Introduction to the Noppages
© Hans P. Noppen

Dear Reader,
The genealogical "Noppages" are written in Dutch only. A summary (concerning the Noppen's) is given on this page. You will find as well information on the families “Van der Mijl", from Dordrecht, and “Vreeke”, from Walcheren, Zeeland. Only the oldest parts of the various family trees are given, as well as the ancestors (pedigree; both males and females) of my daughter and son. Finally, also pages are presented concerning families Nop: from Friesland, North of Holland (Zype, Alkmaar), and Limburg (Maastricht).

It is almost certain that families Noppen, living at present in The Netherlands, belong to two different trees.
The one family concerns the descendants of heyndryck eeverssen nop. In the "buy and sell" registries of the city of Woerden (booknr.47 page 40v and 41, year 1643), our eldest ancestor (so far) is mentioned for the first time: Heijndrick Evertsz. (Nop). He is recorded, named Heijndrick Evertsz, as a neighbor at the south side of "certain houses and grounds located along a sandy path on the old land", bought by Dirck Gerritsz. Baers. In that deed of sale Jan Pleunen Verhoef is mentioned. He lives at the north- and western side of that piece of land. This mr. Verhoef is also mentioned in a number of so-called orphan books ( (booknr.6, blz.21v, 23v, 27 and 28: a.0. year 1654) as neighbour at the north side of "certain houses and grounds, standing and located along a sandy path on the outer dike of the old land", belonging to Hendrik Evertsz. Nop.

The family-name Nop is not commonly used yet; in a notaries deed of 1655 Hendrik, being a tile-maker, is referred to without mentioning his family-name, but he signs the document himself with Nop (so he could write at least his name!).

These mentions form (up till now) the earliest signs of the family name; in this case still Nopbut quite fast already lengthened to 'Nopen' (1675), 'Noppe' en 'Noppen'(1680).

It could be that the name refers to a 'sandy' height as one could find, in the old days, in the North of the province North Holland, outside the dikes. Small, sandy plates were named 'Nob' or 'Nobbe'. 'Nop' and 'Nob' are close together; one could hardly hear the difference. This is even demonstrated by the fact that Evert Noppen (VIa), and one of his sons, named Adrianus (1791-1838), were also named Nobbe and Nobben!

The first Nop(pen)’s belonged to the Evangelic-Lutheran church. The Evangelic-Lutheran community is the oldest protestant movement. They appeared especially in the Dutch cities. Immigrants from Germany and the Scandinavian countries founded many Lutherian communities although it is remarked that after the appearance of the warlord Alva (from Spain; ca.1570, start of the eighty years war with Spain), many Lutherans came from Anvers to Woerden.

The other family Noppen came from 's-Hertogenbosch and goes much further back. As these Noppen' s are definitive not related to us, this family is not covered in this document.

In those years of investigation more "Noppen-families" have been found: especially in Utrecht (Mattheus Noppen, silk trader, around 1650) and in the province of Sealand (ca.1650; Noppe's from Oude-and Nieuwe Tonge). They are classified as not being relatives; the same counts for a family Van Noppen, also from Zealand. Also in Belgian, at this moment, a number of Noppen's is living (more than 100), as well as in Germany. Finally, what seems to be very interesting is the following.
After inquiries at the Central Office of Genealogy in The Hague it appeared that the family name Nop still exists. It concerns a family Nop in Maastricht, Limburg, and surroundings, and a family Nop in Gaasterland, Friesland, and surroundings. Also in the province of North-Holland (Alkmaar, Amsterdam, Zijpe etc.) traces have been found of Nop's going back to 1600. But this family seems not to exist in these days anymore.

So we find:

• In Woerden the presence of Hendrik Evertsz. Nop, born ca. 1620, presumably having a brother named Jan Everts. Hendrik lived on the old land outside of Woerden and probably was a tile-maker.
• In Friesland: Sijmen Jans Nop, born. ca.1625, farmer at Wijckel, probably having a brother named Cornelis Nop, a doctor at Workum.
• In Maastricht (till present)we found Hendrik Nop, born. ca. 1775, gardener and farmer at Maastricht (1827). Hendrik Nop is mentioned as witness during the baptizing of grandchild Joanne, dr. of Lodewik Nop.
• In the province of North-Holland: Cornelis Jans Nop, born ca. 1625, most probably at Alkmaar, died before 25th of oct 1680 (ref. date of marriage son Jan Cornelis).
• In the province of North-Holland: Sijmen Jans Nop, who let baptize at Callantsoog 12th of november 1656 a daughter Maartgen. He was married with Jannetgen Allert.

Are Cornelis jans Nop and Sijmen jans Nop brothers? And is Sijmen the same person as farmer Sijmen Jans Nop of Wijckel? And is Cornelis Nop from Workum the same person as Cornelis Jans Nop of Alkmaar? A lot of questions.

Up till now a relationship between these trees (or branches) has not be demonstrated.