic surname for someone who lived by a notable tree. It could also be an occupational name for someone who operated a boom barrier
BoomgaardenEast Frisian, Dutch From Dutch boomgaard "orchard", literally "tree garden", an occupational name for an orchard worker or a topographic name for someone who lived in or by an orchard.
BoonstraWest Frisian, Dutch Denoted someone who cam from the town of Oldeboorn, named for the nearby De Boarn river, related to Middle Dutch borne "well, spring, source".
BootGerman, Dutch Metonymic occupational name for a boat builder, sailor, or a ship’s carpenter, from Dutch boot "boat, ship".
BootDutch, German Patronymic form of Bode, derived from either Old High German boto "messenger, envoy" or the related bot "command, order".
BorneDutch Shortened form of the Dutch surname van den Borne, derived from Middle Dutch borne "well, spring, source". A habitational name for someone from Born in the province of Limburg (Netherlands) or from a place associated with the watercourse of the Borre river in French Flanders.
BornemanDutch Variant of Borne "well, spring, source", with the addition of man "man, person".
BoschmanDutch From Middle Dutch bosch "wood, forest" and man "person, man", a name for someone who lived or worked in a forest.
BosmaWest Frisian, Dutch Means "man of the forest", from Dutch bos "forest, woods" and the Frisian suffix -ma.
BraafheidDutch, Dutch (Surinamese) Means "braveness" in Dutch, derived from braaf meaning "brave, well-behaved, obedient" and the suffix -heid denoting a condition or state of being. This was originally a nickname for a strong or brave person... [more]
BrandhorstGerman, Dutch Possibly derived from brant "fire, torch, sword" and horst "thicket, grove, heap, elevated land" or "nest of a bird of prey, eyrie".
BrandsDutch, German Patronymic from the given name Brand, derived from Old Dutch brand "fire, sword, torch" or a name containing the element.
BrasFrench, Dutch From Old French and Middle Dutch bras "arm". This was probably a descriptive nickname for someone with some peculiarity of the arm, but the word was also used as a measure of length, and may also have denoted a surveyor.
BrinkLow German, Dutch, Swedish, Danish Means "village green" or "hill, slope, edge of a field or steep place". As a Swedish name, it’s ornamental.
BrinkerGerman, Dutch Derived from brink "edge, slope" or "village green", indicating that the bearer of the surname lived near a prominent slope of land or next to the centre of a village.
BroedersDutch From Middle Dutch broeder "brother, colleague" or "friar, monk, clergyman". Compare the German surname Bruder.
BrueghelDutch, Flemish From the name of various places in the Netherlands and Flanders, Belgium, for example the village of Breugel in North Brabant. Their names mean "enclosed area, hunting preserve" in Dutch. This was the surname of a Dutch-Flemish family of artists who were influential during the Renaissance period in the Low Countries... [more]
BruggemanDutch, Flemish Means "bridgeman" in Dutch, an occupational name for someone who operated, guarded, or otherwise worked on a bridge. It could also denote someone who lived near a bridge, or who came from the Flemish city of Bruges, which also derives from Old Dutch brugga "bridge".
BudeGerman, Dutch Means "booth, stall" or "hut, small house".
BuijsDutch Patronymic form of Boso. Alternatively, could derive from Dutch buis "gambeson, jacket" as a nickname for someone who made or wore jackets, or from buis "herring buss, fishing boat" as a nickname for a fisherman.
BuisDutch Means "buss, fishing vessel" in Dutch, a metonymic occupational name for a fisherman. Alternatively, a variant of the patronymic surname Buijs.
BuitenhuisDutch Means "country house, building outside of the city" in Dutch, derived from buiten "outside, out of; in the country" and huis "house, home, residence".
BurgerEnglish, German, Dutch Status name for a freeman of a borough. From Middle English burg, Middle High German burc and Middle Dutch burch "fortified town". Also a German habitational name for someone from a place called Burg.
BusDutch Possibly derived from Middle Dutch busse meaning "firelock" or "round box, tin", an occupational name for someone who made containers or firearms.
BussemakerDutch Occupational name for a maker of boxes, tins or firearms, from Dutch bus "box, tin, container, firearm" and maker "maker".
BusterDutch Related to German Buste "blister, pimple, pockmark, ulcer", ultimately from Latin apostema "boil, abscess".
ButtermanDutch Occupational name for someone who made or sold butter.
BuurmanDutch From Old Dutch bur meaning "neighbour, resident" or "peasant, farmer" combined with man "person, man". Compare Baumann.
ByDutch Variant form of De Bie. Alternatively, could derive from a place name.
