Surname van Valckenburgh - Meaning and Origin
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van Valckenburgh: What does the surname van Valckenburgh mean?
Van Valckenburgh is a Dutch toponymic surname derived from the location of Valckenburgh, a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. The surname originates from the words valk- meaning “falcon” and -enburgh meaning “castle”/”fortified city” or “fortified estate”.
Evidence of the location of Valckenburgh dates back to 1264, as outlined in a document from the Sint-Lambertus Church in Utrecht. In the document, the settlement is referred to as Valkenborch. Valckenburgh's current name was first used in the 16th century, from which time the corresponding surname is thought to have been adopted.
Van Valckenburgh is fairly common and widely found in the Netherlands, and it is a variant of the more commonly Dutch surnames Van Valkenburg and Valkenburgh. These surnames predominantly refer to persons of nobility who had their roots in Valckenburgh.
The surname is also found in countries around the world where Dutch immigrants settled, namely in Belgium, Canada, the United States, South Africa, and Australia. Given its nobility, van Valckenburgh is likely to have been borne by some prominent persons. Variations of the surname occur in spelling, including Valkenburgh and Valkenburg.
Order DNA origin analysisvan Valckenburgh: Where does the name van Valckenburgh come from?
The surname Van Valckenburgh is believed to be of Dutch origins, and is still fairly prevalent among Dutch communities in the Netherlands as well as in regions settled by Dutch immigrants in countries like the United States. As of 2020, Van Valckenburgh remains one of the 100 most common surnames in the Netherlands, occupying the 94th spot in the list. It is also fairly popular in Canada, particularly in the province of Ontario, where records indicate that Van Valckenburgh is among the top 1,000 surnames.
Van Valckenburgh is often found in the US, where Dutch Americans began to settle in the 17th century. Over time, numerous Dutch surnamesermanently spanning the nation's northeast, and New York City is believed to host one of the largest Dutch-American populations within the United States. As of 2020, records suggest that Van Valckenburgh is among the top 5,000 surnames in the US, and is most often found in New York and New Jersey, as well as the lesser-densely populated areas of Michigan and Washington.
However, records indicate that it is Pennsylvania in which Van Valckenburgh is the most ubiquitous; it is a top 3,000 surname in the state and is particularly popular in the Susquehanna Valley, York County, and Berks County. Therefore, it can be assumed that the last name Van Valckenburgh may be most common today among Dutch-American communities in the northeastern United States, specifically in Pennsylvania.