Mulders

Mulders is a Dutch surname derived from the Middle Dutch mulder, meaning miller. The suffix -s in Mulders often functions as a patronymic or plural marker, giving the sense of a descendant of Mulder or the millers as a family group. The name originated in the Low Countries as an occupational surname.

The name is most common in the Netherlands and among Dutch-speaking communities worldwide. It also occurs in Belgium and in regions of former Dutch colonization, including parts of North America and South Africa, where Dutch and Afrikaans-speaking communities settled.

Root form Mulder is frequently encountered as the base surname, while Mulders is the standard plural/patronymic form. Related names in other languages reflect the same occupational origin, including Müller in German and Miller in English.

See also: Mulder, the related Dutch surname; Müller, the German cognate; Miller, the English cognate.