Robert V J P Varman Ph D
DUTCH HEREDITARY AND PATRONYMIC SURNAMES WITH BRIEF GUIDE TO THE LANGUAGES
used in Birth, Death & Marriage registers
BACK (C)
Common Dutch christian, or first, names
For who knows how many centuries a son or daughter was surnamed after their father's first name or if the father had died at an early stage, children might be named after their mother's name. The naming system lasted longest among the Scandinavians, Friesians and the Dutch.
The adoption of hereditary surnames began gradually with the royal and noble families and later among the more ordinary folk. Some Belgian surnames are among the oldest in Europe. There was a very practical reason for the development of surnames, particularly in areas of dense populations where christian, or first, names were so duplicated that further distinctions had to be made. The situation was made even more favourable for the development of surnames when the Church forbade first names which were not the names of saints. In the Netherlands, surnames did not become compulsory until 1811, though most people had hereditary surnames by then.
The formula is fairly simple: the words son or daughter is added to whatever form the father's (or mother's) christian name took. The following is an example of how the system worked. English names have been used in some of the examples, so as to clarify the mechanisms at work.
Christian name---plus---sometimes the possessive 's'---plus---son/daughter
John the son of John was called John Johnson. John Johnson had a son Jacob, so he was known as Jacob Johnson (not because the name is hereditary but because his father was also called John). Jacob Johnson had a son Peter, he was known as Peter Jacobson and so on. An example from my de Vos ancestry of Vossemeer, Zeeland:
Leunis. (born ca 1450s).
had a son
Crijn Leunisse, the elder. (born ca 1480s/1490s).
had a son
(Crijn) Crijn Leunisse, the younger. (born ca 1518-died before 1558).
had a son
Leunis Crijnsse ( 1552-1616).
had a son
Crijn Leunisse (1575-1627).
had a son
Jacob Crijnsse de Vos (ca1605-after 1657)
had a son
Crijn Jacobse de Vos (1642-1710)
had a son
Abraham de Vos (1673-1715)
The patronymic system in this example was abandoned around the time of Abraham. The name Crijn was derived from Quirijnus and Leunis was derived from the name Apollonius.
The system can be of great genealogical value when compounding occurs. For example, Peter Jacobson might otherwise be called Peter John Johnson Jacobson; meaning Peter the son of Jacob, the son of John, the son of John. In Dutch it would come out something like Peter Jan Janse(n) Jacobsen.
The system was also used with hereditary surnames. John van Bergen's son John would be known as John Johnson van Bergen. Sometimes the patronym was placed after the hereditary surname, so it would be John van Bergen Johnson .
The following is an example extracted from the family history of the widespread van den Nieuwenhuysen family (Non Omnia Possumus Omnes , 's-Hertogenbosch, 1988, by Drs L.F.W. Adriaenssen):
Jan van den Nieuwenhoven
had a son
Bartolomeus Janssoen van den Nieuwenhuysen, born ca 1350
had a son
Henrick Bartolomeus Janssen van den Nieuwenhuysen, ca 1395-1465
had a son
Michiel Hendrix Bartolomeus van den Nieuwenhuysen, ca 1440 - before 1503
had a son
Bartolomeus Michiel Henrix van den Nieuwenhuysen, born ca 1470
had a son
Michiel Bartolomeus Michielsen van den Nieuwenhuysen, born ca 1510s?
had a son
Michiel Michiel Bartolomeus Michielsen van den Nieuwenhuysen, born ca 1540
had a son
Gisbrecht Michielssen van den Nieuwenhuysen, 1572-1656
had a son
Michiel Ghijberts van den Nieuwenhuysen,1620-1688
had a son
Geysbert Michielssen van den Nieuwenhuysen, 1663-1729
had a son
Jan Ghysberts van den Nieuwenhuysen, 1702-after 1746
had a son
Marten van den Nieuwenhuysen, 1726-1796
had children but the patronymic system was no longer observed.
Care must be taken because there are overlaps in custom, commonly from the 1700s when second and even third names could be used without indicating ancestry, a naming system which is still common today in most western countries. However, the forms the names take are without the suffixes sen, se, s, sz, zoon and z: these all mean the same thing as the English equivalents, son and s (Johnson and Johns).
