Origin of the family name VAN DEN HOOGEN.
The family name VAN DEN HOOGEN originates, for as far as can be established until now, from a hamlet with the name DEN HOOGEN, which was situated in the eastern part of North Brabant, near the village of Reek.
Picture Reek, 1865 , with hamlet with the name DEN HOOGEN. Reeck, around 1600, with other villages.
However, there are doubts about that. What is namely the case?
A number of namesakes are engaged in genealogical research. One of them is Ad van den Hoogen. He descends from a VAN DEN HOOGEN branch from the vicinity of Oudewater, Benschop and Gouda. Some years ago he was in connection with other matters in the provincial archives in 's Hertogenbosch. There he discovered by accident a coat of arms and besides the family name VAN DEN HOOGEN. He asked the archivist of that place whether the original colours were known. They were not known to him, however the archivist referred him to one Mr van den Bergh, who was also present in the room at that moment. The latter told him, that there was a connection between the family VAN DEN HOOGEN and the lineage of van den Bergh. His information led to the province of Zealand. After that Ad van den Hoogen spent a day in the archives in Middelburg and had contact with the archivist of that place. He noticed further that many mayors of Middelburg had the surname VAN DEN HOOGEN.
The archivist then said that an exhibition of one family van Borsele had just been concluded. The story goes that when Frank van Borssele married Jacoba van Beieren, he did not know what to do with his illegitimate children. He accommodated them in a fourteenth century family castle ter Hooge, between Flushing and Middelburg. The children that were born from that castle were van ter Hooge, van den Hoogen etc. (male/female). They were, however, of standing and thus it could happen that they were part of the Lords of Zealand and they also became mayors of Middelburg.
When the Treaty of Westphalia had to be signed in the year 1648 two Lords of VAN DEN HOOGEN went also to Münster. They (and now it comes) behaved so badly en route and when they came back they were thrown out of the Aristocracy.
Through the mediation of the Prince, so is written, one of them was taken back into the aristocracy and the other one became Landlord of Gouda. He bought a piece of land in Benschop/Oudwater, on the land he built farms in which his children were accommodated.
Whether this means, that the family name VAN DEN HOOGEN originates from Zealand is, therefore, open to discussion. In 1999 there was an exploratory research in Middelburg. Until now indications were not found that a specific branch of the family VAN DEN HOOGEN comes originally from the Province of Zealand.