Versteegt

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characteristics:
address-name

There are many surnames derived from topographical (geographical) names. These names state where someone comes from (origin-names), which territory or estate was owned or managed, or which houses were owned or rented. In this last category the surname also indicate where someone lived (because street names and numbers were not introduced yet). This type of names is therefore called an address-name, as a special part of the origin-names. Origin-names mostly lead back to names of cities, villages and countries. Address-names lead back to smaller parts, like houses, fields, waterways etc. The elite (upper-class) who named themselves after their property placed themselves between these categories, so to speak.

Examples of Dutch address-names:
- Van der Heide, Hordijk, Van der Meulen, Nijdam, Verdonk, Van der Werf
- Farm-names from the (North) East of Holland which end on -ing or -ink: Aalderink, Bruggink, Joling, Lanting, Lieftink, Oonk.
- Other farm-names like Nijhof, Bronsvoort, Nooitgedagt
- Houses and taverns: Bontekoe, Fortuin, Hardebol, Hoppezak, Nagtglas, Spiegel, Van der Wereld.
To this subgroup also belong the names derived from ship names.

Without any (genealogic) background-information it is not possible to classify surnames in one of the categories mentioned above.

Versteegt is a variant of Versteeg

explanation:
Contraction of "Van der Steeg", points to the spot that was known in the neighborhood as "De Steeg".

Where does the T come from? One theory (of Henk Versteegt who has done a lot of research) is that the roots of the Versteegt-family are around the Dutch city of Utrecht. In the dialect used in this area the last T of a word is never pronounced. As our ancestors moved away from Utrecht it is likely that upon the registration of a child's birth (or christening) the government official who recorded the registration heard the name Versteeg. Aware that the family was from Utrecht, the official who recorded the birth (or christening) assumed Versteegt was meant, resulting in Versteeg being recorded in public records as Versteegt. The result was the changing of the family name to Versteegt.

Research and literature references. About the word steeg:
- The original meaning of the word steeg was a small footpath. In the countryside (especially in Gelderland and Brabant, 2 provinces in the Netherlands) it was mostly used for a country road in general. On the other hand in the city the word steeg was used to denote a small street or alley, mostly in a poor neighborhood. The with a T extended appearance of the word steeg (steegt) does also appear in the meaning of a country road.

In everything what was discussed before in the word steeg was a former meaning of stepping/walking maintained, consequently without any form of slope in it. In some areas in the Netherlands the word steg (or steeg) has the meaning of a small high bridge. In South-Holland (another province in the Netherlands) the word steeg(t) is used to designate a ramp (of a dyke).[M. Schönfeld, 'Steeg: tegenstelling van stad en land', in: Taal en Tongval 10 (1958), p 99-101].

- A "steeg" is therefore always a little, small. less important road, mostly not paved, sometimes privately owned. [J. Daan, 'Van -stegen en -straten', in: Studies voor Damsteegt, Leiden 1981, p 33-39].

- Originally a "steeg" was a small barrow-rut, that was a diagonal link between 2 main roads. Even smaller then a "steeg" was a "steg", a small footpath only suitable to transport by wheelbarrow. [G. Beex, 'Straten, stegen, banen, wegen, dijk en pad. Wat zijn dat?', in: Brabants Heem 42 (1990), nr 3, p 86].

derivatives:
Hendrikman Verstegen, Oude Stegge, Steeg, Ter Steeg, Van Steeg, Vd Steeg, Steege, Ter Steege, Vd Steege, Steegeman, Steegemans, Steegen, Steegenga, Steeger, Steegers, Steegh, Steeghs, Steeging, Steegink, Steegman, Steegmann, Steegmans, Steegs, Steegstra, Vd Steegt, Stege, Ter Stege, Vd Stege, Stegeman, Stegemann, Stegen, Vd Stegen, Stegenga, Steger, Van Stegeren, Stegerman, Stegers, Stegge, Aan de Stegge, Steggerda, Steggerink, Steggink, Stegh, Steging, Steginga, Stegink, Stegman, Stegmann, Tersteeg, Tersteege, Tersteegen, Terstegen, Terstegge, Versteegde, Versteegden, Versteege, Versteegen, Versteegh, Versteegt, Verstege, Wisboom Verstegen.

total number of people with the surname of Versteegt in the Netherlands, counted in the 1947 census.
Province:


Groningen	0
Friesland	0
Drenthe	0
Overijssel	0
Gelderland	0
Utrecht	34
Amsterdam	1
Noord-Holland	1
Noord-Holland total	2
Den Haag	2
Rotterdam	2
Zuid-Holland	36
Zuid-Holland total	40
Zeeland	0
Noord-Brabant	0
Limburg	0
total	76

All the information above is coming from the Dutch Meertens Institute and translated by Aat Versteegt.