Leeuw

Leeuw is Dutch for lion. It occurs as a surname, most commonly in the form of De Leeuw (9,814 people in the Netherlands in 2007 and 2,211 in Belgium in 1998). "De Leeuw", “Leeuw” (873 & 34 people) and Van der Leeuw (765 & 9 people) are thought to mostly be toponymic surnames, with the first bearers named "(from) the Lion" after a house, windmill or farm with that name. The more common surname Van Leeuwen has a distinct origin in the small town of Leeuwen and perhaps in the city of Leuven. People with these surnames include: