Dutch family names started existing only after the invasion of Napoleon. He was the person who made it compulsory for people to use their surnames along with their names while registering themselves (1). Since then, the Dutch started adopting surnames. Dutch surnames are mostly descended from their ancestors, family occupation, or names of objects and animals. This post gives you a list of frequently used Dutch family names, their meanings, and reasons for their usage.

150 Dutch Family Names With Their Meanings

1. Aaldenberg

It is given to people who came from ‘Aaldenberg,’ a place of uncertain location. ‘Aaldenberg’ means ‘old mountain.’

2. Aarden

It is the Dutch word for ‘clay,’ ‘stone,’ or ‘earth.’ This name was likely given to people who worked with these materials.

3. Aarle

A name for a person who belongs to ‘Aarle’ in The Netherlands.

4. Abspoel

This Dutch surname is derived from the name ‘Abtspoel’ which is the name of an estate near ‘Oegstgeest’ in the South Holland. This name means ‘abbot’s pool.’

5. Achterberg

This Dutch last name comes from various places of the same name in The Netherlands and Germany. The word ‘Achterberg’ is a combination of two words, namely ‘achter’ meaning ‘behind’ and ‘berg’ meaning a ‘mountain’ or ‘hill.’

6. Achterkamp

The word comes from Lower German and is a combination of the words ‘achter’ meaning ‘behind’ and ‘kamp’ meaning ‘field.’

7. Achthoven

It comes from the name of several towns of this name in The Netherlands. The name is a combination of the Dutch words ‘acht’ meaning ‘eight’ and ‘hoven’ meaning ‘gardens.’

8. Admiraal

It means ‘admiral’ in Dutch.

9. Adrichem

It comes from the name of a castle and its estate that existed in The Netherlands during the 19th century. The meaning of the name is ‘Adrik’s home.’

10. Akkersdijk

This Dutch last name means ‘field by the dyke.’ The last name was given to the people of the town named Akkersdijk in The Netherlands.

11. Alberink

It stands for ‘Albert’s farm’ in Dutch.

12. Albronda

It is a last name derived from the names of several streets in The Netherlands.

13. Aldenkamp

This Dutch surname means ‘old field.’

14. Alderliesten

It comes from the Dutch word ‘allerliefste,’ which means ‘ the dearest.’ This name could have originally denoted the nature of the person or could be a phrase the person most commonly used.

15. Aldershof

It combines the name ‘Aldert’ with the Dutch word ‘hof’ meaning ‘garden’ or ‘courtyard.’ ‘Aldershof’ thus means ‘Aldert’s garden’ or ‘Aldert’s courtyard.’

16. Alferink

It is the Dutch word for ‘Alfhard’s farm.’

17. Altena

It means ‘close’ or ‘near’ in Dutch. Altena is likely to be inspired from the name of a town of the same name in The Netherlands.

18. Amsing

It means ‘Amse’s farm’ in Dutch.

19. Andringa

It stands for ‘Andrie’s farm’ in Dutch.

20. Angenent

This surname comes from the Dutch phrase ‘an gen ent’ meaning ‘at the end.’ Its original reference is likely to be for someone who lived at the end of the road or village.

21. Anholts

This name was originally given to the people from Anholt in The Netherlands. The word ‘anholt’ means ‘hold’ or ‘rest’ and may have likely referred to a place where people would halt or rest for the night.

22. Anker

Anker means ‘anchor’ in Dutch, and it is likely to be a metonymic surname for a sailor.

This surname comes from the Dutch phrase ‘aan ‘tveldink,’ which means ‘next to the little field.’

24. Apeldoorn

It originates from a city of the same name in The Netherlands. The word ‘Apeldoorn’ means ‘apple tree’ in Dutch.

25. Applelhof

The word ‘Appel’ means ‘apple,’ and ‘hof’ means ‘garden.’ This Dutch last name likely indicated a person who lived close to or within an apple garden.

26. Appelo

This name indicates a person who came from a farm called ‘Aperloo.’ The word ‘aperloo’ comes from ‘appel’ meaning apple. ‘Aperloo’ thus refers to an apple farm.

27. Arbeid

It is the Dutch word for ‘work’ or ‘labor.’

28. Arbeider

It is a Dutch last name that means ‘worker’ or ‘laborer.’

