Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Drost Dutch, German, DanishMeans "reeve, steward; sheriff, bailiff" in German and Dutch, a title for the administrative head of a court or district.
Duck DutchDutch variant of Duyck. In a German-speaking environment, this is also a variant of van Dyck and Dyck.
Dumfries Scottish, Dutch, Dutch (Surinamese)From the name of a market town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, derived from Gaelic
dùn meaning "fort" and
preas meaning "thicket". This surname is found predominantly in Aruba, the Netherlands and Suriname... [
more]
Duyck FlemishNickname from Middle Dutch
duuc "duck"; in some cases the name may be a derivative of Middle Dutch
duken "to dive" and cognate with
Ducker... [
more]
Duyster DutchDerived from Middle Dutch
duuster meaning "dark, gloomy, obscure" or "stupid, terrible".
Dyck DutchTopographic name for someone who lived by a dike, from Dutch
dijk. Compare
Dyke.
Eggenkamp DutchProbably from Dutch
eggen "to harrow, to plough" and
kamp "field".
Elenbaas DutchReinterpretation of
Elenbos or
Elebaers (see
Elbert), or from another Germanic personal name composed of the elements
aljaz "other" or
agil "point or edge (of a sword)" combined with
berht "bright"... [
more]
Elsevier DutchThe name of a prominent Dutch publishing house of the 17th and 18th century, possibly derived from Old Hebrew הל ספר
(hal safir) meaning "the book". Another suggested origin is Dutch
hellevuur "hellfire" or
helsche vier "four from hell", supposedly derived from a sign by the family’s house.
Faber German, Dutch, French, DanishAn occupational name for a blacksmith or ironworker, ultimately derived from Latin
faber "artisan, creator, craftsman, smith".
Gans German, DutchMeans "goose" in German and Dutch, either an occupational name for someone who worked with geese, a habitational name for someone who lived by a sign depicting a goose, or a nickname for someone walked oddly or was considered silly or foolish... [
more]
Gans German, DutchFrom Old High German
ganz "whole, intact, healthy", a nickname for a particularly strong or healthy person.
Gastel DutchMeans "from
Gastel", a toponym derived from
gastel "inn, guesthouse" (related to
gast "guest, stranger").
Geers DutchPatronymic from the short form of any of various personal names formed with the Germanic element
ger "spear". Compare
Geerts.
Gerbrandy Dutch, FrisianVariant of
Gerbrandij. This name was borne by the Dutch prime minister Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (1885-1961; birth name Pieter Gerbrandij), who led the government-in-exile based in London, England following the Nazi German invasion of the Netherlands during World War II.
Geus DutchDerived from the given name
Goswin, or possibly a short form of a name beginning with the elements
god "good" or
god "god".
Gips German, DutchPatronymic derived from a short form of names containing the Old Germanic element
gebō "gift", or a Dutch cognate of
Gibbs.
Goedhart DutchMeans "good heart" in Dutch, a nickname for a kind person. Could also be an altered form of the given name
Gotthard Goos German, Flemish, DutchEither a metonymic occupational name for a breeder or keeper of geese, from Middle Low German
gōs and Middle Dutch
goes "goose", or a short form of an Old German personal name containing
Gote "Goth" or
got "god", particularly
Goswin or
Gozewijn (a compound name with the second element
wini "friend").
Gorter DutchOccupational name for someone who brewed beer or supplied ingredients for doing so, derived from either Dutch
gruit, an herbal mixture used to flavour beer, or from the related word
gort (also
grut) "groat, grit, husked barley, pearl barley".
Goud Dutch, AfrikaansMeans "gold" in Dutch, an occupational name for a goldsmith, or possibly a nickname for a person with blonde hair. It could also be a variant form of
Gott.
Gouda DutchDerived from the name of the city of Gouda in the Netherlands.
Gouweleeuw DutchMeans "golden lion", from an inflected form of
goud "gold" and
leeuw "lion". Probably given to someone who worked by or lived near a sign depicting a lion.
Graanoogst Dutch, Dutch (Surinamese)Occupational name for a person who harvested grain, derived from Middle Dutch
grâen literally meaning "grain, cereal" and
ôgest meaning "harvest". A famous bearer is the Surinamese soldier and politician Ivan Graanoogst (c... [
more]
Griffioen DutchDutch cognate of
Griffin 2. Could be a habitational name referring to a sign depicting a griffin, or derived from a coat of arms.
Grotius Dutch (Latinized)Latinized form of
De Groot. This name was used by the Dutch humanist, theologian and jurist Hugo Grotius (1583-1645), born as either Huig de Groot or Hugo de Groot... [
more]
Gulden Dutch, GermanMeans "golden, gilded" or "guilder, florin (coin)", possibly an occupational name for a goldsmith, or a habitational name derived from a house.
