Dutch Names
Dutch names are short, sturdy and wonderfully practical. The Netherlands’ favorite baby names — Noah, Daan, Emma, Tess — are often just one or two syllables, while older generations were christened with long formal names like Cornelis or Geertruida and then called something snappy like Kees or Truus for the rest of their lives.
Below are 80-plus names that sample every corner of Dutch naming, from today’s playground favorites to Frisian names from the north and the surnames that crossed the Atlantic to New Amsterdam. For the full lists, see our Dutch boy names, Dutch girl names and Dutch last names. Neighboring traditions overlap a lot, so our German names are worth a look too.
Dutch Names: browse all lists
Popular Dutch boy names
These names regularly top the Dutch baby-name charts. Many are international, but spellings like Luuk and Thijs are pure Dutch.
| Name | Meaning | Pronunciation / note |
|---|---|---|
| Noah | Rest, comfort | Hebrew; a long-running #1 in the Netherlands |
| Sem | Dutch form of Shem, “name, renown” | Said SEM |
| Daan | Short for Daniel, “God is my judge” | Said DAHN |
| Levi | Joined, attached | Hebrew |
| Luuk | Dutch form of Luke, “from Lucania” | Said LUKE (long ü) |
| Bram | Short for Abraham, “father of many” | Friendly and short |
| Finn | Fair, white (Irish); also Norse, “a Finn” | Popular across Europe |
| Milan | Gracious, dear | Slavic |
| Jesse | Gift | Hebrew |
| Mees | Short for Bartholomeus | Said MAYS |
| Thijs | Short for Matthijs, “gift of God” | Said TICE |
| Lucas | From Lucania | Latin |
| Sam | Short for Samuel, “God has heard” | Hebrew |
| Julian | Youthful | Latin |
Popular Dutch girl names
Dutch girls’ names lean short and bright, with a fondness for double vowels (Saar, Noor) and Frisian flavor.
| Name | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Emma | Whole, universal | Consistently a top name in the Netherlands |
| Julia | Youthful | Latin |
| Mila | Gracious, dear | Slavic |
| Tess | Short for Teresa | Crisp and modern |
| Sophie | Wisdom | Greek |
| Zoë | Life | Greek |
| Nora | Light, or short for Eleonora | Classic revival |
| Yara | Possibly “small butterfly” (Arabic) | Very popular recently |
| Eva | Life | Hebrew |
| Liv | Life | Scandinavian |
| Lotte | Short for Charlotte, “free” | Said LOT-uh |
| Saar | Dutch form of Sara, “princess” | Said SAHR |
| Fenna | Frisian name, possibly “peace” | From the north |
| Noor | Light (Arabic); short for Eleonora in Dutch | Said NOHR |
| Sara | Princess | Hebrew |
Classic Dutch names
These are the formal baptismal names of Dutch grandparents and great-grandparents, still found on church records and in family trees.
| Name | Gender | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | Boy | Dutch form of John, “God is gracious” |
| Pieter | Boy | Rock |
| Willem | Boy | Resolute protector; name of Dutch kings |
| Hendrik | Boy | Ruler of the home |
| Cornelis | Boy | From the Roman Cornelius, possibly “horn” |
| Johannes | Boy | God is gracious |
| Gerrit | Boy | Brave with a spear |
| Dirk | Boy | Ruler of the people (from Diederik) |
| Klaas | Boy | Short for Nicolaas, “victory of the people” |
| Maria | Girl | Beloved, or “bitter” |
| Johanna | Girl | God is gracious |
| Geertruida | Girl | Spear strength |
| Neeltje | Girl | Dutch diminutive of Cornelia |
| Grietje | Girl | Dutch diminutive of Margaretha, “pearl” |
| Anna | Girl | Grace |
Dutch nicknames and short forms
In the Netherlands, the name on your birth certificate and the name you’re called can be completely different — these roepnamen (“call names”) are everyday Dutch.
| Nickname | Formal name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Kees | Cornelis | Iconic Dutch everyman name |
| Joop | Johannes | Very common mid-century |
| Henk | Hendrik | Classic working-class nickname |
| Wim | Willem | Short and friendly |
| Piet | Pieter | Also Pieterjan |
| Joost | Justus, “just” | Now used on its own |
| Truus | Geertruida | Old-fashioned charm |
| Mies | Maria | Vintage |
| Riet | Margaretha or Henriëtte | Said REET |
| Ans | Anna or Johanna | Short and sweet |
| Toos | Catharina or Antonia | Said TOHS |
Frisian names from the north
Friesland has its own language and its own names — many with the distinctive tj and sj spellings.