29. Arendonk

It denotes someone who came from the town of Arendonk in Belgium. This Dutch surname combines the words ‘arend’ meaning ‘eagle’ and ‘donk’ meaning a ‘hill.’

30. Arzt

This Dutch last name comes from the German word ‘arzt’ meaning a doctor. This surname may have likely referred to physicians of German origin.

31. Asselman

It denotes a person either from Asselt, a town in The Netherlands or Hasselt, a city in Belgium. The word ‘Asselt’ comes from the Germanic words ‘asc’ meaning ‘ash tree’ and ‘lauha’ meaning ‘woods on sandy soil.’ The name ‘Hasselt’ comes from the German word ‘Hasel’ for ‘hazel tree.’

32. Assenberg

It is a combination of the Dutch word ‘essen’ meaning ‘ash tree’ and ‘berg’ meaning ‘mountain.’

33. Assendorp

It likely refers to someone from the town of Assendorp in The Netherlands. The word ‘Assendorp’ is a combination of the Dutch words ‘essen’ meaning ‘ash tree’ and ‘dorp’ meaning ‘village.’

34. Assink

It denotes a place called ‘Asse’s farm.’ The surname likely referred to people who came from or around the farm of unknown location.

35. Averesch

This Dutch surname is likely a combination of Dutch words representing the phrase ‘over the ash tree.’

36. Aveskamp

It means ‘the edge of the camp’ in Dutch.

37. Baaiman

It means ‘son of Baaij.’ The name ‘Baaij’ originates from the names of Baugulf, Boudewijn or Bernard.

38. Baardwijk

It likely refers to the people from Baardwijk, a place in The Netherlands. The name was probably derived from the combination of the word ‘Baard,’ a variant of ‘Bert’ meaning ‘bright’ and ‘Wijk,’ which means ‘neighborhood’ or ‘district’ in Dutch.

39. Baars

It refers to a person who came from the town called Beers in The Netherlands.

40. Baart

This name is a variation of the word ‘baard,’ which means ‘beard’ in Dutch.

41. Baas

It is the Dutch word for ‘boss,’ ‘master’ or ‘chief.’

42. Bakhuizen

It translates to ‘bakehouse’ in Dutch and thus the surname refers to a ‘bakery.’ This Dutch surname likely refers to a baker or someone who worked at a bakery.

43. Berg

It is the Dutch and Germanic word for ‘mountain.’ It probably referred to someone who lived in or near the mountains.

44. Bezuidenhout

This Dutch last name comes by combining the words ‘zuid’ meaning ‘ ‘south’ and ‘hout’ meaning ‘forest.’ The surname thus means ‘south forest.’

45. Boerefijn

This surname likely comes from the French word ‘beurre fin’ meaning ‘fine butter’ or ‘good butter.’

46. Borst

It is the Dutch word for ‘chest’ (part of the body).

47. Bosch

It means ‘the woods’ or a ‘forest’ in Dutch.

48. Bouwmeester

This surname means an ‘architect’ or ‘builder’ in Dutch.

49. Bunschoten

This name was given to people from the town of Bunschoten in The Netherlands. The word means a ‘raised, enclosed land.’

50. Cruyssen

It is derived from the word ‘kruis,’ which means ‘cross’ in Dutch.

51. Daalmans

It combines the words ‘dal’ meaning a ‘dale’ or ‘valley’ and ‘mans’ meaning ‘man.’ It translates to ‘valley man’ thus referring to people who lived in the valley.

52. Dam

It is the Dutch word for ‘dam’ or a ‘dike.’

53. De Groot

It is a variant of the word ‘groot,’ which means ‘great’ or ‘large’ or ‘big’ in Dutch.

54. De Jonker

This Dutch surname is a variant of the word ‘jonker,’ which means ‘young lord.’

55. De Haven

It means ‘haven,’ ‘harbor’ or a ‘port’ in Dutch.

56. De Klerk

It is variant of the name ‘klerk, which is the Dutch word for ‘clerk.’

57. De Vries

It means ‘the Frisian’ referring to someone from Friesland – a region in the northern Netherlands.

58. De Witte

It means ‘the white’ in Dutch and likely refers to someone with white hair.

59. Eikenboom

This Dutch surname translates to an ‘oak tree.’

