von Beethoven?

[Fate Fatale]

I'm about 85% certain that "van" is just "von" conjugated differently.

Nope. "von" doesn't change its form ever. "van" is just a Dutch word.

EDIT: I've just wiki'd some info and I found that "von" was used only by the nobility at that time. So I am now certain that when he became famous, he changed his name from a commoner's to a nobleman's by the simple change of a letter.

He didn't change his name, though. It's "van Beethoven", it never was "von Beethoven".

I never meant it to mean that he actually went to an office and got an official name change, it could have just been some strange whim he got when he grew to fame. People change their names (on a personal basis) every day... or at least I do.