Footballers With van In Their Name [Eye-opening List of 30]

As you may know, there are so many Dutch footballers with van in their name. Well, in this post, you’ll understand why Dutch footballers have “van” in their name and a list of 30 players who have van in their name.

What Does “Van” Mean in the Dutch Language?

Literally, “Van” means “of” or “from”. Usually, it is used as a prefix of the real surname. For example, in Edwin van der Saar, Edwin is the first name, Saar is actually the last name. So, why is “van” or “van der” used in Dutch surnames?

Why Dutch Footballers Have “van” in Thier Surnames

In the Dutch tradition, it is common to use “van” to denote where a particular person is from. This was necessary for identification purposes especially when two people bear the same first name.

In the above example of Edwin van der Saar, it simply means “Edwin that hails (or comes from) Saar” or Edwin of Saar.

Also, in the early ages of the Dutch, it is common practice to name a child after where he or she was born.

So, back to our example of Edwin Van Der Saar, his ancestors probably have an origin or connection with the territory of Saar in the Netherlands.

Consider Reading: Worst Arsenal Signings: The Top 10 Biggest Arsenal Flops

Variations of “Van”

There are a few variations of the use “van” in dutch surnames. Although “van” can stand alone as a prefix to a surname, sometimes, more is added to it.

In some cases, some dutch footballers have “van de”, “van der”, or “van het”.

Consider Reading: Why Do Soccer Players Fake Injuries?

30 footballers with van in their name

Here we compiled a list of 30 footballers (retired & active) who have van in their name.

SN	Name	Position
1	Robin van Persie	FW
2	Donny van de Beek	MID
3	Vigil van Dijk	CB
4	Giovanni van Bronckhorst	LB
5	Mark van Bommel	MID
6	Rafael van der Vaart	MID
7	Marco van Basten	ST
8	Ruud van Nistelrooy	ST
9	Marco van Ginkel	MID
10	Edwin van Der Saar	GK
11	S. van Hooijdonk	FW
12	M. van de Ven	CB
13	M. van Bergen	FW
14	Louis van Gaal	MID
15	Willem van Hanegem	MID
16	Willy van der Kuijlen	ST
17	Willy van de Kerkhof	MID
18	Theo van Duivenbode	LB
19	Patrick van Aanholt	LB
20	Jan van Beveren	GK
21	Gregory van der Wiel	RB
22	René van Dieren	DM
23	Wim van Til	MID
24	Frans van Rooy	FW
25	Hans van Breukelen	GK
26	Adri van Tiggelen	LB
27	Jan van Beveren	GK
28	Cor van der Hart	CB
29	Daniel van Buyten	CB
30	John van ‘t Schip	FW