This is one of the earliest, of all Dutch settler surnames in what was to become nearly one hundred and fifty years later, the United States of America. It dates back to the time in 1650 when what is now New York, state and city, was being fought over by both the British and the Dutch. In the end with the appointment of William of Orange, the prince of Holland, as king of England, in 1689, the situation was ultimately resolved peacefully. This surname recorded in the spellings of Van Arsdale, Van Arsdalen, Van Arsdall, etc. seems to originate from one settler Symon Janse Van Arsdale, and all nameholders, however the name is spelt, are relatives of this one man. The name does not appear to be recorded in its home country. This is not so unusual, many early settlers went to New England to escape religious persecution, in so doing they often changed their names! Examples of early recordings include Cornelius Simonse Van Ardsdale, the son of the first nameholder, baptised at Flatlands, Kings County, on July 1st 1662, and Marretje Van Arsdale, christened at the same place on April 4 1678. Later recordings include George Van Arsdall, who married Zervia Andrews, at Pine Bush, Orange County, New York, on February 13th 1849. He may have been the son of Henry Vanarsdaal, of Montgomery, Orange County, New York state, who was recorded there on December 29th 1812. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Symon Janse Van Arsdale, which was dated June 1st 1660, a baptism witness at Flatlands, Kings County, New York, during the reign of King Charles 11 of England, known as 'The merry monarch', 1660 - 1685. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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