Surname Oortwijn - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'O'
Oortwijn: What does the surname Oortwijn mean?
The last name Oortwijn is a Dutch name originating in the Netherlands and is derived from the Norse name Ortvin, meaning ‘one who guards the farmhouse'. It is believed that the surname was first found among the regions of Zeeland and Friesland in the Netherlands.
The earliest record of the Oortwijn family shows them as the skippers of sloops and boats, transporting goods, and later as the builders of windmills and dykes. Over time, the family compiled and passed down knowledge of wind-driven technologies, engineering techniques and navigational skills.
Today, the name Oortwijn is typically found throughout the Netherlands and Flanders, Belgium. It is also found in North America, where some members of the Oortwijn family left the Netherlands in the 19th century to find better opportunities overseas.
The name Oortwijn can also be seen to symbolize strength and reliability in the history of the Netherlands. These values can still be found today in the households which carry this surname, and often may teach us something about the Dutch culture and the people’s faith in unification. Overall, the surname Oortwijn is a proud token of the Dutch culture and heritage.
Order DNA origin analysisOortwijn: Where does the name Oortwijn come from?
The last name Oortwijn is an uncommon surname today, primarily found in the Netherlands and parts of Belgium. The name is linked to areas near the towns of Mierlo and Eindhoven in the Netherlands and Blankenberge in Belgium. People with the Oortwijn surname first appeared in the Mierlo-Hout area in the 1600s and remain associated with the region to this day. Initially, the Dutch surname Oortwijn was a status name for a person who lived in the oort or outer district of a village or town. Over time, the name spread and was adopted by farmers, laborers and tradespeople alike.
As of 2015, Oortwijn is the 800th most common last name in the Netherlands. It is one of the few Dutch surnames that originated outside of Amsterdam and is not shared by many other European countries. There are currently about 5,051 people living in the Netherlands that carry the Oortwijn last name—a fairly small number given the total Dutch population. There is a much larger concentration of the surname in Belgium, with about 6,371 people in that country who carry the Oortwijn surname.
The Oortwijn family also has descendants all over the world including the United States, Australia, and Canada. The American branch of the family began when Jan Oortwijn, a Dutch immigrant, arrived in Philadelphia in the late 1800s. His descendants became builders, farmers, businessmen, and politicians in their new home. There are currently about 10,704 people with the Oortwijn surname living in America. It is a testament to the family's commitment and endurance that, centuries after their arrival in the Netherlands, the Oortwijn name continues to be passed down from generation to generation.
Variations of the surname Oortwijn
The surname Oortwijn is Dutch in origin and is very rarely found outside of the Low Countries. The variants and spellings of the name include Oortwain, Oortwyn, Oortwijne, Oortwyne, Oortwine, Oorwijn, Oorwijne, Oerwijn, Oerwijnne, Oerwyne and Oorweijn. These variant spellings can be attributed to illiteracy and varying local dialects in the past. As a result, early records of the surname can sometimes appear to be completely different from each other, when in fact, they are all Oortwijns.
The patronymic nature of surnames in Dutch culture also means Oortwijn could sometimes be used as a first name in its own right, creating a new surname out of an existing one. Some versions of this can be seen in the surnames Oortwinis, Oortwins, Oortwitis, Oertwin, Oortwyk, Ortien, Ortijen, and Ortwig. These variants were sometimes even used within the same family, and can make it difficult to trace family histories as far back as the original Oortwijn in the 1600s.
A variation of the surname is also found likely among the Flemish population in Belgium known as Oortuijn, as a derivation of the Dutch Oortwijn.
To sum up, the surname Oortwijn has several variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin including Oortwain, Oortwyn, Oortwijne, Oortwyne, Oortwine, Oorwijn, Oorwijne, Oerwijn, Oerwijnne, Oerwyne and Oorweijn, as well as Oortwins, Oortwinis, Oortwitis, Oertwin, Oortwyk, Ortien, Ortijen and Ortwig. In Belgium, a Flemish variation of the surname is also found known as Oortuijn.
Famous people with the name Oortwijn
- Trijntje Oosterhuis: Dutch singer and songwriter
- Jan Oortwijn: Dutch architect
- Jorrit Oortwijn: Dutch composer
- Monique Oortwijn: Dutch professor of literature
- Elwin Oortwijn: Dutch administrator
- Bob Oortwijn: Dutch footballer
- Bart Oortwijn: Dutch actor
- A.H. Oortwijn: Dutch architect
- Harry Oortwijn: Dutch sculptor
- Sebastiaan Oortwijn: Dutch musician