COMMON DUTCH FIRST NAMES WITH WELL-KNOWN VARIATIONS
The following names are some of the most common of Dutch first names, names which might have found themselves in New Amsterdam during the 1600s are given particular attention and reflect the traditions of the west coast of the Netherlands, the provinces of Friesland, North and South Holland, Zeeland, and during the 1800s, Zeeland-Flanders.
Two examples are given which illustrate the forms patronymics may take:
Joannes or Johannes = Jan, Jannes, (Johan more common in Germany) Hans. Hence surnames like: Jansoon, Janzoon, Jansen, Janssen, Janse, Jans, Jansz, Janz. Hannes, Hanson etc.
Theodoric(us), Theodorik = Diederik = Dierik, Dierick = Dirik, Derik, Derek, Dirk, Derk. At an early stage in the language d's could be left out in the middle of words, so Dederik became Derik, broeder (brother) became broer, even Nederland could become Neerland (but in the last case mainly in poetry and song).
Hence: forms of Deri(c)k: Deriks, Dericks, Deriksz, Dericksz Derixs, Dericxsz, even Derickxsz. Despite what the spelling may seem to indicate, these names are all pronounced 'deriks' and indicat the 'son of Derik'. 'C' and 'k' and 'ck' are all interchangeable.
One may get names like: Deriksoon, Deriksoen, Dericzoon, Deriksen, Derikse, Derickx.
The final 'e' of such names as Janse, Dirikse and Willemse are pronounced as if one were about to say, for example, Deriksen but leave off the 'n'.
In cases where it would be awkward to add 'sen', just 'en' was tacked on to the end. As above, the terminal 'n' could and often was dropped. For example, from Adam, we get Daem; the surname could become Daems or Daemen but rarely Daemsen.
Sometimes the Christian name remained as it was when used as a surname. For example, Nijs (Dionysius) is found as a hereditary surname as both Nijs and Nijssen.
List of Christian Names that became Surnames
It is from names such as the below that patronymic surnames developed, many eventually became permanent, or hereditary. See examples of the mechanism directly above.
Adam = Dam, Daem
Adrianus = Aerien, Arien, Ariaan, Ary
Andreas = Andrie, Dre, Dree, Dri, Drie (hence Driessen(s)) ('ie' = 'ee')
Antonius = Anton = Ton, Toon, Tonis, Toonis, Thonis, Theun ('th' = 't')
Apollonius = Leunis, Leun, Lon, Plonis, Pleun, Plon
Arnoldus = Arnold = Art, Aart, Aerdt, Arend, Aren, Arnt ('ae' = 'aa')
Christianus = Janus, Corst, Kirst ('k' = 'c')
Clemmentius = Clemmence = Lemmen (also from Lambertus)
Cornelius = Cornelis = Nelis, Nel
Dionysius = Dionys, Nijs, Nys ('ij' = 'y')
Eberhard/Everhardus = Everaert, Evert, Ever
Edmond = Emond, Emon, Mond
Engelbertus = Engel
Folbert/Folbertus = Foppe, Fop
Fredericus/Frederik = Fedde, Fedt ?????
Gerardus = Gerit, Geraert, Gerard, Geert, Ger
Gijsbertus = Ghys, Gijs
Godefridus/Godefridi = Geuijen
Godmar = Gommer
Goswinus = Gosewijn = Goes, Geus, Gos
Hendricus/Henricus = Hendri(c)k = Hein, Heijn, Heyn, Hen, Hin
Hermanus = Herm, Man, Manus (also from Thilmanus)
Isabella = Beel
Joannes or Johannes = Jan, Jannes, Hannes, (Johan more common in Germany).
Jacobus = Jacob = Cob, Kop, Cub (with 'c' or 'k'), Jeu(c)k. The possessive could be 's', 'en' or 'ens', or another form of 'sen', hence surnames like Cobben, Coppen, Koppen, Jeuken, Jeukens.
