Jonkheer

[1][2] It is the cognate and equivalent of the German noble honorific Junker, which was historically used throughout the German-speaking part of Europe, and to some extent also within Scandinavia.

When using the French translation écuyer, it is placed after the full name, separated by a comma, like the English esquire, but in Belgium it is not a courtesy title and neither does it indicate a lawyer (for whom the postfix ", avocat" or the prefix "Maître" would be used instead, depending on context).

[citation needed] However, in the Low Countries (and other parts of continental Europe), in most cases the head of most noble families carries a title, inheritance being by male lineage.

Jonkheer, or its female equivalent jonkvrouw, developed therefore quite early into a different but general meaning: an honorific to show that someone does belong to the nobility but does not possess a title.

Later (especially in the 17th and 18th century) these jonkers often went calling themselves "Baron" after the German example, which was adopted by most of these noble families when the Kingdom of the Netherlands was established.

The word was probably a nickname, as opposed to an honorific, associated with Adriaen van der Donck; a young Dutch lawmaker, pioneering politician and landowner in New Netherland.

While his business ventures largely proved less than successful, the city of Yonkers takes its name from his steadfast work in the formation of the state of Manhattan itself.