More Updike.

[W3MIV]

When immigrants came to the US, especially through Ellis Island, their names were recorded by careless immigration agents who could not spell and did not care enough to ask -- even the very few times they shared a language. Hence, many (if not most) of the names were recorded in bad phonetics.

Just another example of Amerikan Arrogance at work.

[NQ6U]

When immigrants came to the US, especially through Ellis Island, their names were recorded by careless immigration agents who could not spell and did not care enough to ask -- even the very few times they shared a language. Hence, many (if not most) of the names were recorded in bad phonetics.

My wife's family was a victim of this. Their name was DiPaola but it got changed to Powers at Ellis Island.

[n2ize]

Happened a lot changinhg one or more letters to sound more English.
Might be the case, some kept their last name unchanged, just went for the christian name change, i.e. Jan to John etc.

Interesting. Is it possible that Van Wyck was originally Van Wjyk" or "Van Wyjk" ?? In the Dutch language how do/did they chose which letters they changed ? For example, Yonkers (where I live) was originally a Dutch name but I always wonder how it was originally spelled. Or the part of upper Manhattan known as Spuyten Duyville....

[PA5COR]

Names still in use here after centuries use, van Wijk, old spelling van Wyck, the Y was replaced over tiime with te ij.
Opdam, old name too, my name Postma very common, wife's background French ( Berserik, from Bergerac) when the French reformed had to flee France.
Looks like the van Wyck is original Dutch.
Dick van Dyke original duch, from Dick van Dijk.
Yonkers comes from Jonkers, a jonker was a nobility member, though low end.
Spuyten Duyvil is Dutch, ( Spuitende Duivel) referring to "spitting devil", a name used for a strong and wild stream that could be found there then, the water was "spitting up and devilish fast and dangerous.

Crazy people those Dutch...

[W3MIV]

Names still in use here after centuries use, van Wijk, old spelling van Wyck, the Y was replaced over tiime with te ij.
Opdam, old name too, my name Postma very common, wife's background French ( Berserik, from Bergerac) when the French reformed had to flee France.
Looks like the van Wyck is original Dutch.
Dick van Dyke original duch, from Dick van Dijk.
Yonkers comes from Jonkers, a jonker was a nobility member, though low end.
Spuyten Duyvil is Dutch, ( Spuitende Duivel) referring to "spitting devil", a name used for a strong and wild stream that could be found there then, the water was "spitting up and devilish fast and dangerous.

Crazy people those Dutch...

The close relationship betwixt Dutch and German is very evident in much of the "old" words of both languages.

[PA5COR]

The Dutch and German language have lots of common ground.
Frisian, the other language only spoken in my province, is more based on the English language.
To the point that Frisian captains could speak Frisian in English harbours and be understood ( for the most part) ;)
Add the different dialects and one sometimes wonders how people do communicate through all the mess ;)

[n2ize]

Names still in use here after centuries use, van Wijk, old spelling van Wyck, the Y was replaced over tiime with te ij.
Opdam, old name too, my name Postma very common, wife's background French ( Berserik, from Bergerac) when the French reformed had to flee France.
Looks like the van Wyck is original Dutch.
Dick van Dyke original duch, from Dick van Dijk.
Yonkers comes from Jonkers, a jonker was a nobility member, though low end.
Spuyten Duyvil is Dutch, ( Spuitende Duivel) referring to "spitting devil", a name used for a strong and wild stream that could be found there then, the water was "spitting up and devilish fast and dangerous.

Crazy people those Dutch...

No, not really crazy at all. Much the same as other cultures in which people, places and things are similarly named after various features, such as persons named after their trades or professions, or their titles, or places in which they lived, or places named after outstanding features such as mountains, cold or hot weather or, in the case of Spuyten Duyville... a fast and wild stream.

In any event its quite interesting. Thanks, for the insights and meanings behind some of the Dutch names and how they came to be. In this part of New York there are lots of places named by the Dutch. No surprise however since Dutch settlements and influence were quite prominent here back in the old days, with the vast majority of NYC being primarily of Dutch origin. Matter of fact the borough of "The Bronx" is also a name of Dutch origin. I think it was originally "Broncs" or "Bronk's" or maybe "Broncks" and the X was added to the ending afterward. Matter of fact, I believe "Harlem" is also Dutch as well. ? Of course all native New Yorkers always say "The Bronx", and never just "Bronx".

I have never been able to ascertain what my last name is in meaning. One scholar told me it is Russian for "Robed Gentleman". Another told me it has something to do with "Cold", perhaps some of my ancestors came from a very cold place in Russia. Maybe I have some Siberian blood. Hah. The other side of the family is Italian.

[PA5COR]

Harlem was named after the city Haarlem ;) originally Nieuw Haarlem, then renamed to Harlem. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_Hall_(Haarlem)
The Bronx was named after Jonas Bronck, http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonas_Bronck
Brooklyn, named after the city Breukelen in the Netherlands.

[n2ize]

Harlem was named after the city Haarlem ;) originally Nieuw Haarlem, then renamed to Harlem. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_Hall_(Haarlem)
The Bronx was named after Jonas Bronck, http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonas_Bronck
Brooklyn, named after the city Breukelen in the Netherlands.

Yes, Bronck... That was the name I was thinking of. Didn't know Brooklyn was Dutch though. I thought it was English. Makes sense though. This part of NY was settled and founded by the Dutch and its reflected in most of the names.