Glossary of Dutch Names - Cliff Lamere

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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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