Van Pelt
A Dutch surname meaning “from Pelt,” originally pointing to someone who came from the place called Pelt.
The #5,222 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 46,185 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Van Pelt is a Dutch surname formed with van, meaning “from” or “of,” plus the place name Pelt. In surnames, this usually marks a person as coming from a particular town, district, or estate. The name is therefore literally locational: “from Pelt.”
History
The surname developed in the Dutch-speaking world and later spread through migration, especially to North America. In English-language records it often appears as one word, VanPelt, though the spaced form is also common. The name is most strongly associated with Dutch and Dutch-American family lines.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because van is a preposition rather than a fixed nobiliary particle, many Dutch surnames beginning with Van are purely geographic and do not imply nobility.