CapelleFrench, English, Dutch, Flemish French topographic name for someone living by a chapel, from a regional variant of chapelle "chapel" (compare Chapell 2), or a habitational name from any of several places named La Capelle... [more]
CarmiggeltDutch Dutch cognate of Carmichael. This was the surname of the Dutch writer, journalist and poet Simon Carmiggelt (1913-1987).
CatsDutch, Jewish Habitational name for a person from the village of Kats in Zeeland, Holland, or a nickname for someone who in some way resembled a cat, derived from Middle Dutch catte literally meaning "cat"... [more]
ChristGerman, Dutch Either from a short form of the personal name Christian, or from a nickname meaning "the Christian", both from Latin Christ (see Christos 1).
CorsonDutch (Americanized, ?) From the given name of Cors Pieters, a sailor with the Dutch West Indies Company, who arrived in the Dutch Colony, New Amsterdam (present day New York), on or before 1638... [more]
CrombruggeBelgian, Flemish Possibly means "crooked bridge", from Middle Dutch crom "bent, not straight" and brugge "bridge".
CronkhiteDutch (Americanized) Americanized form of the obsolete Dutch surname Krankheyt, derived from krankheid meaning "illness, weakness", most likely a nickname for a sickly individual.
CronkiteDutch (Anglicized) Variant form of Cronkhite. A well-known bearer of this surname was the American broadcast journalist and anchorman Walter Cronkite (1916-2009).
CruijffDutch Referred to a person with curly locks of hair, derived from Middle Dutch cruuf, cruve literally meaning "curl, lock", ultimately from Latin curvus. A famous bearer was the Dutch soccer player Hendrik Johannes Cruijff (1947-2016), commonly known as Johan Cruyff.
CruyffDutch Variant of Cruijff. This name was borne by the Dutch soccer player Johan Cruyff (1947-2016).
CrytesGerman (Americanized), Dutch It may be an Americanized or altered spelling of a German surname, such as Kreutz, Kreitz, or Kritz, all of which are based on the root kreuz meaning "cross" in German... [more]
CuvelierFrench, Walloon, Flemish Occupational name for a Cooper derived from an agent in Old French cuve "vat tun". Also found in the Netherlands.
DapperDutch Nickname from dapper meaning ‘brave, gallant’ in Dutch. Famous bearers of this surname include the American actor and model Marco Dapper (1983-), and Dutch physician and writer Olfert Dapper (1636-1689).
De BeerDutch, Afrikaans, South African Means "the bear" or "the boar" in Dutch and Afrikaans, a nickname for a person who resembled the animal in some way, such as being very large, strong, or aggressive, or a habitational name for someone who lived by a sign depicting one... [more]
De BieDutch Means "the bee" in Dutch, a nickname for a beekeeper or a for a busy person, or perhaps a habitational name for someone who lived near a sign depicting a bee.
De BonteDutch Means "the colourful", from Dutch bont meaning "motley, multi-coloured; varied, mixed". Probably a nickname for someone known for wearing bright clothing, or perhaps figuratively referring to someone who behaves oddly or unpredictably.
De BoonDutch Variant of Boon with the etymological element De, literally 'of (a family called) Boon'.
De BreeDutch Means "the broad", from Dutch breed "broad, wide, large", a nickname for someone strong or with a broad build.
De BruyneDutch, French, Flemish Derived from Middle Dutch bruun meaning "brown", referring to hair colour or complexion. A famous bearer is Belgian soccer player Kevin De Bruyne (1991-).
DebyeDutch Variant of De Bie. A notable bearer of the surname was the Dutch-American physicist and physical chemist Peter Debye (1884-1966), born Petrus Debije.
De CatersDutch Nickname for someone thought to resemble a tom cat, derived from Middle Dutch cater, kater literally meaning "tom cat".
DecaturDutch Variant spelling of De Caters. A notable bearer was Stephen Decatur (1779-1820), an American naval officer and commodore during the War of 1812, the Barbary Wars and the Quasi-War.
DefoorFlemish Derived from Dutch voort "ford". Alternatively, can be a variant of the French surnames Dufour or Deford.
De GeerDutch, Swedish Derived from the town of Geer near Liège, Belgium. The town lies along the course of the river Jeker, which is called Geer in French. Alternatively, it could derive from Dutch geer "wedge-shaped piece of land".
De GeusDutch Means "the beggar" in Dutch, derived from French geaux "beggar, poor", itself from Middle Dutch guyte "rascal, rogue, vagabond, freeloader". In many instances, this surname would derive from an association with the Geuzen ("The Beggars"), a group of Dutch rebels opposing Spanish rule in the Netherlands.
De GoedeDutch Means "the good (person)" in Dutch, a nickname for someone considered especially kind or gentle, or perhaps for someone gullible.
