The convention is to use lower case when the van is preceded by a first
name  patronymic; otherwise upper case is used. For example: Arent van
Curler founded Schenectady; however, he wrote that Van Curler founded
Schenectady.

Charles Gehring
New Netherland Project
New York State Library
CEC 803
Albany, New York 12230
tel: 518/474-6067
fax: 518/473-0472
email: [log in to unmask]
web: www.nnp.org

>>> [log in to unmask] 07/10/06 2:46 PM >>>
The following query is posted by request.

--Moderator, NYHIST-L

* * * * 

I'm going over a book manuscript on colonial New York with my
copyeditor who
queries me on whether the "van" so common among 17th and 18th century
names
should be capitalized or not. When reading early sources the
capitalization
is variable, and the print versions by 19th and 20th century
historians
seem
to vary, too.  I had decided to leave all my van Rensselaers, etc,
lower-case for consistency's sake.  Is there an accepted practice, or
is the
capitalization of "van" ("Van"?!) optional?

 

Best,

Sara Gronim
[log in to unmask] 



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