What does von mean in a last name

Van, on the contrary, has a Dutch origin. It was used mostly by the commoners and prevailed everywhere irrespective of the status. People with small houses to big mansions used it. Van can be used in two ways. One is the common prefix on surnames and the other is when it is showcased as a noun while converting names of one region to another. The difference between Von and Van is that Von is the prefix used on surnames in German, Austrian and Russian countries, whereas, Van is the prefix used on surnames in Dutch and Vietnamese and also, for converting the names to English names.

During the ancient era , names and surnames had fixed and intense meanings. The names given were derived from certain origins that they were associated to. Some people had names adopted from their ancestors, while some were named according to any particular trait. German names have specific sets of prefixes attached to their names and surnames. Most of their names either have a professional origin or a geographical one. Women, as a tradition, adopt the names and surnames of their husbands.

People are also given nicknames. Surnames basically originated during the Middle Ages. The same with talking to someone: Polite people don't omit the von, except if the person with the von also omits it.

So it depends on how the person wants to be addressed. Again, in practical terms, any name is subject to shortening if it has more than one syllable and people like to test their limits with you , and the von often gets left out - especially if you are not someone special. So even though it shouldn't be so, it's often a sign of respect to not drop it, which is the reason why some people like to drop it. When thinking about examples where the von is never dropped, I actually only find names which were popularised with the von internationally.

The already mentioned von Neumann architecture, or von Braun the brown rocket scientist, science fiction author von Daeniken and so on. In most of southern Germany and Austria "von" and "von und zu" see below means "nobility". This can be "old", inherited titles as well as ennobled titles Johann Wolfgang von Goethe , who is also a good example of use with and without title: If you refer to von Goethe before , you should omit the "von" - He received his title during that year.

In the Netherlands, on the other hand, "van" has nothing to do with nobility - it's just the place of origin of a name. Due to geographic proximity, the usage of "von" seems to be at least partially similar in parts of northern Germany. With noble ranks factually abolished in in Germany, all of this has no longer much meaning - It's just names. The constitution of claimed:.

Advantages or disadvantages under the public law caused by birth or social rank are to be suspended. Aristocratic titles are simply part of the name and can no longer be awarded.

The rule is simple - "von" is a part of a person's name - If they want to be called like that, it's just good practice to use the name they have to address them. As far as I'm aware, the "von" is almost always dropped when referring to a person by surname, except perhaps in very formal circumstances where it would feel rude not to use exactly the correct name, e. And a newsspeaker would probably use the correct name of a living person. I don't think they'd ever refer to Schiller as "von Schiller".

One nevertheless says von Neumann , probably because this what he's known as in the USA; simply saying Neumann could be confusing. Sign up to join this community. While it is used in Dutch countries and Vietnam. French has de, Italian has di and its variants, English has of, which indicated where a person was from- in none of these languages was it used exclusively for nobles, but most noble families used it to indicate their land holding, a central basis for noble status.

Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel. Ben Davis April 9, What does Von mean before a German name? What does von or van mean in a name? Hayley Australian. Natasha Australian. Veena Indian. Priya Indian. Neerja Indian. Zira US English. Oliver British. Wendy British. Fred US English. Tessa South African. How to say VON in sign language? Shenai-Khatkhate : Was wir heute sind, hat sich von unseren Gedanken, Handlungen und Entscheidungen von gestern entstanden; und ebenso unsere Gegenwart Entscheidungen wird unser Leben von morgen zu bauen.

Shenai-Khatkhate : Ruf und Charakter sind nicht ein und dasselbe. Menschen k Paul Dergarabedian : In the midst of the massive political turmoil of the mid's Vietnam era, audiences found solace in the lives and music of the singing Von Trapp family.

Popularity rank by frequency of use VON 1 Select another language:.