Van Eyck or Van Eijk () is a

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

toponymic surname A toponymic surname or topographic surname is a surname derived from a place name.

. ''Eijck'', ''Eyck'', ''Eyk'' and ''Eijk'' are all archaic spellings of modern Dutch ("oak") and the surname literally translates as "from/of oak". However, in most cases, the family name refers to an origin in

Maaseik Maaseik (; li, Mezeik) is a city and municipality in the Belgian province of Limburg. Both in size (close to 77 km2) and in population (approx. 25,000 inhabitants, of whom some 3,000 non-Belgian), it is the 8th largest municipality in Limb ...

. This city on the

Meuse The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a t ...

, now in Belgium on the border with the Netherlands, was originally simply known as ''Eike'' (with many spellings) and from the 13th century as Old Eyck and New Eyck. Names with a particle, like ''Van der Eijk'' are more likely to refer directly to the tree.Eijk, van den /der (y)
at the Database of Surnames in The Netherlands. People with this surname include:

Renaissance family of painters

The important

Flemish Flemish (''Vlaams'') is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch (), Belgian Dutch ( ), or Southern Dutch (). Flemish is native to Flanders, a historical region in northern Belgium; ...

family of

Early Netherlandish painter Early Netherlandish painting, traditionally known as the Flemish Primitives, refers to the work of artists active in the Burgundian Netherlands, Burgundian and Habsburg Netherlands during the 15th- and 16th-century Northern Renaissance period. ...

s with the surname van Eyck originated in Maaseik, but ultimately established their professional domicile in

Ghent Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded in ...

and in

Bruges Bruges ( , nl, Brugge ) is the capital and largest City status in Belgium, city of the Provinces of Belgium, province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, in the northwest of the country, and the sixth-largest city of the countr ...

. There they changed the traditional habits of the earlier schools, remodeled the earlier forms of Flemish design, and introduced a substantial revolution into the technical methods of execution familiar to their countrymen. These painters were responsible for many famous works of the 15th century. Family members included:

Hubert van Eyck Hubert van Eyck () or Huybrecht van Eyck ( – 18 September 1426) was an Early Netherlandish painter and older brother of Jan van Eyck, as well as Lambert and Margareta, also painters. The absence of any single work that he can clearly be said to ...

(1380s – 1426), Jan van Eyck (c.1390 – 1441), their brother Lambert van Eyck, and sister Margareta van Eyck, Jan's wife, also Margaretha (1405/06 – aft.1441), and probably

Barthélemy d'Eyck Barthélemy d'Eyck, van Eyck or d' Eyck ( 1420 – after 1470), was an Early Netherlandish artist who worked in France and probably in Duchy of Burgundy, Burgundy as a painter and manuscript illuminator. He was active between about 1440 to about ...

(c.1420 – aft.1470) from the next generation. Jan van Eyck, active in Bruges, is probably the best known Northern European painter of the 15th century.

Other people

Van Eyck

Aldo van Eyck Aldo van Eyck (; 16 March 1918 – 14 January 1999) was a Dutch architect. He was one of the most influential protagonists of the architectural movement Structuralism. Family He was born in Driebergen, Utrecht, a son of poet, critic, essay ...

(1918–1999), Dutch architect, son of Pieter Nicolaas * Casper van Eyck (1613–1674), Flemish marine painter * Jacob van Eyck (c. 1590 – 1657), Dutch musician and carillon technician * Jannie van Eyck-Vos (born 1936), Dutch track and field athlete *

Marie-Paule Van Eyck Marie-Paule Van Eyck (born 22 June 1951) is a Belgian fencer. She competed in the women's individual foil event at the 1976 Summer Olympics. Her daughter, Émilie Heymans, was also an Olympic athlete representing Canada in diving Diving most o ...

(born 1951), Belgian fencer * Nangila van Eyck (born 1984), Dutch football striker *

Nicolaas van Eyck Nicolaas van Eyck or Nicolaes van Eyck (1617–1679) was a Flemish painter active in Antwerp in the middle of the 17th century. He is known for his equestrian and battle scenes, landscapes and portraits. He also painted a few civil processions, ...

(1617–1679), Flemish painter of landscapes, equestrian and battle scenes, civil processions and portraits * Peter van Eyck (1911–1969), German-American actor *

Pieter Nicolaas van Eyck Pieter Nicolaas/Nicolaus van Eyck (Breukelen, 1 October 1887 – Wassenaar, 28 April 1954) He was born Pieter Nicolaas van Eijk and changed his name to van Eyck around 1907. He worked as a foreign correspondent for the Dutch newspaper NRC in Rome ...

(1887–1954), Dutch poet and philosopher, father of Aldo and Robert Floris * Jan van Eyck

Van Eijk

Anita van Eijk Princess Anita of Orange-Nassau (Anita Theodora, née van Eijk; born 27 October 1969) is a member of the Dutch Royal Family. She is the wife of Prince Pieter-Christiaan of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven. Early life Anita van Eijk was born in ...

(born 1969), wife of

Prince Pieter-Christiaan of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven Prince Pieter-Christiaan Michiel of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven (born 22 March 1972), is the third son of Princess Margriet of the Netherlands and Pieter van Vollenhoven. Before the succession of his cousin Prince Willem-Alexander as King i ...

* Bram van Eijk (born 1996), Dutch football defender *

Collin van Eijk Collin van Eijk (born 29 August 1991) is a Dutch footballer, who plays for Belgian side Eendracht Termien. Club career Van Eijk played in the Roda JC youth academy and made his professional debut as a late sub for Mads Junker in the 2010-11 Er ...

(born 1991), Dutch football goalkeeper *

Marc van Eijk Marc van Eijk (born 5 November 1981) in Paramaribo is a retired Surinamese football player and manager. He is currently coach for the CRKSV Jong Holland in Curaçao. Club career Once hailed as a big talent, Van Eijk came through the Heerenveen y ...

(born 1981), Suriname-born Dutch footballer *

Paul van Eijk Paul Luiz van Eijk (born 16 March 1986, in Cook Islands) is a footballer of Dutch ancestry who plays as a defender. He currently plays for Nikao Sokattack. International career Van Eijk made his debut for Cook Islands ) , image_map ...

(born 1986), Cook Islands footballer * Stig Van Eijk (born 1981), Norwegian singer, composer and lyricist *

Willem van Eijk Willem van Eijk (13 August 1941 – 19 June 2019) was a convicted Dutch serial killer known as "Het Beest van Harkstede" (The Beast of Harkstede). He was convicted twice for a total of five murders. Youth Willem van Eijk was born in 1941 in t ...

(born 1941), Dutch serial killer *

Wim van der Eijk Wim van der Eijk (born ca. 1957) is a Dutch civil servant, who held the positions of Vice-President of the European Patent Office (EPO), head of the Appeal procedure before the European Patent Office, Boards of Appeal of the EPO, known as DG3 (Direc ...

(born 1957), Dutch Vice-president of the European Patent Office

External links

Catholic Encyclopedia

References