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Some examples of Dutch surnames found in the US

Many Dutch surnames can be recognized immediately. Many start with the element de ('the'), such as DeGroot ('the great one'), DeVos ('the fox'). Note that the typical Netherlands spelling of these names is de Groot, de Vos, and Flemish spelling Degroot, Devos. Even more frequent are names with van ('of' or 'from'), such as Van Buren, Van Dyck, Van Halen, Van Zandt, Vanderbilt, Vanderzee.

Other names can be recognized from odd elements in the spelling: many names which contain oo, ee, aa, kk, uy, and dt are of Dutch origin, such as Bakker ('Baker'), Hoogenboom ('High tree'), Roosevelt ('Rose field'), Schuyler. Many names with y were changed from the Dutch spelling with ij, which sounds alike but looks very odd to non-Dutch eyes.

Dutch surnames are based on the same naming motives we find elsewhere:

1. Patronymics such as Jansen, Jansz (both from Janszoon = 'Johnson'), Thewissen ('Matthewson')

2. Professions, such as Bakker ('baker'), Wagenmaker ('cartwright'), de Boer ('the farmer')

3. Nicknames, such as de Wit ('the white one'), de Groot ('the large one'), de Leeuw ('the lion')

4. Derivations from ethnic and geographical names, such as de Vries ('The Frisian'), de Zeeuw ('the Zeelander'), van Groningen, van Praag, van Cleef, van Gogh (Kleve and Goch, now in Germany).

[to be continued]

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