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]
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".
BentinckDutch Patronymic of the given name Bent 2 with the suffix inck meaning "people".
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-).
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.
BlylevenDutch (Anglicized) Americanized form of Blijleven. Dutch-American former baseball player Bert Blyleven (1951-), born Blijleven, is a famous bearer of this surname.
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".
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.
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]
CronkiteDutch (Anglicized) Variant form of Cronkhite. A well-known bearer of this surname was the American broadcast journalist and anchorman Walter Cronkite (1916-2009).
CuvelierFrench, Walloon, Flemish Occupational name for a Cooper derived from an agent in Old French cuve "vat tun". Also found in the Netherlands.
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-).
De CatersDutch Nickname for someone thought to resemble a tom cat, derived from Middle Dutch cater, kater literally meaning "tom cat".
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]
DelannoyFrench, Flemish, Walloon From the various locations in northern France and Belgium called Lannoy with the element de "from".
Den OudenDutch Means "the elder, the senior", from Middle Dutch out "old".
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 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 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.
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.
DoornbosDutch Denoted a person who lived near thorn bushes, derived from Dutch doornbos literally meaning "thorn bush".
DrielsmaDutch, Jewish Derived from the Frisian town IJlst. IJlst in Frisian is Drylts > Dryls > Driels combined with the Frisian surname suffix -(s)ma, which is most likely derived from Old Frisian monna meaning "men". Drielsma has Frisian Jewish origins.... [more]
DumfriesScottish, 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]
ElenbaasDutch Reinterpretation 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]
ElsevierDutch The 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.
EurlingsDutch, Flemish Derived from the Germanic given name Ulrich. A famous bearer of this surname is the Dutch politician and businessman Camiel Eurlings (1973-).
HelmeyerGerman, Dutch, Danish Derived from Middle Dutch meier "bailiff, steward; tenant farmer" and an uncertain first element.
HexspoorDutch Derived from Middle Dutch hicken "to pick, to chop" and spoor "spur", a nickname for a rider who often spurred on their horse.
HiemstraWest Frisian, Dutch Derived from West Frisian hiem "home" or the related Dutch Low Saxon hiem "farmstead, homestead" combined with the habitational suffix -stra.
HofstedeDutch Means "farmstead, property; farmhouse with land" in Dutch, a compound of Old Dutch hof "yard, court" and stat "place, location, abode, town".
HooglandDutch A toponoymic or habitational surname meaning "highland", derived from Middle Dutch hooch "high" and lant "land".
HuizingaWest Frisian, Dutch Habitational name from Huizinge, a town in Groningen, Netherlands, possibly derived from Old Frisian hūs "house" and dinge "newly cultivated lands"... [more]
KluivertDutch, 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-).
KortlandDutch From any of the places in the Netherlands called Kortland, which means "short land."
LangerakDutch A habitational name from any of several places called Langerak, derived from lang "long" and rak "straight section of a waterway".
LanghoorDutch, Belgian Means "long ear", from lang "long, tall" and oor "ear", a nickname for someone with large ears, or perhaps good hearing.
LavenderEnglish, Dutch Occupational name for a washerman or launderer, Old French, Middle Dutch lavendier (Late Latin lavandarius, an agent derivative of lavanda "washing", "things to be washed"). The term was applied especially to a worker in the wool industry who washed the raw wool or rinsed the cloth after fulling... [more]
LeegstraDutch Probably derived from either leeg "empty, hollow" or laag "low" combined with the West Frisian suffix -stra.
LieshoutDutch Originally indicated a person from the village of Lieshout in the province of North-Brabant, Netherlands. It is possibly derived from either Dutch lies meaning "great manna grass" (a grasslike plant that grows near riverbanks and ponds) or Middle Dutch lese meaning "track, furrow", combined with hout meaning "forest".
MalefeytDutch (Archaic) Archaic Dutch surname that is now no longer in use (not in this exact spelling, that is): the spelling reflects the surname's origin from older times (as -eyt is an exclusively archaic spelling that has not survived into modern times like its counterparts -eit and -ijt did)... [more]
MalefijtDutch Modern form of Malefeyt, which is also the most common form of the surname. In The Netherlands, there were 24 bearers of the surname in 2007.
