Dutch male names in English. Dutch (Dutch) and Flemish names

Dutch ( de Nederlandse taal) belongs to the West Germanic subgroup of Germanic languages ​​and is widespread in the Netherlands and the Flemish part of Belgium (Flanders). The language is also sometimes called Dutch and Flemish (after the two main dialects).

Exists a large number of dialects of the Dutch language, however, both the Netherlands and Belgium have adopted the “universal Dutch” as the official standard ( Algemeen Beschaafd Nederlands).

Full, short and diminutive forms

Many names may be used officially in several various forms: in Latinized church ( Jacobus), secular ( Jacob), short or diminutive ( Cobus, Coos, Jaap). The legislation allows children to be registered under any name, therefore full names Dutch and Flemings can be any combination: Maria Margaretha Antje Vis (Maria And Margaretha - full forms, Antje- diminutive of Anna), Joannes Diderik Dibbits (Joannes- Latinized form, Diderik- secular Dutch). More often diminutives as passports are found among women - as an echo of traditional practice, when female names were formed from masculine ones using diminutive suffixes: Albert - Albertje, Hendrik - Hendrikje(despite the fact that in parallel there also existed and exist forms Alberta, Hendrica).

In fact, most people use secular, short or diminutive forms in everyday life: for example, Dutch politicians Petrus Leonardus Bastiaan Antonius van Geel And Jacobus Cornelus Theresia van der Doef known as Pieter van Geel ( Pieter van Geel) and Jaap van der Duf ( Jaap van der Doef).

Most common names

The 10 most common names in Belgium (Flanders, 2008)

*Names borrowed from French or having the same spelling with their French counterparts.
**Names recently borrowed from other foreign languages.

The most popular names among newborns (Netherlands, 2010)

*Names recently borrowed from foreign languages.

Most common surnames

10 most common surnames (Netherlands)

10 most common surnames (Belgium)

The history of Dutch names can be divided into four periods:

1. Dominance of Germanic names.
2. The appearance of the names of Christian saints.
3. Children began to be named after relatives.
4. Names borrowed from other languages ​​appeared.

As a rule, a Dutch citizen has several names at once. The state does not limit their number, however, there are rarely more than five. Residents who profess Protestantism give their children one or two names, Catholics - three or more, one of which must be chosen according to the church calendar.

How do you choose?

Traditional name Dutch boy given in honor of immediate relatives. The name can be made up of several at once, for example, from the name of the father and mother.

In the pre-war period, the first boy in the family received the name of his paternal grandfather, the second - the name of his maternal grandfather. Subsequent sons received names in honor of relatives, or their parents called them any name they liked. Because for a long time in Holland there was a high infant mortality rate; if the first son died before the birth of his brother, then more younger brother could have received the same name. If a boy was born after his father died, then he received his name.

List of options in Russian

Male names can be used in several forms at once. They are divided into ordinary (secular), church and diminutive. For official documents, you are allowed to use any of these forms.

List of male Dutch names:

