Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Ahler German, Dutch, Danishfrom a Germanic personal name composed of the elements adal ‘noble’ + hari,heri ‘army’.
Alderink DutchA personal name from an ancient Germanic personal name
Aldheri.
Alnemy FlemishOnly know relation claims birth in East Flanders. Arabic speakers believe it may be of Syrian or Saudi Arabian origin.
Appelman DutchOccupational name from Middle Dutch
apelmanger "apple seller".
Aten Frisian, DutchThe Frisian name Aten means "Noble Wolf". The name was probably given to lesser lords. As noble would mean nobility. As wolf was always a symbol of a warrior, or hunter. Usually Nobles who were also warriors, were lesser lords... [
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Aukerman DutchAmericanized form of Dutch
Ackerman. This was a frequent name in New Netherland in the 17th century.
Ax Dutchoriginally French, used to be
de Ax, meaning "from Ax", several possible places called Ax or Aix or variants.
Axel Dutch, FlemishHabitational name for someone from either of two places, Aksel in East Flanders or Axel in Zeeland.
Baack North Frisian, DutchEither from a reduced form of the Germanic personal name
Baldeke (a short form of any of the compound names with the first element bald ‘bold’, for example Baldewin) or from Middle Low German baec, bake ‘pork’, ‘bacon’, hence a metonymic occupational name for a butcher or pig farmer.
Bardwell DutchOriginates from the word "Bard" meaning beard, and "Well" meaning water sorce.
Barzilaij Dutch, JewishDutch 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.
Baumfree Dutch, American, African AmericanThis 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... [
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Bay English, French, DutchDerived 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.
Beer English, German, Dutch, German (Swiss)Habitational name from any of the forty or so places in southwestern England called Beer(e) or Bear(e). Most of these derive their names from the West Saxon dative case, beara, of Old English bearu ‘grove’, ‘wood’ (the standard Old English dative bearwe being preserved in Barrow)... [
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Beers DutchName for someone from the village named "Beers".
Beethoven Dutch, FlemishCombination of
beeth 'beetroot' and
hoven, the plural of
Hof, meaning 'farm'. Beethoven is therefore 'beetroot farms'. There is a village named Betthoven in the province of Liège.
Beijering DutchThe name Beijering Probably comes from the other but wider spread Dutch surname, Meijering. There is'nt much info I was able to find about both surnames except that there are many diferent forms of the surname like: Beije, Beijerink, Beijeringh, Beijer, Meijer, Meijerink, Meijeringh, etc... [
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Bentinck DutchPatronymic of the given name
Bent with the suffix
inck meaning "people".
Bergen German, Dutch, Flemish, JewishOriginally 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.
Bergsma DutchThe surname Bergsma had orinally been German. It was then taken over to Holland possibly in the sixteenth century.... [
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Betjeman DutchOne of the earliest surnames, it derives from the Roman personal name "Benedictus", meaning blessed.
Blank DutchDutch and German nickname for a man with white or fair hair or a pale complexion, from Middle Low, Middle High German blanc "bright", "shining", "white", "beautiful", Middle Dutch blank "fair", "white".... [
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Blasius German, Dutch, ScandinavianFrom the Latin personal name
Blasius. This was a Roman family name, originating as a byname for someone with some defect, either of speech or gait, from Latin
blaesus "stammering" (compare Greek
blaisos "bow-legged")... [
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Blazer Dutchfrom Middle Dutch blaser ‘blower’, hence an occupational name for a player of the trumpet or other wind instrument, or a nickname for a braggart or boaster
Bleecker DutchOccupational name for a bleacher of textiles, a launderer, or the owner of a public bleaching ground.
Bleeker DutchOccupational name for a bleacher of textiles, from Middle Dutch
ble(e)kere.
Bleiberg DutchHabitational name from a place so named in Luxembourg province, Belgium.
Blemker DutchDutch: occupational name for a bleacher of textiles, Middle Dutch ble(e)kere.
Boen DutchOccupational name for a bean grower, from Middle Dutch
bone,
boene "bean".
Bonus French, German, DutchHumanistic Latinization of vernacular names meaning ‘good’, for example French Lebon or Dutch de Goede
Boomgarden German, Dutch (?)Either an occupational name for an orchard worker or a topographic name for someone who lives in or by an orchard.
Boomhouwer German, DutchBoomhouwer, means "Cutter of Trees", or "The one who hews trees", having Boom translating into "tree", houw meaning to "hew" or to "cut", and er meaning "the one who".... [
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Boot English, Dutch, GermanEnglish: metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller of boots, from Middle English, Old French bote (of unknown origin).... [
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Bootz DutchA Dutch surname meaning a "nickname for a ridiculous person" or a variant of
Boot Bowdler Flemish, EnglishOriginally de Boelare it evolved to Bowdler or Bowdle after Baldwin de Boelare came to England in 1105 & was given a lordship over Montgomery, Wales.
Bras Dutch, Low GermanDutch and North German: 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.
