Surname Roelandts - Meaning and Origin
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Roelandts: What does the surname Roelandts mean?
Roelandts is a Dutch patronymic surname, derived from the name Rutger, a given name which comes from the Germanic elements "hrod" meaning “renown” and “ger” meaning “spear”.
The name Roelandts is most commonly found in Netherlandic regions of Belgium and the Netherlands. It is estimated that the number of individuals with the last name Roelandts is around 7,800.
In early records,the surname Roelandts was often recorded under different spellings, including Roolandis, Roelants, Roelens and Rolands. This variability in spelling is due to regional dialects, varying education among recorders, and the lack of a standardized spelling system.
The Roelandts surname was most commonly found in rural farming communities, and it is likely that members of the family trace their ancestry to small farming villages around the area.
In general, families bearing the Roelandts surname are linked with a long history of farming in the Netherlands and Belgium.
Today, people with the Roelandts surname in the Netherlands and Belgium are linked by their common ancestry, but the last name Roelandts can be found scattered around the world, as individuals with the Roelandts surname may have emigrated for various reasons throughout history.
Order DNA origin analysisRoelandts: Where does the name Roelandts come from?
The last name Roelandts is most commonly found in Belgium today. It is thought to have originated in the Belgian region of Flanders, where it remains especially popular. It is also particularly common in the neighboring countries of France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, as well as in other French speaking areas of Western Europe, such as Switzerland and parts of Northern Italy.
The history of the name explains its prevalence. It has a first existence as a deformation of Roelants, a patronymic form of the man's name Roel, which is a diminutive of the Germanic name "Hrodland", which means 'renowned land'. This name appears to have been borne by a noble family in the area of Flanders in the early Middle Ages. Over the course of the years, it has been heavily influenced by other regions, taking on the various local forms as it spread throughout Europe, such as "Van Ro(e)landt" in the Netherlands, "Roelanti" in Portugal and "Ro(u)elant" in South Tyrol.
The surname is widely spread due to the fact that those who bore it often left the area in search of new opportunities abroad, particularly during the 16th and 17th centuries, which helped solidify its popularity. Today, the name is commonly found across Belgium and throughout many parts of Western Europe.
Variations of the surname Roelandts
The surname Roelandts is an old name that has been found in a variety of spellings across Europe. It is derived from the Latin word "regalis" which means king or ruler and has evolved differently in different countries. In Belgium, it is spelled "Roelandts". Other versions found in the Netherlands are "Rolant" or "Roolant", and in France, it is "Rolais".
In French-speaking regions, thence evolved name "Rolais" is found with numerous alternate spellings like "Rollais" and "Rolay". In English-speaking countries, it is often found as "Rollins", "Roland" and "Rollan". In Germany, the form "Röland" can also be heard and in Spain, "Rolant" is written as "Rolando".
Because Roelandts is also an old patronymic surname, it can be found with a variety of prefixes, suffixes and hyphenations, such as "van Roelandts" (from Roelandts), "de Roelandts" (of Roelandts) or "Roelandts-Van den Berghe".
In the United States, the name can also be found spelled as "Roland", "Rolando", or "Rolands".
Additionally, there are numerous variant spellings of Roelandts, including Rollands, Roelants, Roelens, Roelofs, Rolants, Roole, Rooles, Roolle, and Roelen.
No matter the spelling, the origin of the surname Roelandts is the same. It is a derivative of the Latin word "regalis", which means king or ruler, and signifies someone descended from a great leader.
Famous people with the name Roelandts
- Jürgen Roelandts, a retired Belgian professional road cyclist.
- Jos Roelandts, former judoka from Belgium.
- Stijn Roelandts, a Belgian international football referee.
- Bart Roelandts, an international racing cyclist from Belgium.
- Erwin Roelandts, a former football player from Belgium.
- Bert Roelandts, a retired Belgian road bicycle racer.
- Pieter Roelandts, a Dutch sculptor.
- Jimmy Roelandts, a professional Belgian road bicycle racer.
- Christian Roelandts, a former international football forward from Belgium.
- Christiane Roelandts, a Belgian politician and mayor.