60. Elzinga

It is derived from the word ‘els,’ which is the Dutch word for an alder tree.

61. Haak

It is an occupational surname which means ‘peddler’” in Dutch.

62. Haanraads

This surname was originally used for someone from Haanrade, a village in The Netherlands.

63. Hagen

It is derived from the Old Dutch word ‘Hago’ meaning an ‘enclosure’ or ‘pasture.’ ‘Hagen’ also translates to a ‘fence’ or ‘hedge’ in modern Dutch.

64. Heeren

It comes from the word ‘Heer,’ which means ‘lord’ or ‘master.’ This surname was likely given to someone who worked as a lord (aristocrat) or worked with a lord.

65. Hoedemaker

It is a Dutch occupational surname made from ‘hoed’ meaning ‘hat’ and ‘maker.’ It was probably given to hat makers or those who worked with hat makers.

66. Hoek

It means an ‘angle’ or ‘corner’ in Dutch.

67. Holst

It refers to someone originally from the region called Holstein between the Denmark and Germany border.

68. Holt

It comes from the Old Dutch word ‘Holt’ meaning forest.

69. Houtkooper

It is the Dutch word for ‘buyer of wood’ or ‘wood merchant.’

70. Hummel

It originated as a nickname for a busy person. This surname meant ‘bee’ in Middle German thus probably referring to someone ‘as busy as a bee.’

71. Jonker

It means ‘young lord’ or a ‘young nobleman’ in Dutch.

72. Kappel

It is a variation of the word ‘kapel,’ which means ‘chapel’ in Dutch. The surname likely referred to a person who worked in a chapel or lived near a chapel.

73. Kikkert

It is derived from the Dutch word ‘kikker’ meaning a ‘frog.’

74. Klein

It means ‘small’ or ‘little’ in Dutch.

75. Kloet

It is the Old Dutch word for a ‘lump’ or a ‘ball.’

76. Koopman

This occupational surname means ‘merchant’ in Dutch.

77. Kuiper

It is the Dutch word for ‘cooper’ thus making it an occupational surname for those who worked as a cooper – a maker and repairer of casks and barrels.

78. Langbroek

It originally referred to someone from Langbroek, a town in The Netherlands. The word Langbroek is a combination of ‘lang’ meaning ‘wide,’ and ‘broek’ meaning a ‘meadow.’

79. Langenberg

It means ‘long mountain’ in Dutch, and there are several places by this name in The Netherlands.

80. Leeuwenhoek

It means ‘lion’s corner’ in Dutch. A notable bearer of this surname was Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, a Dutch microbiologist, who is often referred to as ‘The Father of Microbiology.’

81. Loman

It refers to people who belong to any of the various places named Lonan in The Netherlands. The word ‘Loman’ comes from the Old Dutch word ‘loh’ meaning a ‘meadow’ or a ‘clearing.’

82. Muyskens

This surname refers to an animal since ‘Muyskens’ translates to ‘little mouse’ in Dutch.

83. Nagel

Nagel means ‘nail’ in Dutch. This surname was likely used to refer to those who worked as carpenters or made nails.

84. Offermans

It is derived from the Dutch word ‘Offer,’ which means a ‘donation’ or ‘offering.’ This Dutch surname was likely given to those who collected money in a church.

85. Oomen

It is a patronymic name derived from ‘oom’ referring to ‘maternal uncle’ in Middle Dutch.

86. Peerenboom

It is the Dutch word for a ‘pear tree.’ It was probably given to someone who lived or worked near pear orchards.

87. Penders

It is an occupational surname that comes from the Middle Dutch word ‘Paenders’ meaning a ‘brewer.’

88. Philips

A very common Dutch surname meaning ‘son of Philip.’ The name Philip comes from the Greek word ‘Philippos’ meaning ‘friends of horses.’

89. Prinsen

It means ‘son of Prince’ referring to an actual prince or someone who acted in a regal way.

90. Rademaker

The first half of the surname comes from the Dutch word ‘Rad’ meaning ‘wheel’ while the other half means ‘maker.’ It is thus an occupational surname meaning a ‘wheelmaker.’

91. Rietveld

It means ‘reed field’ originating from a combination of the Dutch words ‘riet’ meaning ‘reed’ and ‘veld’ meaning ‘field.’

92. Roggeveen

This Dutch surname refers to a ‘rye field.’