• Adrian- “from Hadria”, strong personality, developed altruism and philanthropy.
• Alphonse-translated as “noble”.
• Bartholomeus– “son” Talmay”, is interested in knowledge only to reflect the inner world.
• Bastian- “from Sebeist”, from an early age tries to dominate, voluntarily goes into conflict with a stronger opponent.
• Budevin– “supporting a friend”, strives for recognition, is conscientious and reliable.
• Valentine– “healthy, strong”, capable of sacrifice for a great goal.
• Viet– means “ruler of the army.”
• Willem- “helmet”, has developed intuition, gives birth to many new ideas.
• Harm- “army man”, prone to continuous movement, loves changing places.
• Gastaaf– “meditative”, values ​​stability, this often becomes the reason for his loneliness.
• Hermann– translated as “close, dear.”
• Gird– “spear”, sociable and cheerful, easily and often makes acquaintances.
• Godfried– “the world of God”, a person of fine spiritual organization, can be slightly withdrawn and uncommunicative.
• Daan– “God is my judge”, a symbol of reliability, always knows what to do.
• Daniel- “God's judgment” - is pleasant to others, is always cheerful and shows friendliness.
• Dederik- “king of the nation”, tries to be in charge, even if this desire is unjustified in a particular situation.
• Jaap– “displacer”, sociable, always finds mutual language with others.
• Jell– “helmet”, talented cheerful man able to quickly absorb knowledge.
• Jerben- “bear spear”, predisposed to the life of an ascetic, capable of sacrifice for the sake of a great goal.
• Jervaas– translated as “spear servant.”
• Jerg– “farmer”, values ​​stability in life and strives for a quiet and peaceful existence.
• Jerlak– “game of the spear”, a person with idealistic inclinations, affectionate and amorous.
• Jeroen– “holy name”, has increased demands on others.
• Jeff– “multiplying”, loves solitude, however, it does not burden him.
• Jijs– “bright”, distinguished by courage and independence, has pronounced self-will.
• Gillies– “child”, characterized by excessive curiosity.
• Jokem– “established by God”, has qualities that allow him to occupy a leading position.
• Jordaan– “flowing downwards”, rarely needs support, but he himself provides it only in a critical situation.
• Jupe– “God is good”, is ready to give up personal happiness for the well-being of another person.
• Joost– “fair”, decisive and responsible, has a quick reaction.
• Diederik– “king of nations”, there is an innate creativity.
• Zeodur– “a gift from God”, a bright, non-trivial person looking for an application for his abilities.
• Zeunis– translated as “invaluable.”
• Ignaas– “ignorant”, perceives loneliness as an obligatory attribute of freedom.
• Karelian– means “person”.
• Casper– “bearer of treasures”, knows how to convince others that he is right.
• Keon- “brave advisor”, owner of a fiery soul.
• Constantijn– “stable”, has a stormy love life, puts honesty and integrity first.
• Kristiaan– “follower of Christ”, can become good friend, ready to sacrifice everything for the sake of someone else's well-being.
• Xander- “defender of humanity.”
• Marten- “from Mars”, sometimes looks modest, but in fact has ambitions and plans.
• Lammert- “bright land”, loves to live in dreams, much of what he plans easily comes true.
• Liven– “beloved, dear friend”, has charm and charm, worthy of sublime feelings.
• Lodwijk- “famous warrior”, conservative, tries to create a comfortable environment around himself and live in it.
• Lawrence- “from Laurentum”, charming man, who will be pleasant company.
• Ludger– “pricking people”, emotionally self-possessed and sensitive, has a sense of tact.
• Luuk- “from Lucania”, knows how to speak beautifully, has the art of calming.
• Mass– “twin”, sensitive to the environment around him, quickly senses a change in the atmosphere among loved ones.
• Marijn- “from the sea”, spends most of his energy on understanding the world and a positive outlook on life.
• Mattijs– “a gift from God”, appreciates beauty and art, loves to surround himself with comfort.
• Menno– “strength”, capable of selflessness, devoted to friends and loved ones.
• Mies– “beloved son”, the family plays for him important role and influences his orientation in life.
• Morits– “dark-skinned”, is an obsessive perfectionist, loves order in everything.
• Moses– “born, son”, cheerful, often jokes and goes through life with his head raised.
• Nikolaas- translated as “victory of the people.”
• Augustine– “respectable”, looks down on others, often has to make important decisions for others.
• Pepijn– means “fruit seed”.
• Petrus– “rock, stone”, distinguished by stubbornness and leadership qualities.
• Povel– “small”, introvert by nature, very secretive.
• Radboud- “brave advisor”, responsible, you can rely on him in any situation.
• Rembrandt– “sword of wisdom”, has excellent intuition, adapts well to various conditions.
• Rodolphe– “famous wolf”, strives for leadership, cannot stand lies.
• Ruben– “contemplative”, in relationships he prefers to completely rely on his partner.
• Roosevelt– “rosary”, it’s hard to make new acquaintances, however, he is ready to make any sacrifices for friends.
• Sjaak– “displacer”, in order to achieve the goal he is ready to use all resources and bring the matter to the end.
• Sebastiaan- “from Sebeist”, can be capricious and too emotional, but nevertheless has a kind soul.
• Simen– “listening”, prefers to contemplate the world from the outside.
• Staas– “restorative”, makes high demands on himself and others.
• Stephanus– “crown”, wants to stand out from the gray mass.
• Teunis– “invaluable”, easily wins over people, strives to be in company all the time.
• Walter– “ruler of the army”, sociable and insightful, has an excellent memory.
• Fiil– “lucky”, distinguished by special excitement.
• Floris– “blooming”, characterized by scrupulousness and accuracy.
• France– “free”, has a vulnerable creative nature.
• Fraud– “wise”, tries to be fair in everything.
• Hein– “home ruler”, strives for a good life, does not tolerate poverty and deprivation well.
• Heald– “battle”, wins people over, is able to infect others with his ideas.
• Schuyler– “defender”, distinguished by his nobility, tries to be fair in everything.
• Euoud– “legitimate ruler”, comprehensively developed, good life values ​​more than friendship.