MessiaenDutch, French, Belgian Derived from Messiaen, the (archaic) Dutch form of the latinate first name Messianus, which itself is ultimately derived from the Roman praenomen Messus.
MondrianDutch Variant of Mondriaan. A notable bearer was the Dutch-American abstract painter Piet Mondrian (1872-1944), born Pieter Cornelis Mondriaan Jr. (He changed his name in 1912, dropping the extra a from his surname).
MorshuisDutch Probably derived from Old Dutch mor "swamp, marsh, peat" and huis "house, home".
NanningaFrisian, Dutch, German Derived from the given name Nanne, a short form of Germanic names containing the element nand meaning "daring, brave, courage"... [more]
NeeskensDutch Nickname for a nosy person, from Dutch nees meaning "nose, snout". It could also be derived from a Dutch diminutive of the feminine given name Agnes... [more]
OudelandDutch Habitational name from places called Oudeland in the Netherlands, or perhaps the village of Oudelande in the Dutch province of Zeeland. Their names mean "old land" in Dutch.
OuwehandDutch Means "old hand" in Dutch, originally a nickname for a fisherman, associated with the phrase "old hands at sea". Another theory holds that it comes from a misdivision of the surname Oudeland... [more]
OverduinDutch Means "over the dune" in Dutch, derived from any of several place names.
OvermarsDutch Means "over the marsh", derived from Middle Dutch over meaning "over, above" and marsch meaning "marsh". A famous bearer of this name is the former Dutch soccer player Marc Overmars (1973-).
OverpeltDutch From the name of a town in Limburg, Belgium, meaning "above the pelt" (see Van Pelt).
PechtoldGerman, Dutch, Jewish From the Old German given name Pechtholt, which is composed of the elements pecht "rotation" and holdt "hero". As a Dutch-language surname, it is derived from the Middle Dutch given name Pechte combined with Old High German walt "power, authority"... [more]
PoortmanDutch Occupational name for a gatekeeper or topographic name for someone who lived near the gates of a fortified town, from Dutch poort "gate" and man "man, person".
ReizigerDutch, Dutch (Surinamese) Derived from Middle Dutch reisiger meaning "traveller, voyager", ultimately from Middle High German meaning "soldier on horseback". It is notably borne by the Dutch former soccer player Michael Reiziger (1973-).
SchilderDutch Means "painter" in Dutch, derived from Middle Dutch schildere "shield painter" (from schilt "shield"), originally denoting someone who painted coats of arms on shields. An occupational name for someone who painted houses, shields, or anything else.
SleegersDutch Older form of modern Dutch slager "butcher" and slachter "slaughterer", derived from Old Germanic *slahaną "to hit, to strike; to kill".
SlotboomDutch From a place name meaning "lock beam", a piece of wood used to close an opening.
SmuldersDutch Occupational name derived from Dutch des mulders meaning "son of the miller". A famous bearer is Canadian-American actress Cobie Smulders (1982-).
SnelliusDutch (Latinized) Latinized form of Snel. A notable bearer was the Dutch astronomer and mathematician Willebrord Snellius (1580-1626; real name Willebrord Snel van Royen), commonly called Snell, for whom the formula Snell's law is named.
SpringerGerman, English, Dutch, Jewish Nickname for a lively person or for a traveling entertainer, from springen "to jump, to leap". A famous bearer was Ludwig der Springer (AKA Louis the Springer), a medieval Franconian count who, according to legend, escaped from a second or third-story prison cell by jumping into a river after being arrested for trying to seize County Saxony in Germany.
StegemanDutch Derived from Middle Dutch stēge "lane, alleyway; steep path, slope" and man "person, man".
SteketeeDutch Derived from the biblical Greek word στήκετε (stekete) meaning "I stand (firm)", probably of Protestant or Huguenot origin.
StrickerGerman, Low German, Dutch Occupational name for a rope maker or knitter (of hose, for example), from an agent derivative of Middle High German, Middle Low German stricken ‘to tie’.
StrijbisDutch Etymology uncertain. Possibly derived from strijd meaning "conflict, strife" or "disputed, contested", an element in some place names.
StryckerDutch From Dutch de Strycker, an occupational name for someone responsible for measuring out cloth or grain. See also Stryker.
