Surname Mesdag - Meaning and Origin

Mesdag: What does the surname Mesdag mean?

The last name Mesdag is a Dutch surname of patronymic origin, meaning "son of Mede". The origin of the name is derived from the Middle Dutch given name Mede, which is most likely derived from "mede" meaning "brave, proud, or strong."

In the 17th century, the Netherlands experienced several wars which led to an influx of immigrants from various countries and cultures. As a result, the Dutch language was enriched with foreign words and names which were assimilated and used as surnames.

Mesdag is a common Dutch surname today, and it is found among Dutch, Belgian, and North American families who have descended from Dutch immigrants or whose forefathers were born in the Netherlands.

In addition, the surname is affiliated with the well-known Dutch painter and adviser, Hendrik Willem Mesdag (1831-1915). He studied at Leiden University and was influenced by the Barbizon School of Art. He was particularly recognized for his marine paintings, along with other 19th century Dutch marine painters such as Breitner and Israels.

In conclusion, the last name Mesdag is a Dutch patronymic name which has its origin in the Middle Dutch name "Mede," meaning "brave, proud, or strong." It is associated with the 19th century Dutch marine painter, Hendrik Willem Mesdag, and is found among families of Dutch, Belgian, and North American origins who are descended from Dutch immigrants.

Mesdag: Where does the name Mesdag come from?

The last name Mesdag is most common today in the Netherlands. Mesdag is a Dutch language surname, derived from the name Mescher which is a shortened form of the first name of Simon Mescher, a popular Dutch priest in the 15th century. The name was later further shortened to Mesdag when it was established as a patronymic surname.

Today, the last name Mesdag is most common throughout the region of the Netherlands, especially in towns and cities in the northern part of the country. The Netherlands is a small country with an estimated total population of 17 million in 2019, which placing the size of the population with the last name Mesdag relatively low.

The Netherlands Bureau of Statistics (CBS) reports the population size with the surname 'Mesdag' at 1,228 people in 2017, making it the 5,187th most common surname in the country. This was a 0.006% share of the total population of the Netherlands that year. The geographical distribution of this surname is primarily found in the province of Zeeland, where it makes up 0.03% of the population, making it the 728th most common surname in the province.

Outside of the Netherlands however, the surname Mesdag is much rarer, with few people bearing the name in other countries around the world. In comparison, the surname is not found in the top 10,000 most common surnames in either the United States or United Kingdom.

Variations of the surname Mesdag

Mesdag is a Dutch surname, derived from the Dutch phrase "mey dagghe". It is a compound of the two words "mey" (maiden) and "dagghe" (day). The original meaning of the phrase was both a blessing, expressing hope for a young woman's marital future, as well as a play on words, as "dagghe" also means "dawn".

Mesdag is the most commonly seen spelling of this surname, but it has appeared in a variety of spellings over the centuries. Mesdaag, Maesdag, Meysdaech, Maysdaech, and Maesdaagh are all different variants of the same surname. In some cases, the spelling of Mesdag may also vary depending on the language it is spelled in, such as French or German.

Mesdag is also considered the same surname as the variants Mesdaeghe and Meisdaeghe. This is due to the French influence in the surname, as in French the letter 'g' and 'h' are interchangeable.

There is also a variant spelling for Mesdag known as Mesdaeg. This is due to a misreading of the ‘d’ “g” as a “t” due to the frequent use of old Dutch fonts on older documents.

In some cases, Mesdaeg and Mesdag are considered two distinct surnames due to their inherent variations. One prominent example of this is the surname Mesdaeghe-van Mesdag, with Mesdaeghe being the French spelling of the surname and van Mesdag being the Dutch spelling.

In surnames with multiple spellings, any combination of the variants may also be used, such as with the surname Mesdaeghe-Meisdaech. As with van Mesdag, the first portion (in this case Mesdaeghe) is considered the French spelling, while the second (Meisdaech) is the Dutch spelling.

Famous people with the name Mesdag

• Hendrik Willem Mesdag: This 19th-century Dutch painter and art collector was considered one of the most significant Dutch landscape painters of the time.
• Sientje Mesdag-Van Houten: The wife of Hendrik Willem Mesdag, she was also an accomplished painter.
• Lawin Mesdag: Lawin Mesdag was a Dutch naval officer and explorer. He went on several voyages to the South Polar regions and wrote about his findings.
• Mark Mesdag: The son of Hendrik Willem and Sientje Mesdag, Mark Mesdag was also an acclaimed painter.
• Bastiaan Mesdag: The son of Hendrik Willem and Sientje Mesdag, Bastiaan Mesdag was a Dutch religious leader and theologian who wrote extensively on the subject.
• Cornelis Gijsbert Mesdag: Cornelis Gijsbert Mesdag was a Dutch artist who specialized in marine art.
• Gody Mesdag: Gody Mesdag was a Dutch entrepreneur and the founder of Mesdag Online, an online education platform.
• Johannes Hermanus Mesdag: Johannes Hermanus Mesdag was a Dutch entomologist and botanist.
• Wiepkje Mesdag: Wiepkje Mesdag was a Dutch nurse who helped to care for sick and infected Dutch soldiers during World War II.
• Pieter Mesdag: Pieter Mesdag was a Dutch diplomat who served as the Netherlands' ambassador to the United States from 1956-1962.

Other surnames

Mesdagh