93. Romeijnders

It is derived from the Dutch word ‘Romein,’ a person who comes from Rome.

94. Rooijakkers

It is the combination of the Dutch words ‘rood’ meaning ‘red’ and ‘akker’ meaning ‘field.’ The word thus means ‘red field.’

95. Roosa

It is a derivative of the word ‘roos,’ which means ‘rose’ in Dutch.

96. Roosvelt

It means ‘rose field’ in Dutch. ‘Roos’ means ‘rose’ and ‘velt’ comes from ‘veld’ meaning ‘field’ in Dutch.

97. Ryskamp

‘Ryskam’ is derived from the word ‘kamp,’ which means ‘camp’ in Dutch.

98. Schenk

It comes from the Middle Dutch word ‘Schenke’ meaning a ‘wine server’ thus making it an occupational surname.

99. School

It is the Dutch word for ‘school’ meaning the same as English. It is an occupational surname likely used to refer to someone who works in a school.

100. Schoorl

It was likely used to refer to people who came from the coastal village of Schoorlin The Netherlands. The word ‘Schoorl’ means ‘forest by the shore.’

101. Schrijnemakers

It is an occupational surname given to cabinet makers. ‘Schrijn’ means ’box’ or ‘container.’

102. Slootmaekers

In Dutch, slot means ‘lock.’ Slootmaker is an occupational name given to locksmiths.

103. Smit

Smit means ‘metalworker’ or ‘blacksmith’ in Middle Dutch. It is probably an occupational surname.

104. TerAvest

It means ‘at the edge’ or ‘eave.’ It likely referred to someone who lived at the edge of a forest or any other region.

105. Van Aalsburg

It means a person from ‘Aalsburg.’ The word ‘Aalsburg’ likely originated from the word Adelsburg where ‘adel’ means ‘noble’ and and ‘burg’ means ‘fortress.’

106. Van Aggelen

It means ‘from Aggelen.’ The place ‘Aggelen’ is a likely reference to either ‘Achel’ in Belgium or ‘Limburg’ in The Netherlands.

107. Van Aggteren

This Dutch last name means ‘from behind.’ It probably refers to someone who lived at a place behind or at the end of the road.

108. Van Alphen

This surname means ‘from Alphen.’ Alphen is a town in The Netherlands.

109. Van Alst

In Dutch, this surname means ‘from Aalst.’ A town with the name Aalst exists in Belgium and The Netherlands. The name of the place likely comes from German and means a ‘living place.’

110. Van Amelsvoort

It means ‘from Amersfoort,’ a city in The Netherlands. The name itself means ‘ford (shallow) of the Amer River’ in Dutch.

111. Van Amstel

The Dutch surname means ‘from Amstel,’ a river in The Netherlands. The name of the river Amstel is derived from the Old Dutch phrase ‘aemestelle’ meaning ‘water area.’

112. Van Andel

It means ‘from Andel’, a town in The Netherlands. The word ‘Andel’ likely means ‘upper forest’ in Old Dutch.

113. Van Ankeren

This surname means ‘from the anchor’ in Dutch.

114. Van As

Van As means ‘from Asch’ in Dutch. Asch is a town in The Netherlands, and it means ‘ash tree.’

115. Van Bokhoven

It means ‘from Bokhoven’, a town in The Netherlands. The name of the place means ‘goat yards’ in Dutch.

116. Van Breda

It means the person is ‘from Breda’, a city in The Netherlands. The name Breda is a combination of the Dutch word ‘breed’ meaning ‘wide’ and ‘Aa’ the name of a river.

117. Van Buren

This last name means ‘from Buren.’ Buren is the name of a couple of towns in The Netherlands. The name is derived from the Old Dutch word ‘bur’ that means ‘house’ or a ‘dwelling.’

118. Van Dalen

Dal means ‘valley’ in Dutch. This surname means ‘from the Valley.’

119. Van Der Aart

The word ‘Aart’ is derived from the Dutch word ‘Aarde’ meaning ‘earth.’ The name means ‘from the earth.’ It was probably used for a farmer.

120. Van Der Beek

In Dutch, this surname means ‘from the creek’ or ‘from the brook’ since ‘Beek’ refers to a ‘creek’ or a ‘brook.’