Braunershrither German, Dutch, EnglishThis name mean Leather (Tanned) Knight, or a fighter of leather armor, or in Dutch, Leather writer, one who branded print on leather
Briggs English, FlemishThis surname is a variant of the more common name
Bridges, which, contrary to appearances, has two possible origins, one the perhaps obvious English topographical or occupational one, and the other locational, from Belgium... [
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Brink Low German, Dutch, Swedish, DanishThe Dutch and Low German meaning is "village green". In Danish and Swedish, the name is thought to be a borrowing of Middle Dutch brinc / brink, meaning "grassy edge" or perhaps "slope",, and the Danish word now means "where the water runs deep".
Brinker German, DutchFrom the word
brink "edge, slope". This indicated that the bearer of the surname lived near a prominent slope of land
Brook German, DutchTopographic name for someone who lived by a water meadow or marsh, from Low German
brook, Dutch
broek (cf.
Bruch).... [
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Brouwer DutchDutch occupational name for a brewer of beer or ale, Middle Dutch
brouwer.
Brouwers DutchPossibly means "brewer; brewers" relating to one who brews beer.
Brugman Dutch, SwissDutch: topographic name for someone who lived near a bridge or a metonymic occupational name for a bridge keeper, from Dutch brugge ‘bridge’ (see
Bridge); in some cases, it is a habitational name for someone from the Flemish city of
Bruges (or
Brugge), meaning ‘bridges’... [
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Bruin DutchFrom a medieval Dutch nickname meaning "brown", from Middle Dutch
bruun "brown", making this a cognate of German
Braun, English
Brown and Italian
Bruno... [
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Burger English, German, DutchStatus 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.
Choate English, DutchThe names of Choate and Chute are believed to have been of common origin and derived from the residence of their first bearers at a place called Chute in Wiltshire, England. Certain historians, however, state that the name of Choate was of Dutch origin and was taken by its first bearers from their residence at a place of that name in the Netherlands.
Clutterbuck English, Dutch (Anglicized, ?)English surname of unknown origin, possibly a corrupted form of a Dutch surname derived from Dutch
klateren "to clatter" and
beek "brook". The original surname may have been brought to England by Flemish weavers whom Edward III brought to England in the 14th century to teach their techniques to the English, or by Huguenots who fled the Netherlands in the 16th century to escape religious persecution... [
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Conklin Irish, DutchOrigin unidentified. Most likely of Dutch origin (the name is found in the 18th century in the Hudson Valley), or possibly a variant of Irish
Coughlin.
Crabb English, Scottish, German, Dutch, DanishEnglish and Scottish, from Middle English crabbe, Old English
crabba ‘crab’ (the crustacean), a nickname for someone with a peculiar gait. English and Scottish from Middle English
crabbe ‘crabapple (tree)’ (probably of Old Norse origin), hence a topographic name for someone who lived by a crabapple tree... [
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Crane English, Dutch1. English: nickname, most likely for a tall, thin man with long legs, from Middle English cran ‘crane’ (the bird), Old English cran, cron. The term included the heron until the introduction of a separate word for the latter in the 14th century... [
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Crauwels Flemish, Dutch, GermanDerrives from the Middle Dutch (medieval Dutch) word "crauwel" and Middle High German word "kröuwel" which means "flesh hook", "curved fork" or "trident". The word is no longer used. The first person with this name was most likely a farmer, butcher or a person that runned an inn or a hostel that was named after this tool.
Cronkhite Dutch (Anglicized)Americanized form of Dutch
Krankheid, derived from an abstract noun meaning "weakness", hence probably a nickname for a sickly individual.
De Bonte DutchBont is a word to describe something with many colours, originally used for spotted cows. So the name means: The one with many colours. Figuratively speaking this would mean: The one who acts crazy.
De Caters DutchNickname for someone thought to resemble a tomcat, derived from Middle Dutch
cater,
kater meaning "tomcat".
Decatur DutchVariant spelling of
De Caters. A notable bearer was Stephen Decatur Jr. (1779-1820), an American naval officer and commodore during the War of 1812, the Barbary Wars and the Quasi-War.
Defoor DutchGiven to someone who lived near a castle or citadel
De Geer Dutch, SwedishThe name is possibly 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.
Deleeuw DutchFound in the North Brabant region of the Netherlands
de Maagd DutchDerived from Middle Dutch
maech, mage "a member of one's kin, a blood relative".
De Praetere FlemishMeans "The Prattler", from or related to Middle Dutch praten "to chatter" (c. 1400), from a Proto-Germanic imitative root.
Deremer DutchFrom an old personal name
Terrimar, which is probably from Old High German dart ‘spear’ + mari ‘famous’
De Winter DutchNickname for a cold or gloomy man, from Middle Dutch winter 'winter' + the definite article de.
Dewolf DutchA nickname for one identified with the animal or from a place noted for a sign showing a picture of a wolf. Signs with easily understood pictographs communicated the names of locations in preliterate Europe.
De Zeeuw DutchNickname for someone from the Dutch provence Zeeland
Distel German, Low German, DutchTopographic name for someone who lived by a patch of ground overgrown with thistles, or perhaps a nickname for a "prickly" person, from Middle High German, Middle Low German, Middle Dutch
distel "thistle".
