What does Von mean in a Germanic surname?

Question

I have ancestors who came to this country in the late 1800-1900's. Their name was Von Walbach, but they changed it to Walbeck. Any idea how I could find out more?

Answer 1

A further discussion of Van and Von used as predicates is found in an article written by Susanna Matthes for the NYGandB Record in Oct 1893. The following is extracted from that article:

"It is a common mistake of Americans to think that the 'van' before a Dutch name signifies nobility. In the Low Countries, that is, in the kingdoms of the Netherlands and of Belgium, 'van' has no particular meaning. Names with 'van' are to be read on shops as well as on the doors of the most aristocratic mansions. The humblest persons have it as well as the most refined. On the other hand, a great number of the oldest families are without it. In Germany, 'von' means noble, and all persons belonging to the nobility have 'von' before their family names, without any exception. Persons who do not belong to the nobility cannot put 'von' before their names, as they have no right to do so, and would be found out directly if they assumed it, and make themselves ridiculous. But in case of a man being knighted for some reason or other, he has the right to put 'von' before his family name.


So, it appears that by this article, Von indeed means noble. I will source the link so that you can take a look. Go down to the 8th paragraph and begin reading. I hope this helps.

EDIT:Here is another article that may be helpful:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Von

Answer 2

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The name seems indeed old, possibly Cimbrian in origin, and it is typical of some areas of the Eastern Italian Alps. It means 'half-mountain', probably in the sense that the people with this name lived halfway up a mountain. The Cimbrian word 'pergh' is equivalent to the German 'berg', and they both mean 'mountain'. Most linguists today don't see a link between Langobards and Cimbrian, which is a bavarian language, but the issue is not settled. It is obviously an old name, so well done for researching your family over so many generations! Another variation of the surname in the area is Laitempergher, meaning 'from the Latiem mountain', modern Scanuppia. In German speaking countries there are a lot of variations, though, such as Leuenberger, Guggisberg, Von bergen...mountain life has been an important part of European life, and the Alps in particular are in the middle of it all and were very difficult to cross before roads, so I guess it's normal that many surnames remain from the time where mountain people were essential for travelers. :)

Answer 3

Germanic Surnames

Answer 4

What Does Von Mean

Answer 5

It’s true that „van“ is a hint to Dutch origin of the namebearer, like „von“ is almost always a part of a German name. But it DOES NOT mean “son of …”!!! Definitely not. As a matter of fact it indicates that the person who bears that name is a member of a noble family or at least the family belonged to the nobility in former times. For example you have probably heard of: Baron von Münchhausen, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Richard von Weizsäcker... It’s different in the Netherlands - the prefix “van” in a Dutch name has got nothing to do with the noble status of its owner. Sometimes it refers to the town or the region the family originates of but most of the times it just means nothing special. @ AgProv: Yes, but his family immigrated from the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant, hence the "van"... they came in a van ;-)))

Answer 6

Von can mean nobility in a German surname, but it may merely mean that an ancestor originally came from one place and moved to another where he was then subsequently referred to as being from or "von" his previous residence.

Answer 7

It means "of" or "from". Before fixed surnames were common, people were often refered to by patronymics (who their father was) or geonymics (where they came from - also known as habitational surnames).

So Fredrick von Heyek at one time meant Fredrick "from Heyek". But when fixed surnames were established, many people just kept their geonymic name but now it became a fixed family surname. So Fredrick von Heyek's children would also have the surname von Heyek even though they may have been born somewhere else.

It is not uncommon to see the "von" dropped over time. So an Fredrick might have a son or grandson who just went by John Heyek.

You did ask about Germanic surnames. Von exists in other regions and has slightly different meanings in some. In Nordic countries it is often used to in reference to a noble family. As in "of the xxx" family.

Answer 8

Von mean "of" or "from" in German. Many people mistakenly think and announce that German names that include "von" must be nobility or former nobility, but this assumption is incorrect. German nobles did use "von" in their names, but from the Middle Ages on, common people from many parts of Germany also used "von" in their names. Over 100,000 different common last names in Northern Germany include "von". "Von" is common in last names for families from: Bremen, Hamburg, Holstein, Lower Saxony, Schleswig, German-speaking Switzerland and Westphalia See: Adelszeichen und Adel http://home.foni.net/~adelsforschung/faq1.htm

Answer 9

"von" means literally from
Most of the time though it is used as part of a aritocratic family name. A lot of aristocrats still have it in their name.
If a not aristocratic person has it in their name it can be that the family lost the status at one point in their history OR it is simply an old family name, that was was created to show where the person came from.

Answer 10

My family is von Engeln from Hannover Germany. What does this mean?