Von

Von [fɔn] is a term used in German language surnames either as a nobiliary particle indicating a noble patrilineality or as a simple preposition that approximately means of or from in the case of commoners.

Nobility directories like Almanach de Gotha often abbreviate noble von to v. In medieval or early modern names the von particle was at times added to commoners' names; thus, "Hans von Duisburg" meant Hans from [the city of] Duisburg. This meaning is preserved in Swiss surnames or in the Dutch van, which is a cognate of von but does not indicate nobility.

The abolition of the monarchies in Germany and Austria in 1919 meant that neither state has a privileged nobility, and both have exclusively republican governments.

In Germany, this means that legally von simply became an ordinary part of the surnames of the people who used it. There are no longer any legal privileges or constraints associated with this naming convention. According to German alphabetical sorting, people with von in their surnames – of noble or non-noble descent alike – are listed in telephone books and other files under the rest of their name (e.g., the late Ludwig von Mises would have been found under M in the phone book rather than V).

In Austria, in contrast, not only were the privileges of the nobility abolished, their titles and prepositions were abolished as well in 1919. Thus, for example, Friedrich von Hayek became simply Friedrich Hayek. (See also Austrian nobility on this issue.)

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