Surname van der Molen - Meaning and Origin

van der Molen: What does the surname van der Molen mean?

The last name van der Molen is of Dutch origin and is derived from the word molen which means "windmill". It likely refers to someone who lived near a windmill in The Netherlands. The prefix van der translates to "from the", indicating that someone with this surname is from a place that has a specific object, in this case a windmill.

This surname is also found in Germany, as it was carried over to German-speaking countries that were once part of the Dutch Empire. It is considered a habitational name, meaning that it was derived from the name of a place where an early bearer of the surname lived.

In some parts of the Netherlands, the van der Molen surname has been added to the combination two other last names, usually the combination of the father's and mother's surnames. For example, if the father has the surname van der Molen and the mother has the surname Kramer, the child's full last name can be written as van der Molen Kramer.

For families bearing this surname, it can be a source of pride and connection to their Dutch roots. The meaning of the surname conjures ideas of strong, steady winds that can power a windmill and the feeling of standing in a Dutch windmill that is still standing today.

van der Molen: Where does the name van der Molen come from?

The last name van der Molen is quite common today in The Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. It is estimated that there are around 5,000 people in The Netherlands alone who bear this surname. The Netherlands is the country of origin for this surname, as the earliest known records of the name van der Molen date back to the Middle Ages in this country. It is likely that the surname was derived from the Dutch word 'Molen', which means 'mill'.

In Belgium, the surname van der Molen is mainly found in the Flanders region. It is also found in some German-speaking areas, such as the Rhine area in the North of the country. In Germany, the surname van der Molen is particularly prevalent near the Dutch border, although it is found more sporadically further away from this area.

The surname van der Molen can also be found in the United States. Due to the large influx of Dutch immigrants to the USA in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the surname became commonplace in the country. The surname is particularly prevalent in states such as New York, Michigan, and California.

Overall, the surname van der Molen is quite common today in countries such as The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and the United States.

Variations of the surname van der Molen

The surname van der Molen is of Dutch origin and a toponymic surname. This means that the name comes from a location, such as a city, village, state, province, river, mountain, or other geographic entity. This name is still mostly encountered in the Netherlands, though its variants have spread throughout the world.

The most common variant is Van Der Molen, which is used mostly in the Netherlands. Common spelling variants include Van der Molen, Van der Molin, Vandermolen, Vandemolen, and Vandemolen. Surnames with similar origins, but different origins, include Van der Meulen, Van der Meer, Van der Moolen, Van der Mool, Van der Moelen, Vendermolen, Van De Molen, and Van De Molens.

All these variants, spellings, and surnames share the same origin of Van der Molen, meaning “of the mill”. This may have denoted someone who lived near a mill, worked in a mill, or even owned a mill.

In addition to Dutch variants, the surname van der Molen is also found in countries like Germany, United States, and Canada. This surname is found in South American countries, such as Argentina, by the spelling of Vandermolen. Similarly, the Dutch variants are found in Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific.

Due to immigration, many of these variants are now found in different countries around the world, which makes tracing the origin of this surname more difficult. All variants, spellings, and surnames of van der Molen are ultimately derived from the same origin and share a connection to a mill or some other type of milling work.

Famous people with the name van der Molen

• Bas van der Molen: a television writer, director and producer in the Netherlands.
• Eric van der Molen: a Dutch swimmer and Olympic bronze medalist.
• Jan van der Molen: a Dutch track and field athlete and Olympic bronze medalist.
• David van der Molen: a Dutch speed skater.
• Dirk Jan van der Molen: a Dutch racing cyclist and team manager.
• Henk van der Molen: a Dutch former footballer.
• Simon van der Molen: a Dutch former footballer.
• Jeroen van der Molen: a Dutch model.
• Wilhelmus Johannes van der Molen: a Dutch rower.
• Reinout van der Molen: a Dutch Jazz guitarist.
• Jacob van der Molen: a Dutch motorcycle racer.
• Cornelis van der Molen: a Dutch Figure Skating judge.
• Jeff van der Molen: a Dutch DJ and music producer.
• Alexa van der Molen: a Dutch rower.
• Pieter van der Molen: a Dutch basketball player.
• Siem van der Molen: a Dutch painter and architect.
• Frits van der Molen: a Dutch television director.
• Bauke van der Molen: a Dutch athlete.
• Meindert van der Molen: a Dutch former international football referee.
• Willem van der Molen: a Dutch female field hockey international.

Other surnames

van der Moolen