Gullit Dutch, Dutch (Surinamese)Possibly derived from Old Dutch
golt meaning "gold", most likely referring to a person who worked with gold. The former Dutch soccer player Ruud Gullit (1962-; birth name Rudi Dil) is a famous bearer of this name.
Hageman DutchCombination of Middle Dutch
haghe "hedge, enclosure" and
man "man".
Hagen German, Dutch, Danishfrom the ancient Germanic personal name
Hagen a short form of various compound names formed with
hag "enclosure protected place" as the first element.
Hamel DutchMeans "wether, castrated ram" in Dutch, an occupational name for a shepherd.
Haverland DutchMeans "oat field" in Dutch, from Dutch
haver "oat" and
land.
Hee Danish, Norwegian, DutchA Danish habitational name from any of several places named from a word meaning ‘shining’ or ‘clear’, referencing a river.... [
more]
Heemskerk DutchFrom the name of a small town in the province of North Holland in the Netherlands, possibly derived from the personal name
Hemezen (itself possibly a diminutive form of the element
heim) combined with
kirke "church".
Heerkens DutchDerived from a diminutive form of a given name containing the element
heri "army". Alternatively, a variant form of
Eerkens.
Hegeman DutchToponymic name derived from Middle Dutch
hage "hedge, bush".
Held German, Jewish, DutchMeans "hero" in German, ultimately derived from Middle High German
helt. This name was bestowed upon a person either in its literal meaning or else in an ironic sense.
Helder Dutch, German, Upper German, English1. Dutch and German: from a Germanic personal name
Halidher, composed of the elements
haliò “hero” +
hari,
heri “army”, or from another personal name,
Hildher, composed of the elements
hild “strife”, “battle” + the same second element... [
more]
Helm English, Dutch, Germanfrom Old English
helm "protection covering" (in later northern English dialects "cattle shelter barn"). The name may be topographic for someone who lived by or worked at a barn or habitational from a place so named such as
Helme in
Meltham (Yorkshire)... [
more]
Hengst German, Dutchmetonymic occupational name for someone who worked with or bred horses or a nickname for a brave strong man from Middle High German and Middle Dutch
hengest "stallion" also "gelding" derived from Old Germanic
hangist "stallion"... [
more]
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.
Herring German, English, Dutch, ScottishOccupational name for a fisherman, someone who caught or sold herring, or perhaps someone known for eating herring. It could have also been a nickname from the medieval phrase "to like neither herring nor barrel", meaning something of little value.
Heuvel DutchMeans "hill" in Dutch, the name of several locations.
Hexspoor DutchDerived from Middle Dutch
hicken "to pick, to chop" and
spoor "spur", a nickname for a rider who often spurred on their horse.
Heyer German, DutchOccupational name for a grower or reaper of grass for hay, from Middle High German
höu "grass, hay" and the agent suffix
-er. Could also be a variant spelling of
Heier.
Heyer DutchFrom Middle Dutch
heiger "heron", a nickname for someone with long legs. Alternatively, from a Germanic personal name composed of
hag "enclosure, hedge" and
heri "army".
Hick DutchFrom a variant of the Germanic personal name
Hilke, such as Icco or Hikke, a pet form of names beginning with the element
hild "strife, battle".
Hiemstra West Frisian, DutchDerived from West Frisian
hiem "home" or the related Dutch Low Saxon
hiem "farmstead, homestead" combined with the habitational suffix
-stra.
Hijnen DutchEither deprived from Heine this short form for Heinrich means "home ruler"... [
more]
Hoebeke Dutch, FlemishA habitational name meaning "high brook", from Old Dutch
hō "high" and
beke "brook, stream, creek".
Hoed DutchMeans "hat, cover", an occupational name for a hatmaker.
Hoen Dutch, GermanFrom Middle Dutch
hoen "chicken, hen", perhaps a nickname denoting a silly or foolish person, or an occupational name for someone who raised chickens.
Hoen Dutch, GermanFrom the personal name
Huno, a short form of names containing the element
hun "bear cub, offspring".
Hofstede DutchMeans "farmstead, property; farmhouse with land" in Dutch, a compound of Old Dutch
hof "yard, court" and
stat "place, location, abode, town".
Holl German, DutchTopographic name meaning "hollow" or "hole", from Middle Low German and Middle High German
hol.
Holle DutchDerived from a short form of given names containing the element
hold "friendly, gracious, loyal".
Holman DutchTopographic or habitational name from Dutch
hol "hollow, hole" or Middle Dutch
heule "arched bridge, weir". It can also derive from the given name
Holle, a short form of names containing the element
hold "loyal, faithful, gracious".
Homan DutchFrom Old Dutch
hovitman "leader, head man, chief". Alternatively, the Dutch form of
Hoffmann.
