Surname Nijhof - Meaning and Origin

Nijhof: What does the surname Nijhof mean?

The last name Nijhof is Dutch in origin and is a habitational name, derived from a place name. Specifically, it is derived from a number of Dutch towns called Nijhof and is also spelled as Nijhoff or Nijhoffen.

The name was originally given to someone who lived in one of these places, and many of these towns were believed to have been first established by the 12th century. The literal meaning of the name is "new court" or "new courtyard", denoting a "freshly opened area".

Nijhof has been used as a surname in Europe for several centuries and often appears in early records in the form of marriages and baptisms. However, it is also found as far back as the 1200s on various documents, which shows how long the name has been around.

Today, the name Nijhof is widely found throughout Europe, but it is particularly common in the Netherlands. By the 20th century, it had become a more popular name in Europe as more people adopted it to make their family name stand out.

Overall, the last name Nijhof has a long-standing history with roots that stretch back centuries. It is an occupational name that refers to someone who hailed from a place of the same name and is a reminder of settlers and families that have been in Europe for centuries.

Nijhof: Where does the name Nijhof come from?

The last name Nijhof is mainly located in the Netherlands, where it is among the country's 150 most common surnames. It is also found in other Dutch-speaking countries such as Belgium and Suriname. There are also quite a few instances of the surname found in other countries, particularly the US, Canada, and Australia. In these countries the surname can trace its roots back to Dutch immigrants who settled in these countries in the 19th and 20th centuries.

In the Netherlands, the name is typically spelled as Nijhof and is most commonly found in the Gelderland, North Brabant, and Overijssel provinces. It is one of the oldest Dutch surnames, with records dating back to the 11th century. The name likely derives from the Dutch nij meaning 'new' and hof meaning 'court' or 'enclosure'. A person with this surname could typically be found performing administrative duties or in a position of power.

Today in the Netherlands, this surname is not as popular as it used to be, with its recorded instances steadily decreasing in recent years. The last name is still fairly common in Dutch-speaking countries, particularly the Netherlands, where it is one of the 150 most common names. It is also found in other countries where immigrants with the last name Nijhof have settled.

Variations of the surname Nijhof

The surname Nijhof is one of the oldest surnames in the Netherlands. It is believed to be of Dutch origin, and is derived from the old Dutch phrase "Nije hove" meaning new court. The variants and spellings of this surname are as follows:

Nijhoff, Neijhof, Niehof, Niehoff, Nyehof, Nyehoff, Nyhof, Nyhoff, Nihoff, Nyhove, Nihove, and Nyehove.

Furthermore, some of the surnames of the same origin also include: Nijhuis, Nijland, and Nieuwhoff.

Nijhof is a particularly common surname among Dutch-descended families living in American-Dutch communities such as Tulip, Pennsylvania. The Americanized variant of the name is also spelling as Niemeyer or Niemeier, which is much less common.

In addition, the surname has also been used to create variations such as Nijhe, Nijovenk, Nijvenk, Nijvenk-Hoogland, Nijvenken, Nijvenkr, and Nijvenkrs.

Over the years, the various spellings of this name have spread throughout various countries to become one of the most common surnames in the Netherlands. Today, the most common spelling variations of this surname are Nijhof, Nijhoff, Neijhof, and Nyhof.

In summary, the variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname Nijhof include Nijhoff, Neijhof, Niehof, Niehoff, Nyehof, Nyehoff, Nyhof, Nyhoff, Nihoff, Nyhove, Nihove, and Nyehove, as well as Nijhuis, Nijland, and Nieuwhoff. The Americanized variant of the name is Niemeyer or Niemeier which is much less common, and various derivatives and variations have also been created over the years.

Famous people with the name Nijhof

• Djoeke Nijhof: Dutch Olympian speed skater who represented Netherlands at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.
• Robin Nijhof: Dutch rower, competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
• Albert Nijhof: Dutch historian and philosopher associated with the Free University of Amsterdam.
• Marianne Nijhof: Dutch astronomer and retired professor of the Free University of Amsterdam.
• Willem-Jacob Nijhof: Dutch politician, former Mayor of Oss, and Member of the Provincial-Council of Noord-Brabant.
• Theun Nijhof: Dutch founder and owner of Theun & Zoon publishing house, active in the postwar period.
• Marijke Nijhof: Dutch accountant, holds executive roles at Exact and ProRail.
• René Nijhof: Dutch artist known for his painting of abstract expressionism, known as “the op de Brouwer tradition”.
• Fenna Nijhof: Dutch businesswoman, former CEO of Elsevier Education and the Dutch Ahold Delhaize Group.
• Mascha Nijhof: Dutch actress and theatre director, graduate of the Maastricht Theatre Academy.

Other surnames

Nijhoff