Frequency: (4330)
(number of times this surname appears in a sample database of 88.7 million names, representing one third of the 1997 US population)
1. North German and Dutch: patronymic from the personal name Arend (see Arndt).
2. Jewish (Ashkenazic): assimilation of the Jewish patronymic Aarons to the German name, which has a similar pronunciation.
See the Key to the Dictionary or consult the General Introduction for further explanation.