Hoogenboom DutchMeans "high tree" in Dutch, from
hoog "high" and
boom "tree", a topographic name for someone living by a tall tree, or a habitational name from places called Hoogboom and Hogenboom in the Belgian province of Antwerp... [
more]
Hoogendijk DutchDerived from Dutch
hoog meaning "high, elevated" and
dijk meaning "dike, ditch, levee", referring to someone who lived near a high dyke or embankment.
Hoogendoorn DutchFrom any of several place names derived from either
hoog "high" or
haag "hedge" combined with
doorn "thorn bush".
Hoogeveen DutchFrom any of several places called
Hoogeveen, derived from Dutch
hoog "high, elevated" and
veen "peat bog, marsh".
Hoogland DutchA toponoymic or habitational surname meaning "highland", derived from Middle Dutch
hooch "high" and
lant "land".
Hoogteijling DutchHabitational name from
Hoogteilingen, derived from
hoogh "high" and the toponym
Teijlingen, from Old Dutch
*tagla "tail, narrow ridge".
Hooijkaas DutchMeaning uncertain, spelling possibly altered by folk etymology.
Hop DutchVariant form of
Hopp. Alternatively, an occupational name derived from Dutch
hop referring to the common hop (Humulus lupus), a kind of plant traditionally used to preserve and flavour beer.
Hoppe German, DutchDerived from
hoppen "to hop", a nickname for an active person. Can also be a variant of
Hopp.
Horst Dutch, Low GermanMeans "elevated and overgrown land, thicket" or "bird of prey’s nest, eyrie" in Dutch, the name of several locations.
Hosekin Dutch (Archaic)Occupational name for a maker or seller of hose (garments for the legs), from Middle Dutch
hose "stocking, boot".
Hout DutchMeans "wood, forest", a Dutch cognate of
Holt. Can also be an occupational name (see
Houtman).
Huisman DutchLiterally "houseman", an occupational name for a farmer, specifically one who owned his own farm.
Huitema DutchPossibly a patronymic form of
Hoite, a pet form of names containing the element
hugu "mind, thought, spirit", using the Frisian suffix
-ma "man of".
Huizinga West Frisian, DutchHabitational name from
Huizinge, a town in Groningen, Netherlands, possibly derived from Old Frisian
hūs "house" and
dinge "newly cultivated lands"... [
more]
Hulshof DutchHabitational name derived from Middle Dutch
hul "holly" and
hof "court, garden, farmstead".
Huys Dutch, FlemishDerived from
Huis, itself a variant of
Huus and
Huuchs, medieval Dutch genitive forms of the given name
Hugo.
Janmaat DutchPossibly from
janmaat, a slang term for a sailor or the collective nautical community, derived from a combination of the common given name
Jan 1 and
maat "shipmate, sailor; mate, buddy".
Jongbloed DutchNickname for a young person, derived from Middle Dutch
jonc meaning "young" and
bloet meaning "blood". A famous bearer of this surname was the Dutch soccer goalkeeper Jan Jongbloed (1940-2023).
Kaag DutchDenotes someone from the Dutch village
Kaag, derived from Middle Dutch
kaghe "land next to water, land outside of a dyke or levee".
Kalk German, DutchOccupational name for a lime burner from Middle High German
kalc and Middle Dutch
calk "lime" (both a loanword from Latin
calx).
Kamphuis DutchTopographic name for someone who lived near a field, derived from Dutch
kamp "enclosed field" and
huis "house, home, building".
Kan DutchMeans "jug, teapot, can" in Dutch, from Middle Dutch
kanne "pitcher, tankard, flagon", a metonymic occupational name for a potter, pewterer, or tinsmith.
Kanters DutchAn occupational name for a singer, such as a precentor (someone who leads songs or prayers in a church, monastery, or synagogue) or choir member. Ultimately derived from Latin
cantor "singer, leader of song at a ceremony; prayer leader in a Jewish ceremony".
Kapel Dutch, Dutch (Surinamese)Means "chapel" in Dutch, a habitational name for someone who lived near a chapel (or in a place named after one), or an occupational name for a chaplain.
Kat Dutch, Frisian, South African, JewishMeans "cat", a habitational name for someone who lived by a sign depicting a cat, or a nickname for someone who somehow resembled a cat, perhaps in agility or an independent nature.
Kellner German, Dutch, Jewish, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Hungarian, FrenchMeans "waiter, cellarman" in German, ultimately derived from Latin
cellarium "pantry, cellar, storeroom". This was an occupational name for a steward, a castle overseer, or a server of wine.
Kemper German, DutchFrom
Kamp "field, piece of land", an occupational name denoting a peasant farmer. It could also indicate someone from a place named using the element. Alternatively, a variant of
Kempf meaning "fighter".