Dutch Bank social insurance De Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) has been keeping statistics on state names since 2007. Every quarter, it introduces visitors to a list of the 20 most popular names. In 2014, the top three among men were: Daan, Bram and Milan. At first glance, they are easy to pronounce, however, more and more newborns are called them every year. If parents decide to name their son a Dutch name, they should pay attention not only to how it sounds, but also to its translation into Russian.

In any group you can meet a person with an unusual, strange or very As a rule, its origin depends on the specific traditions of the country in which its owner was born. For example, Dutch surnames are considered one of the funniest in the world. Find out why in this article.

Last name: from birth and for life

The very word “surname,” so familiar to us today, comes from ancient Roman. This word meant a large and strong family with a man at the head. Then the ancient Romans included in the concept of family, by the way, slaves who served their owners. In Russia, the rules were practically the same: before the abolition of serfdom, peasants bore the same surname as the landowner.

Nowadays, there is nowhere without a surname - it is given to us from birth and most often remains with us for life. With the exception of special occasions, Certainly.

History of funny Dutch surnames

Dutch surnames are considered the funniest in all of Europe, and there is a completely reasonable historical explanation for this. When the nation was conquered by Napoleon in 1811, he issued a decree that forced everyone in the Netherlands to acquire a French surname.

The Dutch themselves, who had previously only had names, were not going to obey the law. And since they believed that the occupation of the country was only a temporary measure, they decided not to bother themselves or rack their brains by coming up with names. And the freedom-loving people were not at all against mocking the invaders.

This is how absolutely stupid surnames appeared that were simply impossible to pronounce without laughing. For example, Naaktgeboren, which literally means “born naked.” Or Piest (“pissing”). There were also entire family branches under the surname Rotmensen - translated from Dutch, “rotten people.”

A few years later, the war with Napoleon ended, and the inhabitants of the country became independent again. However, contrary to expectations, the law was never repealed. So the heirs of these people have to bear dissonant surnames to this day. But they are rightfully considered the most original in the world.

What does "van" mean in Dutch surnames?

Recognition family names They are given by unique prefixes: “van”, “de”, “van der” and others. This is why Dutch surnames are so widely known abroad. For example, in the USA they are very popular.

Many Americans automatically associate Dutch surnames with prestige and high income. Mainly due to the fact that the rich industrialists came from the Netherlands. Take, for example, But his last name, despite its beautiful sound, is the most ordinary one. There was a town near Utrecht, it was called Bilt. And the surname Van-der-Bilt (Vanderbilt) means a native of this town, that is, one who comes “from Bilt.”

The Germans also have a memorable prefix von, indicating the aristocratic status of the bearer. But the Dutch version of van is much more prosaic, and there is no social status behind it.

The residents of the Netherlands usually write the prefix “van” with a small letter (with the exception of initials or the beginning of a sentence), but abroad it can be found written with a capital letter.

