Who We Are...

There is even a breed of pigeon that carries our name

The name itself goes back to approximately the eighth century plus 100 years, minus none, and attaches to the Holy Roman Empire (H.R.E.). Before that we were denizens of alluvial flats and islands formed by discharges of the Rhine, Meuse, Waal, etc., Rivers emptying into the North Sea. Only DNA profiles could establish who we were before the advent of H.R.E.

Romans called us Batavians, Batavii. We may've had Latin names or we answered to "What's-His/Her-Name of Betuwe", "Betuwe" being Guelder-speak for "Batavorum". At any stance this is where ALL the Van Loons originated; where all of our ancient predecessors sustained themselves. Before the eighth or ninth centuries they numbered in more than seven digits. According to Julius Caesar and the Roman historian Tacitus, our main sustenance was fruit, fish and the eggs of water birds. Then we acquired our own land to live on -Loon (Looz)- possibly given over by Rome for our historic political and military support of the Empire.

From those earliest times many family descendants followed rivers in pursuit of their livelihoods. Back then we dwelled near the Meuse. Likewise, those coming to the New World traced the Hudson, Susquehanna, Ohio, Mississippi and Iowa Rivers. When my closest in generation relatives became citified they lived within yards of the North Branch of the Chicago River. As things come around to this 21st Century, I have one of my own living and earning his family's keep in and along a local river at Batavia, USA.

CDs are available containing, in loose chronological order, data in more than 200 files collected while getting to know my part of our family. This has been a longtime avocation. There are over 400 pages of text and graphics. Related family names run the alphabet. Use the JVL link to get a list of families and source info for particular page files. Your cost if a relative; a scanned photo, drawing, old handwritten doc., or whatever.

The PIGEON Greene Co.NY vLs MINNESOTA vLs VAN LOON INDIANA LouIsa Co. IOWA Luzerne Co. PA
ISAAC vanLOAN SCHUYLER vanLOAN vanLOON FACES

Hands Across the Sea

Borin vanLoon Artist Charles Hillman Genealogist
BORGLOON Counts of LOON(Looz) LIMBURG CASTLES MUSEUM VAN LOON

Related Places & Families

Bernadine Bierlein in Chicago c.1938
ADAMS ALVAREZ BIDDERMAN BOOTH Fisheries
GALICIA GOTTDANK LaPorte INDIANA MAREKs WEIS(Z)BRODT WEISENFELD

Maybe Not Related But Worth Looking!

MAREKs & the TexasCzechs

If nothing else, Pls write.