Surname Akkermans - Meaning and Origin

Akkermans: What does the surname Akkermans mean?

The last name Akkermans is of Dutch origin, coming from the element ‘akker’ meaning ‘field’. The name suggests someone who owned or worked on a field, likely in the areas surrounding the Netherlands. This is indicated by the multiple alternate spellings of the surname, including Ackermans, Akkerman, and Akermans. It is further supported by documents referencing landowners, fieldworkers, and farm workers with the Akkermans surname and variations of it.

The name is still quite common in modern Netherlands and the Netherlands’ surrounding countries, with there being more than 24,000 people with the last name Akkermans or variants of it in the Netherlands today. Many of them are descendants of immigrants who have moved to the area for work and for family reasons. The name is also present in other countries, such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and India.

Ultimately, the last name Akkermans is derived from the Dutch words ‘akker’, meaning ‘field’ and ‘mans’, meaning ‘man’. People with this last name were likely landowning or working farmers in the early days of the Netherlands, but today it is a quite common name found around the world and is common in many European nations.

Akkermans: Where does the name Akkermans come from?

The surname Akkermans is a patronymic surname which originates in Dutch and is today most commonly found in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Northern France. It is also found in Suriname which was once a Dutch Colony.

In the Netherlands, Akkermans is most concentrated in Limburg, a region situated on the southern border of the Netherlands, and in the southern, poorer part of Noord-Brabant, where it is the 7th most common surname. In Belgium, the Akkermans family is generally localized in Flanders but can be found throughout the country.

In the United States, the surname is mainly concentrated in Wisconsin and Michigan, due to people of Dutch-descent having immigrated to those areas in the early and mid 1800s. In Canada, the surname Akkermans is most commonly found in Ontario, which has the largest Dutch-Canadian population.

Today, Akkermans is a relatively uncommon surname, estimated to be held by approximately 10,000 people worldwide. Most people with the surname Akkermans are linked to the origin of Dutch ancestry, however other cultures throughout Europe may also have the surname due to migration or intermarriage over the centuries.

Variations of the surname Akkermans

The surname Akkermans is a Dutch patronymic surname, derived from the name of a father, or ancestor, surnamed Akker, meaning “acre” or “field.” Many variants of the Akkermans surname exist, including Akerman, Akermans, Aikerman, Akkers, Akkermans as well as other related spellings such as Ackerman, Ackermann, Ackermans, Ackermaan, Akermans, Akkerman, Ackerman, Ackermans, Aikermann, Akkermaan and also Ackermans. There are also other, more elaborate spellings, such as van Akkermans, van Akermans and van Akkerman. Other related, more recent surnames derived from Akkermans include van Akkermann, van Akkermaan and van Akkerman.

The Akkermans surname has been present in the Netherlands since the Middle Ages, when it was first recorded in Amsterdam in the 15th century. In the Netherlands, the name has been associated with some rather prominent members of society—such as the Van Akkeren family of Amsterdam, who held prominent positions in the Dutch government. The Akkermans surname was also carried by some immigrants to America, where it found its way to Pennsylvania, New York and Louisiana in the 17th century.

Today, the surname Akkermans is found predominantly in the Netherlands, although there is a large diaspora of Akkermans in the Netherlands and other countries all around the world. Additionally, as with many Dutch surnames, there are both Dutch and non-Dutch spellings of the same surname. As such, the family name Akkermans is widely recognizable all over the world.

Famous people with the name Akkermans

• Erwin Akkerman: Dutch football player.
• Arend Jan Akkerman: Dutch football player.
• Claudia Akkerman: Dutch film director.
• Hetty Akkerman: Dutch actress.
• Wiet Akkerman: Dutch philosopher and theologian.
• Joost Akkerman: Dutch visual artist.
• Herman Akkerman: Dutch professional footballer.
• Tom Akkerman: Dutch musician and founding member of the rock band Focus.
• Jan Pieter Akkerman: Dutch business executive.
• Wytze Akkerman: Dutch football player.
• Pieter Akkerman: Dutch politician for the Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie (VVD).
• Jacob Akkerman: Dutch premodern art collector.
• Jan-Dirk Akkerman: Dutch tax lawyer and Professor of Tax Law.
• Martin Akkerman: Dutch professor of European law.
• Jaap Akkerman: Dutch judge at the District Court of Amsterdam.
• Marjolijn Akkerman: Dutch politician and former member of the Provincial States of North Holland.
• Willem Akkerman: Dutch trade union leader and politician.
• Tjeerd Akkerman: Dutch cyclist who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics.
• Roelof Akkerman: Dutch biologist and Professor of Ecology.
• Matthijs Akkerman: Dutch singer and juror on the music talent show The Voice of Holland.

Other surnames

Akkerman