The most popular Dutch names

In general, the Netherlands is a state, although small, but very socially rich. Proximity to Belgium and Germany, rich ethnic and religious composition, several indigenous groups - all this cannot but influence Dutch names and surnames.

If you want to know all about names in this country, it's worth visiting your local Social Security Bank. In addition to its main task - insuring the population from all kinds of disasters, this structure also deals with statistics on the names of residents.

Once every three months, bank employees post lists of the most popular names - male and female - on the official website. You can also notice a trend of decreasing or increasing popularity of each name compared to the previous period. Any name can be found full information, including its origins, etymology, correspondences in other languages, and known speakers.

It is curious that you will only find information on names in the Dutch version of the site. Although it itself is available in many languages, including English, German, French and Spanish. However, you need to understand Dutch to know the most popular Dutch first and last names.

Male names, for example, Daan, Sem, Lucas, Milan, Thomas, are found here at almost every step. And if we talk about popular women's ones, then these are Emma, ​​Julia, Sophie, Lotte, Lisa and Anna.

Origin of Dutch surnames

Today, almost any Dutch surname can be classified into one of four categories based on origin: geographical, occupational, descriptive or familial:

1. Surnames that are derived from the region in which the bearer lives or his ancestor once lived are widespread. For example, de Vries. Sometimes it’s not even just a region, but a specific estate or place where a person worked - van Aller or van de Vliert (literally “coming from a farm”)
2. Another example typical surname- by profession. For example, Haak means “peddler”, Kuiper means “cooper”, and with de Klerk everything is clear - the person worked as a clerk.
3. The third group of surnames came from certain physical features a person or his character traits. For example, Dik means "fat" and de Groot means "big". Not everyone is lucky with their last name, what can you say.
4. The last group of surnames is associated with the origin of its bearer and conveys family ties. Addicks means nothing more than “son of Addick,” and Evers means “son of Ever.” That is, a kind of patronymic is an analogue of what we wear in Russia.

Interesting facts about Dutch surnames

• Dutch male surnames, like ours, are given once and for life. When a girl gets married, she has a choice. She can either keep her last name or combine it with her husband’s last name, turning it into a double one. Many people prefer the first path if the groom’s surname is completely dissonant.
• There are over one hundred thousand original Dutch surnames. And many of them you will not find anywhere else.
• The surname de Jong means "young" and is often given to a younger family member with the same name. While the analogue de Oude “senior” is much less common. It’s understandable to call someone with a new name who already bears a specific surname, just because a new person has appeared in the family. new member, not accepted.
• The most popular Dutch surnames are Vries, Jansen, van de Berg, Bakker, van Dijck and Visser.

When we talk about Holland, we invariably remember tulips, mills, cheese and, of course, Dutch surnames, which are easily recognizable all over the world by the prefixes -van, -van der, -de. And few people know that names in the Netherlands not only did surnames appear much earlier, but they still have more meaning for the Dutch important. And the surname, one might say, is a historical curiosity. During the conquest of Holland by Napoleon, the local population was required to acquire surnames, which the Dutch managed just fine without. They frivolously believed that the surname was a temporary whim of the new authorities and were called by the first word that came to mind. Times have changed, but the names, some of which are difficult for the “owners” themselves to pronounce, remain.

Ancient Dutch names.

Male and female Dutch names- diverse and have ancient history. The Dutch are direct descendants of the Germanic Batavian tribe, who were influenced by the Roman Empire, the French monarchy, the German Empire, and Spain. All these cultures left their mark on the Dutch naming system.

There are especially many names of ancient Germanic origin. Values these Dutch names often associated with war, heroism, courage - Radboud (brave), Lambert ( bright land) and his female form Lambert, Matilda (mighty battle), Rembrandt (sword of the law), Ferdinand (brave path).

A separate group is formed by popular Holland Frisian names– Remko (council), Timo (people), Femke, Fenna, having in their composition the word “peace”.

Christian names and Western European borrowings.