121. Van Der Berg

It means ‘from the mountains’ since ‘Berg’ means ‘mountains.’

122. Van Der Stoep

It means ‘from the paved entrance.’ ‘Stoep’ is the Dutch word for a ‘paved porch at the house entrance.’

123. Van Der Veen

This name means ‘from the swamp’ or ‘from the peat.’ Veen refers to a ‘swamp,’ ‘peat’ or ‘marsh.’ It likely refers to someone who lived close to a swamp.

124. Van Der Zee

The word ‘Zee’ means ‘sea’ in Dutch. This last name means ‘from the sea’ thus originally used to refer coastal inhabitants.

125. Van Der Vliert

This name means ‘from the elderberry’ and may have been used as a name for someone who lived in or around an elderberry orchard.

126. Van Donk

This Dutch last name means ‘from the hill.’ The word ‘Donk’ means ‘sandy hill’ in Dutch.

127. Van Dijk

This Dutch surname means ‘from the Dike.’

128. Van Hassel

This name means ‘from Hassel.’ Hassel could refer to a town in Germany. The word ‘Hassel’ is a likely derivation of ‘Hasel,’ which means ‘Hazel tree.’

129. Van Herten

This Dutch surname means ‘from Herten.’ ‘Herten’ is a town in The Netherlands, and its name means ‘deer’ in Dutch.

130. Van Laar

‘Laar’ is the Dutch word for an ‘open spot in the forest.’ The surname means ‘from Laar’, that is, someone who may have lived in a clearing in the forest.

131. Van Middelburg

It means ‘from Middelburg’, a city in The Netherlands. The name of the city means ‘middle fortress’ in Dutch.

132. Van Ophoven

This name means ‘from Ophoven’, which is the name of several towns in The Netherlands. The word ‘Ophoven’ means ‘upper garden’ or ‘upper courtyard.’

133. Van Rompaey

This name means ‘from the wide path.’ The word ‘Rompaey’ is the combination of two Middle Dutch words, namely ‘ruum’ meaning ‘wide’ and ‘pat’ meaning ‘path.’

134. Van Rossum

This Dutch name means ‘from Rossum,’ a town in The Netherlands. The name ‘Rossum’ is derived from the Dutch words ‘rothe’ meaning a ‘clearing in a forest’ and ‘heim’ meaning ‘home.’

135. Van Wegberg

It means ‘from Wegberg’, a small German town that lies on the German-Dutch border. The name ‘Wegberg’ is derived from Old German words ‘weg’ meaning ‘way’ or ‘path’ and ‘berg’ meaning ‘mountain.’

136. Van Willigen

It means ‘from willows.’ The word ‘Willigen’ comes from the Old Dutch word ‘wilga’ meaning ‘willow.’

137. Verboom

This Dutch surname means ‘from the tree.’

138. Verhoeven

This name means ‘from the farm’ in Dutch. ‘Hoeve’ means ‘farm’ and thus the name was given to a person who lived on a farm.

139. Vermeulen

This Dutch surname means ‘from the mill.’

140. Ververs

The word ‘Verver’ refers to a ‘dyer’ or a ‘painter.’ Hence, this is an occupational surname.

141. Vervloet

It means ‘from the stream’ in the Flemish dialect of Dutch.

142. Visscher

It originates from the Dutch word ‘visser,’ which means ‘fisherman.’ ‘Visscher’ is an occupational Dutch last name.

143. Vogel

This name means ‘bird’ in Dutch. It was a surname probably given to people who caught birds and a nickname to a person who likes singing.

144. Vossen

It comes from the word ‘Vos,’ which originated from the Old Germanic word ‘Fos’ meaning ‘folk’ or ‘people.’

145. Vroom

This Dutch surname means ‘pious’ or ‘devout.’

146. Wang

It is the Dutch word for ‘cheek.’ It was the last name originally denoted to someone with prominent, round or rosy cheeks.

147. Waterman

It means a ‘boatman’ or a ‘ferryman.’ It was probably an occupational surname but may also have been used for someone who lived by water.

148. Westenberg

In Dutch, Westenberg means ‘west of the mountain,’ and the surname was likely used for referring someone who lived there.

149. Zaal

‘Zaal’ is the Dutch word for‘hall.’

150. Zuiderduin

This Dutch surname means ‘southern Dune.’

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