Van Daele is a Dutch toponymic surname, originating as a variant of Van Dalen, meaning 'from the valley'. The name is derived from Old Dutch dal ('valley'), with van indicating a place of origin.Distribution and VariantsThe surname is most common in the Belgian province of East Flanders, while the agglutinated form Vandaele (written as one word) is more frequent in West Flanders. Variants include Van Daal, Van Daalen, Van Dael, Van Dale, Vandale, and Van Dalen itself. Cognate forms in other languages include the Swedish Dahl and the English Dale, which share the same topographic meaning.Notable BearersNotable individuals with the surname Van Daele include:August Van Daele (1944–2017), Belgian Chief of Defence from 2002 to 2009Edmond Van Daële (1884–1960), pseudonym of French actor Edmond MinckwitzFrans van Daele (born 1947), Belgian dignitaryJo Van Daele (born 1972), Belgian discus throwerJoop van Daele (1947–2025), Dutch footballerJoseph Van Daele (1889–1948), Belgian racing cyclistKaat Van Daele (born 1989), Belgian figure skaterShawn Van Daele, Canadian photographerThe less common form Vandaele is found notably in racing cyclist Leon Vandaele (1933–2000) and politician Wilfried Vandaele (born 1959).Meaning: 'from the valley'Origin: Dutch toponymicType: SurnameRegions: East Flanders (Van Daele), West Flanders (Vandaele)