ijslager

Ijslager is a Dutch surname of likely occupational origin. The name combines ijs, meaning “ice,” with slager, meaning “butcher” or “meat seller.” As an occupational surname, ijslager would have referred to a person who worked with ice—such as harvesting, storing, or distributing ice in markets or towns before the advent of modern refrigeration.

Origin and distribution: Dutch and Flemish naming traditions produced many trade-based surnames, and ijslager fits this pattern. Today the surname is relatively uncommon, with the highest concentrations in the Netherlands and in Dutch-speaking Belgian communities. It may also appear among descendants of emigrants from those regions in other countries.

Notable people: There are no widely recognized individuals with the surname ijslager documented in major biographical references.

See also: Slager (surname). The component ijs is related to other ice-related terms in Dutch and related Germanic languages.