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The term von ([fɔn] ) is used in German surnames either as a nobiliary particle indicating a noble patrilineality, or as a simple preposition used by commoners that means 'of' or 'from'.
Nobility directories like the Almanach de Gotha often abbreviate the noble term 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 toponymic surnames and in the Dutch van, which is a cognate of von but also does not necessarily indicate nobility.