Duck DutchDutch variant of Duyck. In a German-speaking environment, this is also a variant of van Dyck and Dyck.
Duyck DutchDutch nickname from Middle Dutch
duuc ‘duck’; in some cases the name may be a derivative of Middle Dutch
duken ‘to dive’ and cognate with
Ducker... [
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Dyck DutchTopographic name for someone who lived by a dike, Dutch
dijk. Compare
Dyke.
Elenbaas DutchReinterpretation of Elenbos or Elebaers, from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements alja ‘other’ or agil ‘point or edge (of a sword)’ + berht ‘bright’.
Escher Dutch, GermanGerman habitational name for someone from any of the various places called Esch, Esche, or Eschen.
Fendrich DutchThe surname Fendrich has its origin in Austria, and mean "flag-bearer".
Freeling English, DutchThis is the surname of Christian Freeling (born February 1, 1947 in Enschede, Netherlands)a Dutch game designer and inventor. This surname was also used for the main character "Carol Anne Freeling" in the Poltergeist film of 1982 as well.... [
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Gans German, DutchMeaning "goose", perhaps referring to someone who worked with geese, related to
Ganser.
Geers DutchPatronymic from a short form of any of various personal names formed with the Germanic element
gar,
ger.
Geleynse DutchThe name Geleynse originated in the Netherlands in the 1400s from a carpenter who went by the name of Jakob Geleijnsen
Groen Dutch, Low GermanDutch nickname for someone who habitually dressed in green, from Middle Dutch
groene ‘green’. ... [
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Groot DutchGroot means "big" in Dutch and the surname was originally a nickname for a tall person.
Hageman DutchCombination of Middle Dutch
haghe "hedge, enclosure" and #man "man".
Harmse Dutch, Low GermanThe surname Harmse is derived from Harms or Harm, a Low-German / Niederdeutsch surname or name. In Plattdeutsch/Low Saxon the word sine is used as a possessive construction, hence Harmse indicates that it is the child of Harms, Harm, or Harmensze... [
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Hartman DutchFrom a Germanic personal name composed of the elements
hard "hardy, strong" and
man "man".
Haverbus Yiddish, DutchFrom Yiddish/Hebrew Haver (חבר) and Baruch (ברוך), thus literally "blessed friend".
Hay English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, French, Spanish, German, Dutch, FrisianScottish and English: topographic name for someone who lived by an enclosure, Middle English
hay(e),
heye(Old English
(ge)hæg, which after the Norman Conquest became confused with the related Old French term
haye ‘hedge’, of Germanic origin)... [
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Hazard English, French, DutchNickname for an inveterate gambler or a brave or foolhardy man prepared to run risks, from Middle English, Old French
hasard, Middle Dutch
hasaert (derived from Old French) "game of chance", later used metaphorically of other uncertain enterprises... [
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Hecht German, DutchFrom Middle High German
hech(e)t, Middle Dutch
heect,
hecht "pike", generally a nickname for a rapacious and greedy person. In some instances it may have been a metonymic occupational name for a fisher and in others it may be a habitational name from a house distinguished by a sign depicting this fish.
Hee Danish, Norwegian, DutchA Danish habitational name from any of several places named from a word meaning ‘shining’ or ‘clear’, referencing a river.... [
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Hegeman DutchHabitational name for someone from a place called Hegge(n) or ter Hegge(n), derived from a word meaning ‘hedge’.
Heineken Dutch, GermanDerived from
Hein, a Dutch diminutive of
Hendrik. A famous bearer was Gerard Adriaan Heineken (1841-1893), the founder of the Heineken N.V. brewing company... [
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Hellwig German, DutchCuriously it started out life in ancient history as the baptismal name, Hell-wig. "luck" & "war;" this name literally translates to, "battle-battle."
Helmeyer German, Dutch, DanishFrom Hel in Norse mythology and Meyer meaning "higher, superior". It means ´blessed´ or ´holy´. The name is mostly found in Germany, but also in the Netherlands and some parts of Denmark.
Herd DutchComes from Middle Dutch hert, herte ‘hart’, ‘stag’; probably a nickname for someone who was fleet of foot, or a habitational name for someone who lived at a house distinguished by the sign of a deer; variant of
Heard.
Herold English, Dutch, GermanFrom the given name
Herold. This was the surname of David Herold, one of the conspirators in the Abraham Lincoln assassination plot.
Herrick DutchFrom a Germanic personal name composed of the elements heri, hari 'army' + ric 'power', or from an assimilated form of Henrick, a Dutch form of Henry.
Hick DutchFrom a pet form of a Germanic personal name, such as Icco or Hikke (a Frisian derivative of a compound name with the first element
hild "strife", "battle").
Hilbert English, French, Dutch, GermanEnglish, French, Dutch, and German: from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements hild ‘strife’, ‘battle’ + berht ‘bright’, ‘famous’.
Hilger German, DutchFrom a Germanic personal name composed of the elements hild 'strife', 'battle' + gar, ger 'spear'.
Hinkebein Dutch, GermanNickname for someone with a limp, from Middle Low German hinken meaning "to limp" + bein meaning "leg".