Surname van der Moolen - Meaning and Origin
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van der Moolen: What does the surname van der Moolen mean?
Van der Moolen is a Dutch toponymic surname which indicates an ancestral origin from a settlement called Moolen. The Dutch word 'molen' means 'mill', so the place of origin may have been the site of a mill.
The Dutch prefix 'van der' (abbreviated as 'v.d.' or 'vd') is a common part of surnames in the Netherlands, and is generally translated as 'from the'. The prefix is thought to have originally been used to indicate a person's place of origin, or to distinguish between people with the same first names. Over time the van der designation became a part of some people's surnames, even if the person's family had not lived there for generations.
Van der Moolen is quite a rare surname in the Netherlands, and is predominently found in the provinces of Drenthe, Friesland and Groningen. Some branches of the family have been traced to other parts of the Netherlands, as well as to France, Germany, Belgium, and America.
In modern times, the name is often associated with the Dutch banking dynasty of Van der Moolen Holding, which was founded in 1894 by Jan Willem van der Moolen, a businessman from Zutphen in the Gelderland province.
Order DNA origin analysisvan der Moolen: Where does the name van der Moolen come from?
The surname “van der Moolen” (also commonly spelled Vandemoolen) is an old Dutch locative name, referring to a place or people from “moolen” or “mollen”. It is believed to date back to the mid-15th century, when members of this name first began to settle in the Netherlands.
Today, the surname Van der Moolen is most common in the Netherlands and other countries of the Low Countries, such as Belgium and Luxembourg. Migrants from these countries have also brought the name to other nations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.
The surname “van der Moolen” is still widely present in the southern part of the Netherlands, where the name originated and was most numerous. In the south of the Netherlands, they are found mainly in the provinces of Noord-Brabant, Limburg and Zeeland.
In addition to this, there are a few people carrying the surname “van der Moolen” in other parts of the Netherlands, as well as abroad, representing a much smaller proportion of the total number of people with this surname.
According to a registration of the Dutch Central Office for Genealogy in 2019, there were roughly 11,000 people with the surname “van der Moolen” living in the Netherlands. Moreover, the province of Noord-Brabant was estimated to have the highest number of people with the name.
Variations of the surname van der Moolen
The van der Moolen surname has many different variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. Some of the most commonly occurring variants include Van der Moolen, Vande Moolen, Vandemoolen, Vandamoolen, Van De Moolen, and Vandenmoolen. There are also variations with extra letters such as Vandermoolen, Vandeemoolen, and Vandemuelen.
Surnames of the same origin include de Moolen, Moolen, Van der Muelen, Moons, de Muelen, and der Muelen. Other related surnames are De Muylen, De Muele, Vandomoole, De Muelenhoven, Demereo, de Mon, Van De Muylen, Vande Muelen, and Van Demeule.
For the Dutch variant, van der Moolen provides a good translation into English, though can be adapted by including the word 'of' before 'der'. Examples may be of the form Of Moolen, Ofdermule, or O Moolen.
In American English, the surname is often shortened to just 'Moolen'.
The van der Moolen surname is a relatively common one in the Netherlands. However, due to its frequent alterations over time to match the different dialects of the language, it is vital to consider all the possible variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin.
Famous people with the name van der Moolen
- Willem van der Moolen: Dutch investor, former managing director of Dutch investment firm Van der Moolen Investment Bank.
- Matthijs van der Moolen: CEO of Van der Moolen Holding, a Dutch diversified holding company.
- Jeroen van der Moolen: Dutch businessperson and Director at Van der Moolen Holding.
- Geert van der Moolen: Dutch insurance broker, former board member of ING Group and former Chairman of Van der Moolen Holding.
- Jan van der Moolen: Dutch politician, former member of the Dutch Parliament.
- Nynke van der Moolen: Dutch actress.
- Rinus van der Moolen: Dutch artist.
- Tine van der Moolen: Dutch singer.
- Christine van der Moolen: Dutch film producer, former Head of Development of Mirabel Films.
- Johannes van der Moolen: Dutch architect.