GLOSSARY OF SOME DUTCH GIVEN NAMES
Cliff Lamere 14 Aug 2000
In the "Van Deursen Family" by Captain A. H. Van Deusen (pages 693-716), there is a 24-page glossary of Dutch names entitled, "CHRISTIAN NAMES AS USED
AMONG THE NEW NETHERLAND SETTLERS, AND THEIR APPROXIMATE EQUIVALENTS IN ENGLISH"
"It is often exceedingly difficult and hazardous to classify and define the Christian names applied to people in Dutch or mixed communities during the
transition period from Dutch to English. From about 1740 to the final adoption of English as the language of the Knickerbockers, the clerks
entering the names in the Church books and other public records evidently were often ignorant of either English or Dutch, writing Dutch names as near
as they could according to the English pronunciation, and entering English appellations approximately according to the Dutch way of pronouncing them.
This causes an often unintelligible jumble which only ceased after the tongue of the English, owing to numbers and political preponderence, had practically
driven out the language of the original white settlers, the pioneers and founders of the four middle Atlantic States."
I have selected a few names from the glossary and put them roughly in alphabetical order.
Agnietje
= Agnes
Andries
= Andrew
Angnietje
= Agnes
Annaatje, Annetje = Ann, Anna, Anne
Anneke = Ann, Anna, Anne
Antie
= Ann, Anna, Anne
Ariaantje
= Harriet, Adrianna, Arrietta
Arie, Ary
= Aaron, Adrian
Barber
= Barbara
Barend, Barent = Barnard, Bernard
Betsy
= Elizabeth, Betty
Casparus, Casper = Jasper
Cathalina, Cathalyntje, Cathlyna = Catherine, Catharine
Catharina, Cathryna = Catherine, Catharine
Claas, Claes, Claus = Nicholas
Coenraadt
= Conrad
Derick, Derk = Theodore
Dirck
= Theodore
(not Richard)
Dirk
= Theodoric (not Richard)
Engeltie, Engeltje = Angelina, Angelica
Evert
= Everard
Fytje, Fietje, Fytie = Sophia, Sofia
Geertruid, Geertruy, Gitty = Gertrude
Gerrit
= Gerard, Gerald, Garret
Gitty
= Gertrude
Gysbert
= Gilbert
Hanna, Hanneken = Hannah, Anna, Joan
Hannes, Hans = John
Hendrik
= Henry
Hester
= Hester, Esther
Hilletje, Hiltje = Hilda, Huldah
Jacobus
= Jacob, James
Jacomyntje = Jacobina, Jemima, Jaqueline
Jan
= John
Jannetie, Jannetje = Jane, Jeanne, Joan
Joannes, Johannes = John
Johanna
= Joan
Josyntje
= Cynthia
Killeaen
= Killian
Klaas, Klaes = Nicholas
Lena
= Helena, Magdalena, Madeline
Maas, Maes = Bartholomew
Maartje
= Maria Martina, Martha, Mary
Margaretha, Margriet, Margit = Margaret
Marietje
= Maria, Mary
Marytie, Marytje = Maria, Mary (Polly)
Meindert, Myndert = Maynard
Neeltie, Neeltje = Eleanor, Cornelia, Nelly
Petrus, Pieter = Peter
Ritsert, Ryckert = Richard
Saartje, Sartje, Sara = Sally, Sarah
Syntje
= Cynthia
Teeuwis, Teewes = Matthew
Teunis, Tunis = Anthony
Tirck (Dirk) = Theodore
Velten
= Valentine
Wilhelm, Willem = William
Yzak
= Isaac
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