StrynckxFlemish Variant form of Dutch Streng "strong, rope, cord", a metonymic occupational name for a rope maker. Alternatively, it could be a nickname derived from streng "strict, severe, cruel".
SuurbierDutch Dutch cognate of Sauerbier. A famous bearer was the Dutch soccer player Wim Suurbier (1945-2020).
SwinkelsDutch Contracted form of Dutch des winkels meaning "from the corner". Compare Winkler.
TazelaarDutch Dutch (Zeeland) variant of ’t Hazelaar "the hazel bush", a topographic name for someone living by hazel bushes.
TerpstraWest Frisian, Dutch Derived from terp, a kind of artificial hill used as shelter during floods or high tide, and the Frisian habitational suffix -stra.
Van BrinkDutch Means "from the village green", from Dutch brink "village green, town square, edge of a field or hill".
Van DelftDutch Means "from Delft" in Dutch, a city in South Holland, Netherlands, named for the nearby Delf canal, which derives from Middle Dutch delven "to dig, delve, excavate; to bury".
Van Der AaDutch, Flemish Means "from the Aa" in Dutch, a common name for rivers and streams derived from Old Germanic *ahwō "stream, river; water".
Van DoornDutch Means "of the thorns", a topographic name for someone who lived near thorn bushes, or in a settlement named after them.
Van DrielDutch Means "from Driel" in Dutch, referring to either the village Driel or any of several other settlements containing driel as an element... [more]
van EssenDutch Means "from Essen" in Dutch, the name of a German city possibly derived from Old High German asc "ash tree".
Van EtterDutch A habitational name for someone from Etten in North Brabant
Van HalenDutch Habitational name for a person from the villages Hoog en Laaghalen in the Dutch province of Drenthe or Halen near Hasselt in Belgian Limburg. Famous bearers include Dutch-born American musicians Eddie Van Halen (1955-2020) and his brother Alex Van Halen (1953-) of the rock band Van Halen... [more]
van MelleDutch, Flemish Means "from Melle". Habitational name for someone hailing from Melle in East Flanders, Belgium.
Van NoortDutch Means "from the north", derived from Middle Dutch nort "north, northwards". Alternatively, can be an altered form of Van Oort.
Van OmmenDutch Means "from Ommen" in Dutch, a city and municipality in northeastern Netherland, historically attested as de Vmme or Ummen, of unknown etymology. It could derived from a prehistoric hydronym.
Van PraagDutch Means "from Prague" name given to someone from Prague.
Van SchieDutch Means "from Schie" in Dutch, the name of a canalised river that lends its name to several nearby toponyms. Possibly related to Middle Dutch scheiden "to separate, to part".
VerwoerdDutch Means "from the man-made hill", derived from Dutch woerd meaning "man-made hill", indicating someone who lived near or on terps (artificial dwelling mounds created to provide safe ground during storm surges, high tides or flooding)... [more]
VreelandDutch Habitational name for a person from a place bearing the same name in the province of Utrecht, which is itself derived from the Middle Dutch word vrede, meaning "peace; legal protection against armed violence".
VrielinkDutch Etymology uncertain. Possibly from the name of a farmstead, itself perhaps derived from a given name such as Frigilo or Friedel... [more]
WeghorstDutch, German Habitational name from a location near Hanover, possibly derived from weg "way, road" and horst "thicket, grove, heap, elevated land" or "nest of a bird of prey, eyrie".
WehlburgGerman (Rare), Dutch (Rare) Possibly derived from German Wehl "pool of water (esp. behind a dyke)" (cognate to Dutch weil "vortex, maelstrom; dyke breach pool") and burg "fortress, citadel".
WitschgeDutch Dutch cognate of Witzke. Famous bearers of this surname include brothers Rob (1966-) and Richard Witschge (1969-), both of whom are former Dutch soccer players.
ZeilstraDutch, West Frisian Derived from zijl "sluice" and the suffix -stra denoting an inhabitant of a place. The name has also been connected to zeil "sail; to sail", possibly a nickname for someone who made sails or spent a lot of time on a ship.
ZijlstraDutch Habitational surname derived from Dutch zijl "sluice, pump" and the West Frisian suffix -stra.