Surname Roeland - Meaning and Origin
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Roeland: What does the surname Roeland mean?
The last name Roeland is a patronymic name which means “son of Roel”. It is of Dutch, German and Jewish origin but is most commonly used in the Netherlands.
In Dutch, the name Roel (or its variants Rool, Ruel, Rowl, etc) is derived from the Germanic name Hrodwulf, meaning “renowned wolf”, indicating a person of great strength and courage. Alternatively, it could mean “to rule”, or “famous ruler”, signifying someone of noble birth and status. This would explain why the name is widespread among the nobility in the Netherlands.
Historically, the name Roeland magnifies its’ association with power and strength amongst the Dutch people. Roeland Barents was an early explorer who first charted the Arctic coastline in the mid 16th century. Roeland Douwes Dekker, another well-known Dutch explorer, was the first to circumnavigate the globe by boat.
Today, the surname Roeland is still quite common in the Netherlands. It remains historically linked to the Dutch people’ and Belgium’s shared heritage of exploration, strength and courage.
Order DNA origin analysisRoeland: Where does the name Roeland come from?
Roeland is a surname that historically had its origins in the Netherlands, primarily in the Zeeland region. As Dutch immigration to the United States increased in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, much of the Dutch population settled in the Midwestern United States. Many people with the surname Roeland settled in areas of Michigan, Iowa, and Illinois, leading to the surname being much more common in those states today.
The surname has also spread to other states, as migration across the continent has continued. In 2020, the surname Roeland was most commonly found in the states of Michigan, Iowa, and North Dakota, with the highest number of individuals with the surname in Michigan. According to data from the US Census Bureau, in 2020 there were a total of 1722 individuals in the United States who had the surname Roeland.
In the Netherlands, the surname is still quite common, with the most number of people in the province of Zeeland. Today, many people with the surname Roeland live overseas, with large concentrations in countries such as Canada, Australia, and Brazil.
Variations of the surname Roeland
The surname Roeland is an old Dutch language toponymic or local surname, typically from the city of Roeland in the Netherlands. This name has several variants, spellings, and surnames that share the same origin. Roelands, van Roeland, Rolands, and Roelandt are some of the most common variants of this surname.
The Dutch/Flemish version of this surname, Roelands, is derived from the Low German form of Roland, and is most likely taken from an old family in that region. Van Roeland is an alternate form, derived from the same origin, with the addition of the preposition “van”, meaning “of” or “from”. This form of the name is still prevalent in the Netherlands.
The Spanish form of this surname, Rolands, and its variants, Rola, Rolanda, and Rolan, likely originate from the Spanish spelling of the name Roland, and may have been brought to Spain by Dutch traders.
Roelandt is a variant of the surname found in Belgium. It is a Flemish version of the Low German form Roland, and is derived from the older form of the name seen in Holland.
In France, the surname Roeland is found primarily in the French region of Alsace. Roeland is most likely an Americanized form of this name, which originated in France as a variant of the Dutch Roelands.
The surname may have also spread to other parts of Europe through immigration from the Netherlands, or by other people who adopted this name during their lifetime. It is still common in some parts of the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Germany.
Famous people with the name Roeland
- Pieter Roelands, Dutch poet and playwright
- François Van Roelands, Dutch Catholic priest and founder of the Brothers of Our Lady of the Poor
- Conradus Roelandts, Flemish sculptor
- Giani Roelands, Flemish sculptor
- Laetitia Roelandts, Belgian figure skater
- Dirk Roelandts, Belgian cyclist
- Nick Roelandts, Belgian footballer
- Jelle Roelandts, Belgian triathlete
- Pieter Roelands, Dutch singer, rapper, and songwriter
- Jeroen Roelandts, Belgian cyclist