A decree of August 18, 1811 laid down that any inhabitant who had not yet a definite surname, should choose a family-name. Nomde Engels added the surname AFMAN to his name. The members of Nomde Engels family still used as surname the patronym Nomdes (the christian name of their father with a postfix 's').
The oldest record of the surname Afman dates from October 11, 1812. Engel Nomdes, the eldest son of Nomde Engels, uses the surname Afman when he registers the birth of his son Harm.
A note in the Repertorium 1812-1820 of the notaries of Appingedam suggests that
the origin of the name AFMAN cannot be traced back to a writing error:
"14 november 1812. Constatant que Nomdo Engels, Nomde Engels et Nomde Engels Afman
est une et la même personne."
This passage is singled out on the cover of the new Afman Book.
A litteral translation is:
"14 november 1812. Stating that Nomdo Engels, Nomde Engels and Nomdo Engels Afman
is one and the same person."
It is a pity that the corresponding act is missing in the archives. May be
Nomde Engels needed it for some reason and got the act with him.
It is remarkable that the use of the patronym Engels still remained the current practice for several years after 1812. The Dutch Reformed Church of Ten Boer used the surname Afman not before 1815 in its registers. As in a little village people know each other very well, there was no need for surnames.