ACCEPTED EXPLANATION
The name starts as "van Borculo" it lasts two generations like that and then suddenly changes to the name of the female line of the family "van Coeverden"this name actually originated from two generations back
NOTE: In western civilization it is almost always a fact that the male name carries and the female name is dropped, that is however not always true in the modern world but 700 years ago it was almost a certainty.
The masculine name is lost for no reason at all and the lineage carries on through the centuries to the fifteenth generation under Reint Wolter van Coeverden, who marries and moves to England this couple creates the sixteenth generation of Lucas Hendrik van Coeverden (a.k.a. Luke Henry Vancouver).
WHY THIS DRASTIC CHANGE IN THE LAST NAME???
van Coeverden to Vancouver, five major changes in one generation all to make it English??, then why not simply Vancoeverden or Vancoever??
I know what it feels like to come to an anglo nation my last name "van Kaauwen" is constantly changed to "Vankaauwen" but that's two small changes the capitalization of the "v" and the removal of the space between words"
van Coeverden to Vancouver shows us five major changes the capitalization of the "v" and the removal of the space between words but then also the loss of the "e" and replacement with a "u" and the loss of the "den" at the end of the name why did these major changes occur, these are all questions that my father and I have been asking ourselves for years.
Five changes to the name over one generation
van Coeverden
Vancouver
People are usually proud of their family history so what would make this person change their name so drastically, especially when there were noble titles bestowed on his family that might be lost because of the name change. It does not line up!
OUR EXPLANATION
As in the above theory our explanation is also only assumed but it seems to fit just the same if not a little better.
The furthest back we have been able to trace our family tree in one solid line is 1590 AD, it does however continue in bits and pieces to the thirteenth century. The name originates as "van Kauwen" by the third solid generation it changes to "van Couwen" most likely just by a simple misspelling (NOTE: In history there are countless changes in the spelling of words due mainly to the fact that most of the population was illiterate or at least some what illiterate.)
This persons younger siblings still however carried the original spelling of the name.
This person of the third generation "Aert van Couwen" marries twice, the first marriage produces a child "Gerrit (George) van Couwen"
who in adulthood journeys' between Holland and England on the trade routes open at the time. Eventually this person settles in England and operates his fathers' business affairs overseas.
This is where the assumptions begin on our part
It is believed that he marries an English maiden "Sarah ??" and starts a family
Having now moved to England he experiences what most people of Dutch origin experience after moving to an anglo nation "THE NAME CHANGE" "van Couwen" to "Vancouwen".
Sometime later a child is born "John Jasper Vancouven" and again as you notice the name changes this time possibly by accident the "w" is changed to a "v" most likely by bad penmanship in the township records, or quite possibly because there is no word in the English language that places a "u" and "w" next to each other.
John Jasper marries "Bridget Berners" and they have a family, however again the last name experiences a change; it is not known whether this happened with the birth of the children or with the marriage certificate "Vancouven" to "Vancouver" most likely again by bad penmanship in the township records or human error.
Four changes to the name over three generations
van Couwen
Vancouwen
Vancouven
Vancouver
