The Vanderbilt Name
Originally, the Vanderbilts were a Dutch family that lived in a village in the Netherlands called De Bilt. The family can be traced back to Jan Aetszoon, who was a farmer. Aetszoon (some spell it 0Aertson) lived from 1620 to 1705. He moved from Utrecht to the New Netherland, which was a Dutch colony at the time, and worked as a servant for the Van Kouwenhoven family.
Cornelius Vanderbilt and his family. Photo by Granger / Shutterstock
Strange how the name Aertzoon turned into such a prominent name like Vanderbilt. The name was obviously changed, thanks to power and translation. The word “van” means “from.” Therefore, the name Jan van Der Bilt means Jan from Bilt. Gradually, the name evolved into Vanderbilt.
That’s the origin of the rich New Amsterdam – modern Manhattan – family.