Van de Ven, Van der Ven and Vandeven are toponymic surnames of Dutch origin. The original bearer may have lived or worked near a ven, a Dutch term for a small lake, like fen derived from the Proto-Germanic fanją. Van der Plas and Van der Poel are equivalent Dutch surnames. The name can be found as early as the first part of the 14th century in Oirschot. The name is quite common in the Netherlands, ranking 41st in 2007. People with this surname include:Andrew H. Van de Ven, American business theorist Cornelius Van de Ven (1865–1932), Dutch-born American Roman Catholic bishop Hans van de Ven, Dutch sinologist Jan van de Ven (1925-2013), Dutch politician Kirsten van de Ven, Dutch footballer Monique van de Ven, Dutch actress and film director Peter van de Ven, Dutch footballer Ton van de Ven (1931–2014), Dutch mathematician Ton van de Ven (1944–2015), Dutch industrial designer
