Dutch surnames: history, meaning and origin

In any collective you can meet a person with an unusual, strange or very funny name. As a rule, its origin depends on the specifics of the traditions of the country in which its owner was born. For example, Dutch surnames are considered one of the funniest in the world. Why - learn from this article.

Surname: from birth and for life

The very word "surname", so familiar to us today, comes from the Ancient Roman. This word denoted a large and strong family with a man at the head. Then the ancient Romans included in the concept of the family, by the way, and slaves who serve the masters. In Russia, the orders were almost the same: before the abolition of serfdom the peasants wore the same name as the landowner.

In our time without a name anywhere - it is given to us from birth and most often remains with us for life. Except for special cases, of course.

History of funny Dutch names

Dutch surnames are considered the most ridiculous in the whole of Europe, and this is a reasonably historical explanation. When, in 1811, the nation was subdued by Napoleon, he issued a decree according to which every Dutchman was obliged to acquire a French surname forcibly.

The Dutch themselves, who before had only names, were not going to obey the law. And since they believed that the occupation of the country was only a temporary measure, they decided not to bother and not to puzzle themselves with inventing names. Yes, and to mock the invaders freedom-loving people was not against.

So absolutely stupid surnames appeared, which simply could not be said without laughter. For example, Naaktgeboren, which literally means "born naked." Or Piest ("pissing"). There were also entire tribal branches under the name Rotmensen - in translation from the Dutch, "rotten people".

A few years later, the war with Napoleon ended, and the people of the country once again became independent. However, contrary to expectations, the law was never repealed. So the heirs of these people have to bear discordant surnames to this day. But they are rightfully considered the most original in the world.

What does "van" mean in Dutch surnames?

Recognition of the generic names of the inhabitants of the Netherlands is attached to their nonexistent prefixes: "van", "de", "van der" and others. It is thanks to this that the Dutch surnames are so widely known abroad. For example, in the US they are very popular.

Many Americans have Dutch names automatically associated with prestige and high incomes. Basically, due to the fact that the rich industrialists were from the Netherlands. Take Cornelius Vanderbilt, for example. But his name, in spite of the beautiful sound, is the most ordinary one. There was such a town near Utrecht, he was called Bilt. And the surname Van-der-Bilt (Vanderbilt) means a native of this town, that is, one who comes "from Bilt".

The Germans also have a memorable prefix von, indicating the aristocratic status of the bearer. But the Dutch version of the van is much more prosaic, and no social status behind it is not worth it.

The prefix "van" is usually written by the inhabitants of the Netherlands with a small letter (exception - in the initials or the beginning of the sentence), but abroad it can be found written with a capital letter.

The most popular Dutch names

In general, the Netherlands is a state, although small, but very socially saturated. Proximity to Belgium and Germany, rich ethnic and religious composition, several indigenous groups of the population - all this can not but influence the Dutch names and surnames.

If you want to know all about the names in this country, it is worth to visit the local Social Insurance Bank. In addition to its main task - insurance of the population against all kinds of disasters, this structure is also handled by the statistics of the names of the residents.

Once every three months, bank employees post on the official website lists of the most popular names - male and female. You can also see a tendency to decrease or increase the popularity of each name, in comparison with the previous period. By any name you can find complete information, including its origin, etymology, correspondence in other languages and known carriers.

It is curious that the information on the names you will find only in the Dutch version of the site. Although it itself is available in many languages, including English, German, French and Spanish. But still need to understand Dutch, to find out the most popular Dutch names and surnames.

Men's names, for example, Daan, Sem, Lucas, Milan, Thomas, are found almost everywhere. And if we talk about popular women, then this is Emma, Julia, Sophie, Lotte, Lisa and Anna.

Origin of Dutch surnames

Today almost any Dutch surname can be attributed to one of four categories by origin: geographical, professional, descriptive or family:

1. Widely distributed are family names derived from the region in which the bearer lives or once his ancestor lived. For example, de Vries. Sometimes it's not even just a region, but a concrete estate or a place where a person worked - van Aller or van de Vliert (literally "coming from the farm"),
2. Another example of a typical surname is by profession. For example, Haak means "peddler", Kuiper - "Cooper", and with de Klerk and everything is clear - a person worked as a clerk.
3. The third group of surnames originated from certain physical features of a person or properties of his character. For example, Dik means "fat", and de Groot - "big". Not everyone was lucky with the name, what can I say?
4. The last group of surnames is related to the origin of its bearer and transfers family ties. Addicks means nothing but "the son of Addicus," and Evers is "the son of Ever." That is a kind of patronymic - an analogue of what we wear, in Russia.

Interesting facts about Dutch surnames

• Male Dutch surnames, like ours, are given once and for life. When a girl marries, she has a choice. She can leave either her own name or combine it with the husband's name, turning it into a double. Many prefer the first path, if the surname of the groom is very disingenuous.
• There are more than one hundred thousand original Dutch surnames. And many of them you will not meet anywhere else.
• The name de Jong means "young" and is often given to a younger family member bearing the same name. Whereas the analogue of de Oude "elder" is much less common. It is understandable - to call a new name someone who already has a specific surname, only because a new member has appeared in the family, is not accepted.
• The most popular Dutch surnames are de Jong, de Vries, Jansen, van de Berg, Bakker, van Dijck and Visser.