Kempes German, DutchGerman and Dutch variant of
Kemp or
Kamp. It could also be a habitational name for a person from any of the various places named
Kempen on the border between Germany and the Netherlands (for example the town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, close to the Dutch border), a status name for a peasant farmer or serf, or an occupational name for an official calibrator who marked the correct weight and measures for verification, derived from Middle Low German
kempen... [
more]
Kern German, Dutch, Jewishfrom Middle High German
kerne "kernel, seed pip"; Middle Dutch
kern(e) keerne; German
Kern or Yiddish
kern "grain" hence a metonymic occupational name for a farmer or a nickname for a physically small person... [
more]
Kessel DutchHabitational name for someone originally from any of the various locations in the Netherlands named Kessel, ultimately derived from Latin
castellum "fortress, stronghold, castle". Could possibly also be a variant of German
Kexel.
Keymolen FlemishDerived from the place name
Keimolen, itself probably derived from Middle Dutch
key "cobblestone, boulder" and
molen "mill".
Kiel DutchFrom Middle Dutch
kidel,
kedel "smock", hence a metonymic occupational name for someone who make such garments or perhaps a nickname for someone who habitually wore one. Also a Dutch habitational name from a place so named in Antwerp or from the German city Kiel in Schleswig-Holstein.
Kin Dutch, FlemishMeans "chin", a nickname for someone with a pointed or jutting chin. Alternatively, from
kinne "relative, family".
Kind German, Jewish, DutchFrom Middle High German
kint, German
Kind "child", hence a nickname for someone with a childish or naive disposition, or an epithet used to distinguish between a father and his son. In some cases it may be a short form of any of various names ending in
-kind, a patronymic ending of Jewish surnames.
Klaver DutchMeans "clover" in Dutch, a topographic name for someone who lived by a field of clovers or a sign depicting them, or an occupational name for a clover farmer.
Klijn DutchCould be a variant of
Klein "small, little", or could be derived from Old Dutch
kluin (also
klyn or
kloen) "peat".
Kling DutchOccupational surname meaning "blade" in Dutch, referring to a person who made knives. A Dutch cognate of
Messer.
Kloek DutchFrom Middle Dutch
cloec meaning "deft, clever, skilful", derived from Old Germanic
*klōkaz "strong, quick, smart".
Klok DutchFrom Middle Dutch
clocke "bell", an occupational name for someone who made or rang bells, or perhaps for a clockmaker. Compare
Van Der Klok and
Kloek.
Klomp Dutch, Low GermanMeans both "lump, block, compact heap" and "clog, wooden shoe" in Dutch, often an occupational name for someone who made such shoes. It could also be a nickname for a stocky or clumsy person, or a habitational name for someone who lived by a sign depicting a clog.
Kloosterman DutchDerived from Dutch
klooster "cloister, monastery" and
man "person, man", given to someone who worked for a monastery or lived near one.
Kluit DutchMeans "lump, clod (of earth)" in Dutch.
Kluivert Dutch, Dutch (Surinamese)Nickname perhaps related to Dutch
kluiven meaning "to gnaw, to bite, to nibble". A notable bearer is Dutch former soccer player Patrick Kluivert (1976-).
Knecht German, German (Swiss), DutchMeans "servant, assistant" in German and Dutch, an occupational name for a journeyman or male servant derived from Old Germanic
kneht meaning "servant, knight" or "youth, boy"... [
more]
Knickerbocker Dutch (Americanized)Americanized spelling of the Dutch occupational name
Knickerbacker "marble baker", i.e., a baker of children's clay marbles. This lowly occupation became synonymous with the patrician class in NYC through Washington Irving's attribution of his History of New York (1809) to a fictitious author named Diedrich Knickerbocker... [
more]
Knol DutchDerived from Middle Dutch
knolle "tuber, turnip, lump of earth", a nickname for a fat or clumsy person, or an occupational name for a farmer.
Koelewijn DutchDerived from Dutch
koel "cool, cold" and
wei "whey", a metonymic occupational name for a dairy farmer. Altered by folk etymology to mean "cool wine". Can also derive from a place name.
Koenen DutchPatronymic from the given name
Koen, a short form of names beginning with the element
kuoni "brave, bold".
Kolk DutchMeans "whirlpool, vortex, maelstrom" or "bog pond, watering hole".
Kooij DutchFrom Dutch
kooi meaning "cage", often referring to a pen or duck decoy (a plot of land with a pond set aside to lure in ducks). Occupational name for someone who raised or hunted ducks, or who made cages.
Koolhof DutchDenoted someone from the Dutch neighbourhood
Koolhof, derived from
koolhof "vegetable garden".
Koopmeiners Dutch, GermanPerhaps derived from
koop "purchase, buy" and
meiners "mine." An alternate interpretation is that "meiners" could be derived from the German word
miner.