Surname van Kleef - Meaning and Origin

van Kleef: What does the surname van Kleef mean?

The surname van Kleef is a Dutch toponymic name derived from the village of Kleef near the German border. It is likely that the family had originally come from the village and took their name from it. The literal meaning of the surname is “from/of Kleef”.

The first documented use of the surname dates back to 1727, when one Joannes van Kleeff was recorded as having married in Horendonk, Belgium. The name was also found in Germany in the 18th century, with many people bearing the name coming to America from the Palatinate region. By the 19th century, the surname had spread to several other countries, including the Netherlands, Canada, Australia and the United States.

The Van Kleef family has a long and proud history, with a variety of records and documents tracing their lineage. Many prominent figures have carried the name, from Dutch military officers to political figures in Canada and the United States. Through their travels and friendships, the Van Kleef name has spread to many parts of the world, making it an international surname.

van Kleef: Where does the name van Kleef come from?

The van Kleef surname is most commonly found today in the Netherlands, as it is an old Dutch patronymic surname derived from the given name of Nikolaas. Van Kleef first emerged as a family name in the region of Gelderland, Netherlands, during the 14th and 15th centuries. In the Netherlands, the van Kleef surname is most prevalent in the regions of Zuid-Holland and Noord-Holland, which together account for more than half of all van Kleefs in the country.

Outside of the Netherlands, the van Kleef surname is found in small numbers in other Dutch-speaking countries, such as Belgium, where the name appears mainly in Wallonia and Flanders, and in the United States, Germany, and England.

Distribution of the van Kleef surname in the Netherlands today stays in line with Gelderland's reputation as a place of origin. It is clear that the van Kleef name has remained an essential part of local identity and has been passed down through families since the Middle Ages. Moreover, the Dutch language accounts for further spread of the family's roots through migration to other parts of the world.

Variations of the surname van Kleef

The variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname van Kleef include VanCleef, Van Kleeff, VanKleef, Van Kleef, Van Kleyf, Van Kleyff, Kleeff, Kleyff and Kleef.

Van Kleef is a Dutch and Belgian surname derived from the medieval region of Cleve. It is likely that in medieval times, many people with the Kleef, Kleeff, Kleyff, or Van Kleef surnames were once resident in the same region.

Van Kleef is a patronymic surname meaning 'son of Cleef/Kleef.' Variations of this surname are Van Kleef, Van Kleeff, Van Kleyff, and Van Kleyf. It is likely that the surnames derive from the combination of the Dutch word 'van' (meaning 'from'), and the personal name 'Kleef' (an old spelling for Cleve).

Kleef is a variation of the Dutch word Cleve, which means ‘rock’, and as a surname, Kleef suggests that the person descended from the rocky area of Cleve in the Netherlands or Belgium.

Kleeff is a variation of Kleeff, which first appears in records during the 16th century and refers to ancestors from the region of Cleve. It is also the variation of Van Kleef/Kleeff used in Flemish records, where the letter ‘f’ was often used instead of the letter ‘f’.

Kleyff is an older spelling of the surname VanKleeff, which suggests that the person descended from the rocky area of Cleve in the Netherlands or Belgium.

Van Cleef is a spelling variation of the surname Van Kleef/Van Kleeff, for Dutch immigrants in the United States. The spelling was changed to make it easier to pronounce.

Overall, Van Kleef, Van Kleeff, Van Kleyff, Van Kleyf, Kleeff, Kleyff and Kleef are the variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname van Kleef.

Famous people with the name van Kleef

• Justine van Kleef (DJ from Amsterdam)
• Peer van Kleef (Dutch judoka)
• Jan-Willem van Kleef (Dutch actor and violinist)
• Dirk Jan van Kleef (Dutch diplomat)
• Eva van Kleef (Dutch fashion designer)
• Cathelijne van Kleef (Dutch artist)
• Jörg van Kleef (German Olympic rower)
• Hendrick Cornelisz. van Kleef (17th century Dutch admiral)
• Georges van Kleef (Belgian racing cyclist)
• Lenny van Kleef (Dutch TV personality and radio DJ)
• Charles Pinot van Kleef (19th century Dutch politician)
• Nicolaas Pieter van Kleef (19th century Dutch-Indonesian politician)
• Juriaan van Kleef (Dutch sculptor)
• Peter van Kleef (Dutch jurist and musician)
• Hendrik van Kleef (Former President of the Dutch Senate)
• David van Kleef (Dutch actor)

Other surnames

van Kleeff