De GoeijDutch From Dutch goei meaning "good", making this a cognate of Good. A famous bearer is the retired Dutch soccer goalkeeper Eduard de Goeij (1966-), better known as Ed de Goey.
De GoeyDutch Variant of De Goeij. Famous bearers of this name include former Dutch soccer goalkeeper Ed de Goey (1966-) and Australian rules footballer Jordan De Goey (1996-).
De GraaffDutch Variant spelling of De Graaf "the count", an occupational name for someone who worked for a count, or perhaps a nickname for someone who behaved like one.
De GroeveFlemish Etymology uncertain. Possibly a habitational name from any of several places called De Groeve, derived from groeve "quarry, pit; excavated watercourse"... [more]
De HartDutch Can mean "the hart", "the heart", or "the hard", derived from Middle Dutch hart "male deer, stag" (see Hart), harte "heart" (see Hertz), or hart "hard, solid, sturdy; harsh, cruel"... [more]
De HeerDutch Means "the lord" or "the gentleman" in Dutch, derived from Middle Dutch hêre "feudal lord, master, leader, gentleman". Could be a nickname for a person who acted as a leader, or an occupational name for someone who worked for a lord... [more]
De HoogDutch Means "the high" in Dutch, derived from Middle Dutch hooch "high, tall; important, noble". Either a nickname for a tall person, or for someone who is high in rank or behaves as though they are, or a habitational name from a settlement built on relatively high ground.
De JagerDutch, South African Means "the hunter" in Dutch, an occupational name. In some cases, it could derive from the name of a house or ship.
De LeeuwDutch, Flemish Means "the lion" in Dutch, a habitational name for someone who lived at a house or tavern with a sign depicting a lion. In some cases, it may have been a nickname denoting a wild or courageous individual.
de MaagdDutch Derived from Middle Dutch maech, mage "a member of one's kin, a blood relative".
De ManDutch Means "the man" in Dutch, from Middle Dutch man "person, man; husband, vassal". Could be a nickname, perhaps to differentiate an older individual (compare Mann), or a habitational name derived from a house name such as De Geleerde Man ("The Learned Man") or De Zwarte Man ("The Black Man").
Den BestenDutch Means "the best" in Dutch, from Middle Dutch beste.
Den HartogDutch Derived from Dutch hertog "duke", a nickname for someone behaved in a haughty manner, or an occupational name for someone who worked for a duke’s household.
Den OudenDutch Means "the elder, the senior", from Middle Dutch out "old".
Den UijlDutch Means "the owl" in Dutch, from Middle Dutch ule. A notable bearer was the Dutch prime minister Johannes den Uijl (1919-1987), also known as Joop den Uyl.
De PoorterFlemish, Dutch Means "the burgher, the citizen (of a city)", ultimately derived from poort "gate".
DepooterFlemish Variant of De Poorter, or alternatively, an occupational name for a farmer or gardener derived from poten "to plant, to sow seeds". Compare Potter.
De PraetereFlemish Means "the prattler", from or related to Middle Dutch praten "to chatter" (c. 1400), from a Proto-Germanic imitative root.
DeremerDutch Occupational name for a belt maker or cutter of leather straps, from Dutch riem "belt, strap". It could also be a name for a peat digger, someone who "riems" peat.
De RijkeDutch Means "the rich one", from Dutch rijk "rich, wealthy, abundant".
De RuiterDutch Means "the rider" in Dutch, derived from Middle Dutch ruter "freebooter, vagrant, robber", later meaning "cavalryman, soldier, armed horseman". It could also be a nickname based on an event, in one case deriving from an incident involving a ride on a runaway pig.
De WaalDutch, Walloon Means "the Walloon" in Dutch, derived from Middle Dutch wale, originally indicating a person who came from Wallonia, a French-speaking region of southern Belgium. It could also possibly be a variant spelling of Van Der Walle and De Walle meaning "the wall"', though evidence for this is lacking... [more]
De WaardDutch From Dutch waard "innkeeper, host, landlord, protector", derived from Middle Dutch weert. Alternatively, from Middle Dutch waert "floodplain, riverine island".
De WildeDutch Means "the wild", from Middle Dutch wilt "wild, savage, untamed".
De WinterDutch Means "the winter" in Dutch, a nickname for a cold or gloomy man, or perhaps for someone born in the winter. It could also be a habitational name referring to a house or tavern named for the season.
De WolfDutch, Flemish Means "the wolf", a nickname given to someone associated with wolves in some way, or a habitational name for someone who lived by a sign depicting a wolf. Could also be a patronymic form of Wolf.
DierkingLow German, Dutch Habitational name from a farm so named which once belonged to a certain Dierk and his kin, for instance Dircking (nowadays Derkink) in Enschede.