Surname Peelen - Meaning and Origin

Peelen: What does the surname Peelen mean?

The last name Peelen is thought to have originated in the Netherlands and dates back to at least the 17th century. Depending on the particular source, it is said to mean either "from the pool" or "from the peatland". The name Peelen may also be associated with a person from one of the Peelen villages.

In the Netherlands, the last name Peelen is associated with a place name that is derived from "peel", meaning a group of hills formed from sand or clay. It is thought that these hills were once covered in thick forest, or heathland, and were an important source of peat used for fuel. As a result, the last name Peelen came to be associated with those who lived near these hills, on the peatland or near a pool.

The last name Peelen is not especially common, but it is found in the Netherlands and across the world. Today it is used by people who can trace their ancestry back to Dutch settlers in the United States, Canada, Australia, and other countries.

Peelen: Where does the name Peelen come from?

The last name Peelen is an ancient Dutch surname that has been around since the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the Netherlands and spread to other areas of Europe. Today, the surname Peelen is most commonly found in the Netherlands, Belgium, and parts of Germany. It can also be found in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Brazil, though in smaller numbers.

In the Netherlands, the Peelen surname is fairly common. It is second only to the De Vries surname in terms of the number of people with the name, making up around 0.67 percent of the total population. It is most common in the northern provinces of Drenthe, Friesland, and Groningen, as well as in the provinces of Flevoland and Zeeland. The Peelen surname can also be found in the Netherlands’ southwestern provinces, such as North Brabant and Limburg.

In other countries, the Peelen surname is much less common. In the United States, for example, it is estimated that there are fewer than 1,000 people with the name, making up around 0.0003 percent of the total population. In Canada, the Peelen surname is present but rare. Similarly, in Australia, the population of people with the Peelen surname is thought to be in the low hundreds.

Overall, the Peelen surname is still quite common in the Netherlands, but it is far less so in other countries.

Variations of the surname Peelen

Peelen is a surname originating from the Netherlands that is believed to have derived from the name Pieter. Variants of the surname Peelen include Peleman, Pelen, Pellman, Peleijn, Pellen, and Pilen. This surname is also spelled Peleman, Peelman, Pelman, and Pellmann.

In Dutch, the surname Peelen has two possible origins. One is a short form of Peter, or Pieter, mentioned above. The other is from the word “pel” meaning “fur”, referring to the trade of dealing in fur. In this case, Peelen could have been a person who had expertise in skinning fur, or a profession of dealing in fur such as a fur trader.

This surname is found in other countries, especially those with a Dutch heritage. In Germany, one of the variants of this surname is Pfaelen which is a diminutive of Philip. In French-speaking countries such as Belgium, a variant is Péléman, a Dutch variant of the French name Pascal.

In Scotland, and in some other parts of the world, the surname Peelen can be found as Pilon. This variant originates from the word “pill” meaning “head”. In this case, a person with the surname Peelen may have had a profession of sawing or cutting wood or building houses, because the head (or pill) was the part of the tool which did the cutting or sawing.

Finally, the surname Peelen is occasionally found as the surname Pellan, which is a variant of the Dutch surname Pelman. In this case, Peelen may have been derived from the nickname Pel, meaning “meadow”, which was given to someone living in a meadow.

Famous people with the name Peelen

• Martin Peelen: professional cyclist from the Netherlands who has won gold medals in championships in road cycling and track cycling.
• Norman Peelen: Dutch defender and youth international who has played in the Eredivisie for Helmond Sport.
• Jelle Peelen: Dutch professional footballer currently playing in the Eerste Divisie for CAPVN.
• Jeroen Peelen: Dutch actor most notable for his leading role in the Dutch television series, Bluf.
• Janna Peelen: Dutch swimmer and world champion in the Open Water Swimming World Cup in 2009.
• Sjors Peelen: Former Dutch footballer who represented the country in the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
• Max Peelen: Actor, model, and musician who is known for his role as Cor Boonstra in the television series Raveleijn.
• Remco Peelen: Former Dutch racecar driver who drove in the German Formula 3 Championship and the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0.
• Monique Peelen: Former professional Dutch tennis player who reached a career-high ranking of 894 in singles and 607 in doubles.
• Sir Robert Peelen: Former British Prime Minister who also founded the Metropolitan Police.

Other surnames

PeelePeeler