Van Buren
A Dutch habitational surname meaning “from Buren,” referring to someone who came from the town of Buren in the Netherlands.
The #5,874 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 52,561 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Van is the Dutch preposition meaning “from” or “of,” and Buren is a place-name in the Netherlands. The surname therefore originally identified a person as being from Buren, rather than describing an occupation or personal trait. In English-language records it often appears as one word, Van Buren, but it is still a Dutch locational name.
History
The surname became familiar in the United States through Dutch settlers and their descendants, especially in New York and nearby areas with early Dutch influence. It is best known from Martin Van Buren, the eighth president of the United States, whose family name kept its Dutch form. As with many Dutch surnames, the spacing and capitalization can vary in English usage.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Martin Van Buren was the first U.S. president whose first language was not English; he grew up speaking Dutch in Kinderhook, New York.