laar

Laar is a Dutch toponym and surname. As a place name, it appears in several villages and hamlets across the Netherlands and is typically linked to a landscape feature—an open clearing or space within or at the edge of a forest. The toponym appears in historical records dating back to the medieval period, and local spellings have varied over time with dialectal differences.

Etymology and usage: The word laar is generally understood as referring to cleared land within wooded country, a common descriptor in Dutch toponymy. This thematic origin explains its widespread use in rural place names, where small communities formed around such open spaces.

Geography and administration: Places named Laar are usually small and rural. In the course of administrative reforms from the 19th century onward, many have been incorporated into larger municipalities, so the name today often denotes a locality within a larger governing area rather than an independent town.

Surname: Laar is also a surname of likely toponymic origin. Families bearing the name traditionally trace their roots to one of the places named Laar, reflecting the common practice of adopting place-based surnames in Dutch-speaking regions.

See also: Laer, Laar (surname).