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On December 7th, 1295, in the West-Flemish Bruges (now Belgium), on a charter someone wrote the name of a woman who was known as Ave Slinx. Except that she lived in Bruges and probably had borrowed some money -- we know her name from a sort of mortgage-charter in which she was assessed for three pennies per year for the house she's living in -- we know nothing about her. Till now we cannot prove that this Aafje Slings is the oldest known member of a family which still lives on. But the charter does make clear that the name Slings is in use for many centuries, more then 700 years...

(drie peneghe daer ave slinx vp woent - three pennies [for the house] where Aafje Slings lives)

The origin of the name Slings (in the charters also spelled as Slinx, Slincks, Slincx, Slinckx, Slinkx, Slinks or Slinghs) is not quite clear. The medieval Dutch dictionary mentions two meanings. Both of them were already used in the 14th century. The first one is neutral: left; the second one has a negative meaning: wrong or cunning. The last one lives on in the Dutch expression slinkse streken (cunning tricks).

However, it's a fact that none of the estimated 25 generations which separate us from the Flemish Ave has taken the opportunity to get rid of this name. Here you can read their story...