Surname van der Heijden - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'V'
van der Heijden: What does the surname van der Heijden mean?
The last name Van der Heijden is a Dutch surname. The name is a combination of two words – 'van' and 'der'. 'Van' is a Dutch preposition which is often used to indicate a person's place of origin, in this case being Der (from) Heijden (a place name). The surname is derived from the Heijden family, who are believed to have originated in the municipality of Heijen, located in the Dutch province of Limburg.
The Van der Heijdens were part of the Protestant Dutch nobility and can trace their roots back to the 15th century. In James Michener’s novel, The Fires of Spring, a character with the last name Van der Heijden is quoted as saying: “We are old Holland; and the richness of Dutch life is carried in our very blood.”
In its earliest incarnation, the surname would have been used to demonstrate the family’s descent from a particular area and to distinguish them from their peers. It was also an indication of social standing, as the surname made it easy to recognise the family’s servitude to a feudal aristocracy.
Nowadays, the Van der Heijden name has spread throughout the Netherlands and beyond. It is often seen as a mark of stature and sophistication, and its meaning has evolved over time to represent more than just one’s place of origin.
Order DNA origin analysisvan der Heijden: Where does the name van der Heijden come from?
The last name van der Heijden is most commonly seen today in the Netherlands and other countries in the Low Countries, such as Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of northern France. The name has a Dutch origin and is derived from the combination of the two Dutch words, “van” and “de heijden”, meaning “of the heather”. This combination was likely adopted as some ancestors of today's van der Heijden family relocated to the Netherlands from other German-speaking countries to live in the coastal plains, known for their sandy soil and heather vegetation.
The spread of the name, however, has been much wider over the past centuries. Countries like the United States and Canada have seen a steady influx of Dutch immigrants since the colonial era. Immigration from the Low Countries to the United States reached its peak between 1880 and 1920, when around 80,000 Dutch immigrants arrived in the United States. This immigration pattern lasted until the 1940s, and many of them were of the van der Heijden last name.
In addition, emigration from the Netherlands in the 20th century has been spurred by economic migration, and as people of this name moved abroad to new communities, the van der Heijden name became more widespread. Today, van der Heijden surnames can be found across Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, and South Africa.
Variations of the surname van der Heijden
The surname van der Heijden is a common Dutch surname meaning 'of the hedge'. Van der Heijden has many variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. Some of these include:
Van der Heiden: This is a variant of van der Heijden and it is also a common Dutch surname.
Van der Heyden: This is a spelling variant and it is also another popular Dutch surname.
Van de Heyden: This is an alternate spelling of van der Heijden which is still commonly used by Dutch people.
Van de Heijden: This is another spelling variation of van der Heijden which is still used in some parts of the Netherlands.
Vandehei: This is a common Dutch surname which is derived from the name van de Heijden.
DeHeijden: This surname is derived from van de Heijden and is still used by some Dutch families.
VanDerHeiden: This surname is a combination of the words "van der" and "Heiden", and is still in use today in some parts of the Netherlands.
Van der Heijde: This is a variant spelling which is also still used in some parts of the Netherlands.
VanHeiden: This is an alternate spelling of van der Heiden and is also quite popular.
VanderHeijden: This is a combination of the words "van der" and "Heijden", and is still used by some people in the Netherlands.
VanderHeydon: This is a combination of the words "van der" and "Heydon", and is still used by some people in the Netherlands.
Heijden: This is a shortened version of van der Heijden, and is still used by some people in the Netherlands.
Heyden: This is a shortened version of van der Heyden, and is still used by some people in the Netherlands.
These are just some of the many variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname van der Heijden.
Famous people with the name van der Heijden
- Sjors van der Heijden: a Dutch novelist and poet.
- Bas van der Heijden: a Dutch footballer.
- Michael van der Heijden: a Dutch basketball player.
- Bram van der Heijden: a Dutch rower.
- Bob van der Heijden: a Dutch professional cyclist.
- Job van der Heijden: a Dutch field hockey player.
- Christianne van der Heijden: a Dutch Paralympic athlete.
- Jonathan van der Heijden: a Dutch legal scholar and professor at the University of Maastricht.
- Isolde van der Heijden: a Dutch member of the European Parliament for the Groen Green Party.
- Brenno van der Heijden: a Dutch television presenter and entrepreneur.
- Toos van der Heijden: a Dutch academic researcher specialized in the field of human rights.
- Mechteld van der Heijden: a Dutch television presenter and producer.
- Sander van der Heijden: a Dutch television presenter and actor.
- Gijs van der Heijden: a Dutch politician and mayor of Veenendaal.
- Anneke van der Heijden: a Dutch singer and musician.
- Herma van der Heijden: a Dutch actress.
- Sofie van der Heijden: a Dutch Paralympic swimmer.
- Monique van der Heijden: a Dutch children's book illustrator and author.