Van Dyke
A Dutch and Flemish surname meaning “of the dike” or “from the dike.”
The #2,131 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 18,130 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname comes from Dutch and Flemish van den dyck/dijk, meaning “of the dike” or “from the dike.” It is a place-based name formed with van, “of/from,” plus dyke/dijk, “dike” or an embankment. The spelling has appeared in several forms, including Van Dyck, Van Dijk, and Vandyke.
History
The name is strongly associated with the Low Countries and is best known internationally through the Flemish painter Anthony van Dyck (often spelled Vandyck). In English-speaking countries, the fused spelling Vandyke became common alongside the separated forms Van Dyke and Van Dyck. The surname also spread through later migration from Dutch- and Flemish-speaking communities.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same spelling is often seen in art history as the name of Anthony van Dyck, whose portraits made “Vandyke” a familiar English form.
From the historical record
“VANDYCK VAN DYCK VANDYKE (Flem. and Dut.) Of the Dike [contr. of Van den Dyck or Dijk (masc] VAN G ELDER (Dut.) Of GELDER(land [Dut. van, of] VERNIER (Fr.) see Verrier in Diet.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)