Surname van der Laer - Meaning and Origin
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van der Laer: What does the surname van der Laer mean?
The surname "van der Laer" is of Dutch origin and like many Dutch surnames, it includes prefixes that denote some kind of geographical or locational information. The prefix "van der" translates to "from the" or "of the". The word "Laer" was historically used in Dutch and old German to denote a glade or clearing in a forest. So, the name "van der Laer" could potentially mean "from the clearing or glade". It suggests that the person's family may have originated from a clearing or meadow. However, it is essential to note that surnames can have different roots and meanings, so the interpretation may vary. The professional field of onomastics, which includes the study of surnames, often finds that names have many potential origins and meanings. Furthermore, it is often challenging to precisely pinpoint the meaning of a surname because the significance of names can change over time and the original meanings become lost or diluted.
Order DNA origin analysisvan der Laer: Where does the name van der Laer come from?
The last name van der Laer is a Dutch toponymic surname meaning “from the lairs”. It is most commonly found today across the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, France and Indonesia.
In the Netherlands, van der Laer is the ninth most common surname today, with nearly 35,000 people carrying the last name. The highest populations reside in the provinces of South and North Holland, as well as Zeeland.
In neighbouring country Belgium, van der Laer is ranked as the 23rd most common name. Like in the Netherlands, provinces North and South Holland have the highest populations of van der Laer’s. However, most of Belgium’s van der Laer’s reside in the Flemish region of Limburg.
Across Europe, van der Laer’s can also be found in Luxembourg, Germany and France. Luxembourg has the highest population of van der Laers in Europe, at 812 people. Germany follows closely behind with around 700 people using the name throughout the country. A much smaller figure of less than 200 van der Laers can also be found scattered across France.
Perhaps surprisingly, there are also van der Laers living in Indonesia. Although it is a much lesser population than that found in Europe, there are still over 70,000 people with the name living on the island of Java.
Overall, van der Laer is a lasting and highly popular toponymic surname found across the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, France and Indonesia.
Variations of the surname van der Laer
The surname van der Laer is a Netherlands toponymic name derived from the geographical region where its earliest known bearers lived. This toponym is derived from the Dutch words lae("lake" or "pool") and aar("stream"). Variants of this surname include Van der Laar, Van der Laark, Vanderlaar, Van Der Laere, Vanderlaere, Verlaar, Verlaer, and Verlaere.
Other related surnames include van Dereaar, van Deraler, and van Derlare. These names all contain the root elements lae("lake" or "pool") and aar("stream"). This root element is indicative of a Dutch or Flemish origin. Further, the spelling of the "L" in these surames may have changed from lae to le, explaining why some of the surnames contain elements such as dereler and derlare.
In addition, other related Dutch surnames include van der Laak, vanderLeer, vanderLeij, van De Laak, Vandenhaar, Vandenhaer, Vandenheuvel, and Vanderlinde. These surnames all contain elements such as lak ("pool", "pond") and heuvel ("hill", "mound") respectively.
The van der Laer surname can also be found in other countries and cultures such as Belgium, South Africa, Germany and France. While certain spellings may have more prevalence in certain countries, all of the variants of this surname have Dutch or Flemish roots.
Famous people with the name van der Laer
- Nils van der Laar: Dutch cyclist who won the Dutch National Time Trial Championship in 2010.
- Guus van der Laar: Professional football player who has represented the Netherlands twice in friendly matches.
- Sinje van der Laar: German runner who won gold at the 2016 European Cross Country Championships.
- Jeroen van der Laar: Dutch actor who starred in the Netflix series 'The Outdoors'.
- Cathelijne van der Laar: Dutch politician who served as Minister for Infrastructure and Environment from 1998 to 2002.
- Pieter van der Laer: Dutch painter from the seventeenth century, known for his genre and landscape painting.
- Sjoerd van der Laar: Professional race car driver who won the Dutch Touring Car Championship in 1984 and 1985.
- Matthijs van der Laar: Dutch sculptor and painter, best known for his sculptural groups from around 1711.
- Theo van der Laar: Dutch sprint kayaker who won the bronze medal in the K-4 1000m event at the 1972 Summer Olympics.
- Maarten van der Laar: Dutch ice hockey player who won the Dutch national championship with the Amstel Tijgers in 2013.