The Dutch began to use Christian names a very long time ago. Catholics name children according to the Catholic calendar, using Latin and secular forms of names - Martinus, Johannes, Petrus, Martin, Jean, Johan, Peter, Pierre. This included some names of ancient Germanic origin - Rudolf, Albert. Protestants prefer names from the Old Testament - Rachel (Rachel), Aaron, Abel.

In the second half of the twentieth century, English, French, Spanish and other names poured into the Dutch language. Russian names did not go unnoticed either. Borrowed names are used by the Dutch in their original and adapted form - Fleur, Dylan, Rita, Anya, Tanya, Sven, Lars, Shak (Jacques), Giovanni (Giovanni), Charlotte (Charlotte).

Modern education.

As you can see, Dutch parents have great opportunities to choose beautiful name to your child from huge amount names Moreover, the law does not limit their number; a child can be called by five names. But this turns out to be not enough. Sometimes names are derived from words in modern Dutch - Sterre (star), Madelief (daisy). In addition, children are registered under any name - Maria and Margaretta (full forms), Yonees (Latinized form), Diederik (secular form). In everyday life, short and diminutive forms of names are used, of which there are countless numbers - Nikolaus (Nikolai), Niko, Nik, Klas, Kolla, Nils, Lickle; Ferdinand, Ferdi, Nand, Nando, Nandus, Dinand.

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select a country and click on it - a page with lists of popular names will open

State in Western Europe. Borders with Germany and Belgium. The capital is Amsterdam. Population – 16,357,373 (2007). official languages– Dutch and Frisian (in Friesland). The two indigenous population groups are the Dutch and the Frisians, and there is also a large number of immigrants. Ethnic composition: 80.8% Dutch, 2.4% German, 2.4% Indonesian, 2.2% Turkish, 2.0% Surinamese, 1.9% Moroccan, 1.5% Indian, 0.8% Antilian and Aruban, and 6.0% other ethnic groups. Religion breakdown: 26.6% Catholic, 16.8% Protestant, 5.8% Muslim, 0.6% Hindu, 1.6% other religions and 42.7% atheist.

The main source for statistics on names in the Netherlands is data from the Social Insurance Bank - De Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB). This structure is the provider of insurance for the population in the country. This organization recently began to provide information on name statistics - data is available since 2007. Every quarter on its website, SVB publishes a list of the 20 most popular male and female names. Next to the name, an arrow indicates the direction of development of popularity compared to the previous period - up or down. At the beginning of the year, data for the entire past year is summarized. For each name from the list of popular names, information is provided about its origin, known media. However, sometimes, after the correct etymology, some random sound matches with words of other languages ​​are given. Also on the SVB website you can see lists of names with more than 3 names. Moreover, the lists are presented in two versions - in alphabetical order and in descending order of frequency. In addition, there are lists of the 10 most popular names in each of the 12 provinces of Holland.

Although the SVB site is available in several languages ​​(Dutch, English, German, French, Spanish and Turkish), there is only a section on names in the Dutch part of the site.

On this page I will provide data on the twenty most common names in Holland in 2014.

Boys names

Place	Name	Number of names
1	Daan	751
2	Bram	727
3	Milan	700
4	Finn	694
5	Sem	693
6	Lucas	681
7	Luuk	667
8	Levi	646
9	Liam	614
10	Noah	602
11	Jayden	550
12	Tim	546
13	Thomas	545
14	Jesse	538
15	Thijs	536
16	Max	518
17	Julian	515
18	Ruben	513
19	Lars	508
20	Mees	492

Girls names

Place	Name	Number of names
1	Sophie	836
2	Emma	728
3	Julia	676
4	Mila	609
5	Tess	591
6	Isa	583
7	Zoë	576
8	Anna	575
9–10	Eva	570
9–10	Sara	570
11	Fenna	556
12	Evi	538
13	Lotte	534
14	Lynn	523
15	Lisa	520
16	Fleur	503
17	Saar	496
18	Sarah	836
19	Lieke	728
20	Noa	676