Jodocus = Joost, Jost, Jo, Joest
Josephus = Jo
Koenraed = Coenradt, Coen, Coon, Koen, Cort
Lambertus = Lammer(t), Lemmer, Lemmen (see Clemmentius)
Laurentius = Laurens
Leonardus = Lennaert, Lennart, Leender
Mathias = Mathijs, Thijs, Tijs, Thies, Theeus, Duys, Deus
Nicolaas = Claes, Klaas, Kleus, Col, Kool, (Colin)
Paschasius = Paes
Paulus = Pauwel, Powel
Petrus = Peter = Peeter, Peet, Pieter, Piter, Pyeter, Per, Pier
Philippus = Philip
Quirijnus = Crijn, Krijn
Reinerous = Reyner, Reijner, Reinaert, Reinard, Renier, Reijnder, Rene
Rombert = Rommert, Rom
Sebustianus = Bastiaan
Servatius = Vaes, Vaas, Vos
Severinus = Severijn, Frijnt, Frint, Vrient
Theodoric(us), Theodorik = Diederik = Dierik, Dierick = Dirik, Derik, Derek, Dirk, Derk. ('k' = 'ck')
Thomas = Tomas, Maes, Maas
Wilhelmus = Willem, Wim
Winandus = Wynand
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The bulk of Dutch surnames are readily identifiable, even non-Dutch surnames which have been modified by Dutch usage can become distinctly Dutch, such as occurred in New Amsterdam where Scandinavian and German surnames became Netherlandised. Many 'Dutch' surnames found their origin in the Dutch colonies in the New World. The system of patronyms survived for a while. Someone for example that came to New Amsterdam (New York) from Zeeland might be dubbed 'de Zeeuw' and the name took root.
Key Features: prefixes such as van, van den, are immediately obvious as Dutch, even if they have been run together; Vansittard, Vanderham. Names prefixed with 'de' that are obviously not French. Suffixes often help, sen, se, ma but sen is also used in Scandinavia and North Germany. Dutch spelling can be a give-away, especially the double 'a's such as aa (formerly also 'ae') but these are often changed after a Dutchman emigrates to another land.
PREFIX NAMES
van: pronounced 'vun', rhymes with bun but never as van as in caravan.Sometimes the 'v' is pronounced something closer to an 'f'. The meaning is 'from' or 'of' and refers to a place of residence, usually a town but sometimes the name of a property, house or place of business.
van de: 'from the'. Gendered definite article, that is, male/female.
van der: 'from the'. The old feminine form of the definite article.
van den: 'from the'. The old masculine definite article.
van 't (van het): 'from the'.The neuter form of the definite article. Example, van 't Hoen
ver: 'from the'. The running together of van der. For example, van der Meer may also be written as Vermeer (as appears in my ancestry).
ter: 'at the', 'in the'. Surnames can be written as, ter Toolen or Tertoolen
ten: 'at the'. ten Bruggen
den: 'the'. In this form is mostly applied to a town or district; Den Haag, Den Helder, Den Bosch.
There was an English equivalent to van in the word 'of' but the usage died out centuries ago. Names prefixed with van de, ter or ten have their English equivalents in A' At, Atte, Atta, Atten; for example a'Beckett, Attwell and Attenborough.
de: 'the'. Gendered form of the definite article. A common element in Dutch names such as de Vos (Fox), de Wolf (Wolf), de Boer, (Farmer), de Klerk, (Clerk)
der: 'the'. Feminine. Uncommon. Example, Derwedewe (the ?).
den: 'the'. Masculine. Fairly uncommon. Example, den Boer (the farmer).
't (het) 'the'. Neuter form. Example: 't Hart (probably the name of a house or property).
The English equivalents would be as noted above but of course without any prefix: Fox, Wolff, Farmer, Baker, Butcher.
There are many other prefix names but they tend to be more uncommon:
opt: 'on (at) the'. Archaic example, opt Dorp (dorp=village).
aende: 'at (along) the'. Archaic example: aende Wech (at/along the road).
an gen: 'at the': An gen Dijk (Angendick). This and the following two are found mainly in the southern provinces and Flanders.
in gen (in ghen): 'in the'. Example, in gen Hoff.
op gen (op ghen): 'on the'.
buiten: 'outside (the)'. Examples: Buitenlaar, Buitendijk.
tot: 'from' or 'to'. Often found in noble compound surnames but was sometimes used as an alternative for 'van' in earlier times.