| Name | Gender | Meaning / note |
|---|---|---|
| Sjoerd | Boy | Frisian form of Sigurd, “victory guardian” |
| Jelle | Boy | Possibly “brave” or from Germanic gild, “payment” |
| Tjeerd | Boy | Frisian form of Diederik, “ruler of the people” |
| Sietse | Boy | Frisian short form of names in Sieg-, “victory” |
| Wiebe | Boy | From Wigbert, “bright battle” |
| Froukje | Girl | Little lady (from frouwe) |
| Sytske | Girl | Feminine diminutive of Sieds, “victory” |
| Wietske | Girl | Feminine of Wiebe |
| Jildou | Girl | Modern Frisian favorite, meaning uncertain |
Common Dutch last names
Many Dutch surnames describe a place or trade. Before 1811, when Napoleon required fixed family names, many Dutch people used patronymics like Jansen (“Jan’s son”). Our Dutch last names page has the full list.
| Surname | Meaning | Type |
|---|---|---|
| De Jong | The young one | Nickname |
| Jansen | Son of Jan | Patronymic |
| De Vries | The Frisian | Regional |
| Van den Berg | From the hill | Place |
| Van Dijk | From the dike | Place |
| Bakker | Baker | Occupational |
| Visser | Fisherman | Occupational |
| Smit | Smith | Occupational |
| Meijer | Steward, farm manager | Occupational |
| De Boer | The farmer | Occupational |
| Mulder | Miller | Occupational |
| Van der Meer | From the lake | Place |
Dutch names in America
New Netherland left a lasting mark on New York — and on some of the most famous family names in American history.
| Name | Dutch origin | American connection |
|---|---|---|
| Roosevelt | Rose field | Presidents Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Van Buren | From the town of Buren | Martin Van Buren, whose first language was Dutch |
| Vanderbilt | From De Bilt, near Utrecht | The railroad and shipping dynasty |
| Van Rensselaer | From Rensselaer | Patroons of a vast colonial estate near Albany |
| Schuyler | Scholar | Also used as a first name (SKY-ler) |
| Van Dyke | From the dike (Van Dijk) | Actor Dick Van Dyke |
| Stuyvesant | Meaning uncertain | Peter Stuyvesant, last director of New Amsterdam |
How to choose a Dutch name
- Mind the vowels. Dutch doubles vowels to lengthen them (Saar, Luuk) and “ij” sounds like the “i” in ice. Pick a spelling your English-speaking friends can manage — or embrace it.
- Watch the “g.” Names with a hard Dutch “g” (Gerrit, Geertje) sound very different in the Netherlands than in the US.
- Use a formal name plus a call name. Name your son Willem and call him Wim — a very Dutch approach.
- Explore the neighbors. Many Dutch names overlap with German boy names and Norwegian last names.
- Check the “van.” If you’re using a Dutch surname as a first name, drop the particle: Buren or Dyke won’t work, but Schuyler and Roosevelt can.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most popular Dutch names?
Noah, Sem, Daan, Luuk and Levi are among the most popular boy names in the Netherlands in recent years, while Emma, Julia, Mila, Tess and Sophie lead for girls.
What is the most common last name in the Netherlands?
De Jong (“the young one”) is the most common Dutch surname, followed by Jansen, De Vries, Van den Berg and Van Dijk.
What does “van” mean in Dutch names?
“Van” means “from” or “of,” and usually points to a place: Van Dijk is “from the dike,” Van den Berg “from the hill.” Unlike German “von,” it doesn’t indicate nobility.
Why do Dutch people have nicknames like Kees and Henk?
Dutch children were often baptized with formal names like Cornelis or Hendrik but called by a short “roepnaam” (call name) in daily life, such as Kees or Henk.
Is Frisian the same as Dutch?
No. Frisian is a separate language spoken in the province of Friesland, with its own names like Sjoerd, Jelle and Froukje, though most Frisians also speak Dutch.