- Gelderland surnames often end in hof, ink, inck, ing or loo
- Zeeland surnames often end in aert, ge, ghe, ick, uck, se or sons or have French prefixes of de, d'or ver
- Zuid Holland surnames are often prefixed with de, den, van, vande, vanden or van der.
Dutch First Names The Importance of First Names! We respond to our name throughout our lives. People associate us with our first name, it forms part of our identity. They help to distinguish us from one to another. Other people gain immediate and sometimes totally subconscious views of people, just from hearing a name they can therefore give us a distinct advantage in life, or conversely, a disadvantage! The choice of an Dutch Baby name is, therefore, incredibly important. And those of us who choose a baby's name are taking on a responsible task! What Dutch baby name shall I give to my baby? Will the traditional Dutch baby name suit my baby? Will it be appropriate throughout a full life cycle starting with baby - toddler - school child - teenager - young adults - parents - middle age - retirement and ending with old age. Will it suit a pensioner as well as a baby? Will the schoolchild be teased mercilessly about a name? What will your baby think of your choice? Interchangeable letters in Dutch names Dutch first name's vary immensely due to the use of interchangeable letters. The letters 'j', 'y', and 'i' are interchangeable, therefore Antje, Antye, or Antie are all derivatives of the same name. Female versions of Dutch male names It was very important to carry down the paternal grandfather's name. The grandfather's name would clearly be suited to male descendants but if there were no male descendents the tradition would still continue as the Dutch tradition would be to use a feminine version of a male name. For example, "Eelke" is the male name and "Eelkje" is the female form and "Jan" is the male name and "Jantje" is the female form. Dutch family nicknames The Dutch, like many other nationalities, use varying family petnames or nicknames for the younger members of the family. Dutch children's names often end with the suffix 'je', 'tje', 'ie' and 'ke'. For male children this is used to reflect an age difference, as in the American terms Snr. and Jnr. A father might be called "Jan" and, to save confusion, his son would be called "Jantje". Genealogy |