Surname Nijboer - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'N'
Nijboer: What does the surname Nijboer mean?
The last name Nijboer is of Dutch origin. It is derived from the old Dutch words nije, meaning “new," and boer, which means “farmer" or “peasant". This suggests that the name is derived from a profession, such as a farmer, or a peasant who was given a “new" piece of land. It could also indicate that the family originally moved to an area and began to start a farming enterprise.
The name likely first appeared in Dutch records around the 17th century, as names were beginning to be formally documented. It is likely that the family was well-established by this time, since a family with a specific name would have had to have had a cumulative history in the area for some time.
The surname Nijboer would have been a point of pride among the Dutch family members as it was an indication of their achievement and determination. They showed that they were capable of turning a piece of land into a thriving business that could provide for their family for generations. This could have indicated their ambition for success in farming as well as giving their family a sense of continuity, as the same name would be passed down from generation to generation.
Today, the Nijboer family is spread across the world, but their characteristic hard work and ambition still runs through the veins of every member of the family.
Order DNA origin analysisNijboer: Where does the name Nijboer come from?
The last name Nijboer is a common Dutch name, one that can be found in the Netherlands and in many Dutch communities around the world. It's derived from the Dutch words for "new" and "farmer," making it a descriptive surname for someone who was a newcomer to the farming trade.
Today, there are more than 28,700 people with the last name Nijboer in the Netherlands, with the most densely populated regions being in the provinces of North Holland and South Holland. Many Dutch immigrants carried the name with them to the United State as early as the 17th century, and today there are more than 8,800 Nijboer families living in the US. The surname is also prevalent in other Dutch speaking countries such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
The Netherlands may be the ancestral home of the Nijboer family, but this versatile surname can easily be found on all inhabited continents. The Netherlands is a small country with an impressive outflow of immigrants who settled in areas around the globe, and Nijboers are no exception. If you're looking to find other members of this Dutch family, you may be surprised at how far and wide the name has spread in the centuries since it was first used.
Variations of the surname Nijboer
The surname Nijboer is generally of Dutch origin, and it is thought to be derived from the Dutch language itself. The spelling of this surname is quite consistent, though several different variants do exist.
The most common variants of this name include Najboer, Nijbuur, Neeboer, and Neyboer. All of these variants are thought to follow the same origin story, with the only real difference between them being the way the name is spelled. It is likely that these variations are due to the Dutch language and its spelling standards, which can be quite strict.
In the Netherlands, the surname Nijboer is also seen spelled as Nijbore, Nijborn, and Nijborg. It is thought that these are simply alternate spellings of the main surname.
Different people may also have adopted different spellings and surnames of Nijboer depending on the region of the Netherlands and other European countries they live in. This can be especially seen in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany where surnames take on completely different spellings and meanings depending on the region.
Surnames that are speculated to have the same origins as Nijboer are De Boer, Van Boer, De Boersema, Nieboer, and Boersema. Again, each of these surnames may have deviated slightly in spelling from Nijboer, or may have adopted an alternate spelling due to regional variation.
Across many countries, the surnames Nijboer and Najboer are seen as being interchangeable. This is likely because the spelling of “A” and “I” can be difficult for non-native Dutch speakers and can lead to variation in the spelling of those two letters.
All in all, the surname Nijboer is a fairly common Dutch name, though it can take on many different spellings and names depending on the region and period in history. Its most common variants are Najboer, Nijbuur, Neeboer, Neyboer, Nijbore, Nijborn, Nijborg, De Boer, Van Boer, De Boersema, Nieboer, and Boersema.
Famous people with the name Nijboer
- Erwin Nijboer: a Dutch artist specialized in plastic arts.
- Tom Nijboer: a Dutch professional football player.
- Marjolein Nijboer: a Dutch singer songwriter and musician.
- Bertus Nijboer: a Dutch media entrepreneur, TV producer and director.
- Ronald Nijboer: a Dutch racing cyclist.
- Michael Nijboer: a Dutch former professional football player.
- Paul Nijboer: a Dutch marathon runner.
- John Nijboer: an American lawyer and law professor.
- Lizz Nijboer: a Dutch author.
- Kees Nijboer: a Dutch racing cyclist.
- Fien Nijboer: a Dutch field hockey player.
- René Nijboer: a Dutch politician.
- Mart Nijboer: a Dutch civil servant.
- Willem Nijboer: a Dutch party leader and political speaker.
- Jan Nijboer: a Dutch actor.
- Miente Nijboer: a Dutch football player born in Kenya.
- Susan Nijboer: a Dutch model and television presenter.
- Carla Nijboer: a Dutch Olympic judo player.
- Jeroen Nijboer: a Dutch writer, producer and documentary filmmaker.
- Maarten Nijboer: a Dutch photographer and filmmaker.