Meaning & History
Heijmans is a Dutch patronymic surname, derived from the given name Heijman, itself a diminutive of Hendrik, the Dutch cognate of Henry. The name thus ultimately traces its roots to the Germanic elements heim “home” and rih “ruler”, meaning “home ruler”.
Etymology and Linguistic History
The Germanic name Heimirich evolved into Old High German Heinrich, later influencing Dutch and other Germanic languages. In the Netherlands, Hendrik became a common given name, spawning numerous patronymic surnames, including Heijmans through a double diminutive (Heij man < heij = diminutive of Hendrik, –s = patronymic suffix).
Historical Distribution
Heijmans is typical for southern Netherlands, especially around Rosmalen in North Brabant. The name is also well known through the Dutch construction company Heijmans N.V., founded by Jan Heijmans in 1923. While the surname is not among the most frequent in the Netherlands, it remains regionally prominent.
Coincidental Namesake with Company
Because of the large construction firm publicly traded since 1993, Heijmans is as widely recognized as a corporate brand than a last name in the Netherlands and Belgium. Major projects such as the Western Scheldt Tunnel links the name to Dutch infrastructure.
Related Surname Variants
Related Names
Sources: Wikipedia — Heijmans