NOBLE NAMES
In noble names the prefix 'van' is common but indicates the area of their jurisdiction, rather than from where they came from. Sometimes the place name was added to a pre-existing surname:
Schimmelpennink van der Oye van Hoevelaken.
Often more than one place was indicated, resulting in compound names such as:
van Tuyll van Serooskerken.
van Swinderen van Rensuma.
Sometimes whole districts could be indicated, sometimes resulting in very long surnames, one such example:
van Voërst van Averbergen tot den Borgel en Wolthers.
(from Voerst from Averbergen to the Bergel and Wolthers).
DUTCH TERMINATING DIMINUTIVES
These are fairly unique in Europe but has a kinship with the English terminal diminutives -y or -ie (or earlier -ken, or -kin), for example; Johnny, Johnnie. While they do sometimes become surnames, they are best recognized as baptismal names.
je: Pietje (from Peter).
tje: Jantje (from Jan), Jacomijntje (Jacomijn).
ptje: Willempje (Willem).
ke(n): Janeke(n). Related to the English -ken, or -kin; Johnnykin?
ske(n):Pietske.
A good percentage of early Dutch American surnames are of Friesian origin. In many cases the names are indistinguishable from the rest of the Netherlands. Most early surnames were patronimic and sometimes the christian name forming the patronymic surname was a typically Friesian name such as Jelle, Foppe and Fokke.
One unique feature of many surnames are the terminal letters -ma, -sma, stra etc.
FLEMISH BELGIAN and BRABANT NAMES
Surnames began there at an earlier stage than most other areas, probably because Flanders was once one of the economic wonders of Europe and urbanization developed rapidly. Flemish is very similar to Dutch but has definite distinguishing characteristics and was once the literary language of the Dutch. Flemish shares many characteristics with the Brabant dialect.
Distinguishing characteristics can be subtle, 'g' is often written as 'gh', such as the name van Ermingen in Flanders may be written van Erminghen. Flemmings as Flemminghs; de Jong as de Jongh.. The convention for 'aa' as 'ae'; 'oo' as 'oe'; 'cq' for 'ck'or 'k'; 'cx' for 'cks' or 'ckx' is stronger in Flanders and Brabant. Borg(h) is often used instead of burg or berg. Prefix names are much the same but there are more varieties of them that have survived as hereditary surnames. The following may not be exclusive to Flanders but are certainly indicative:
die: die Brouwer (the Brewer). Pronounced as 'dee'.
op: Opstroom (Up stream).
op gen or op ghen: Opghenhaeffen (On, at or up the haven, or harbour).
onder den: Onderdenwyngaard (under, or below, the vinyard).
S: (short for des): Sbrouwers (the brewer); Sbleynden (the blind?); Smayers (the miller); Smolders (the miller?). The 'S' can be exchanged with 'de' or 'die' (the) without loss of meaning. In Dutch an apostrophe is places before a small 's', such as in the formal name for The Hague, 's-Gravenhage. 'Z' can be substituted for 'S' but is rare; Zwevers (the weaver).
Uyt: Uythoven (out of, or from, the garden).
Uytten: Uyttenboogaerd (out of the, or from the, orchard).
FLEMISH AND BRABANT TERMINATING DIMINUTIVES
-ske: Aeltske(n).
-ke(n): Aeltken. In the Dutch north it would be Aeltje, Aeltjen, even Aeltie.
-kens: Corstkens (Corst, or Corstiaen, derived from Christian); Gheenkens. The surname Vossen or de Vos can become Voskens.
-gen, ghen: Aeltgen, Aeltghen.
CONVENTION
Another way to pick a Belgian surname is that instead of separating the 'van' from the rest of the name, the two are often run together (like happened to Dutch surnames in the USA and even Britain ):
van Dijke can be Vandyke
van den Boogaerdt can be Vandenboogaerdt
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Last Updated: 3 January 1999