I decided to see what the most popular names in [name]Holland[/name] are at the moment and I found this top 20 list on the internet. I wonder what you guys think of the Dutch version of the top 20.
Boys
[name]Daan[/name]
[name]Sem[/name]
[name]Ruben[/name]
[name]Lars[/name]
[name]Thomas[/name]
[name]Lucas[/name]
[name]Tim[/name]
[name]Jesse[/name]
[name]Jayden[/name]
[name]Milan[/name]
[name]Thijs[/name]
[name]Finn[/name]
[name]Sven[/name]
[name]Stijn[/name]
Luuk
[name]Levi[/name]
[name]Bram[/name]
[name]Julian[/name]
Gijs
[name]Jan[/name]
I donāt think any of the names are pronounced the way you think it should be pronounced, except maybe for [name]Jayden[/name] and [name]Finn[/name]. Only [name]Sem[/name] is pronounced like [name]Sam[/name] is in English so that one makes sense. But even [name]Levi[/name] is pronounced differently. Itās [name]Lay[/name]-Vee instead of Leh-Vee. And for instance [name]Jesse[/name] is not [name]Jess[/name]-See but Yes-uh/Yes-suh.
Girls.
[name]Emma[/name]
[name]Sophie[/name]
[name]Julia[/name]
Lieke
[name]Lisa[/name]
[name]Lotte[/name]
[name]Eva[/name]
[name]Anna[/name]
[name]Sanne[/name]
[name]Noa[/name]
Jasmijn
[name]Anne[/name]
[name]Isa[/name]
[name]Sara[/name]
Femke
[name]Amber[/name]
[name]Tess[/name]
[name]Britt[/name]
[name]Anouk[/name]
[name]Fleur[/name]
Same here, most of the names are pronounced different than the American versions, except for [name]Emma[/name]. Some names are similar like [name]Sophie[/name], but in English itās more pronounced like Sow-fee, and in Dutch both parts are pronounced shorter, more like So-FEEH. [name]Eva[/name] is pronounced like [name]Ava[/name].
Let me know what you think of these names and just ask away if you want to know a pronounciation of a name!
[name]Thijs[/name] - Ohhh I was already trying to figure out a word that has the āijā sound in it because I was sure someone was going to ask for it haha. On the internet I found a thing that says ānames that sound like [name]Thijs[/name]ā and thereās apparently an Irish name āTeigeā but I think itās pronounced Teidjz (well something like that :P) and [name]Thijs[/name] is more pronounced like Teis. =) The h is silent, so it doesnāt have that typical āthā sound. [name]Just[/name] like [name]Thomas[/name] in Dutch, itās pronounced with just a T, no TH. I hope that was a bit helpful.
Apparently itās an Hebrew name and in English itās a short form of [name]Matthew[/name] (In Dutch itās a short form of Mathijs)
And I think itās cool that you said [name]Bram[/name] is a fun name! Itās such a typical Dutch name haha. Prn. BRAEM
I kinda like the name [name]Julian[/name] too. Everytime I see it on nameberry I fall in love again because names I read on nameberry I pronounce them with the English pronounciation. I like āDjoelianā better than āYulianā So if I wanted to use that one for my future son Iād have to move to an English speaking country first.
I also love the names [name]Anna[/name] and [name]Anne[/name], they are simple and classic. I also love the name [name]Fleur[/name], I also love Floor, too bad itās an actual word in English tho, because itās so cute! I know a girl whose name is [name]Anne[/name]-[name]Fleur[/name] ([name]Anne[/name] is pronounced with 2 syllables here, [name]Ann[/name]-nuh). [name]Anne[/name] can be put in front of a lot of names, I have often heard of people called [name]Anne[/name]-[name]Fleur[/name], [name]Anne[/name]-Roos (Roos=[name]Rose[/name]), [name]Anne[/name]-[name]Kirsten[/name], [name]Anne[/name]-[name]Marie[/name], Annemiek (my best friend! [name]Ann[/name]-nuh-meek).
(Whoops, sorry this turned out to be such a long post!)
Whoops, sorry! I also know it pronounced as [name]Lee[/name]-vie. I was thinking in Dutch and English at the same time, which didnāt really work out here. The [name]Lee[/name]-vie pronounciation is still different from the [name]Lay[/name]-vee one in Dutch tho.
My favorite boys from this are [name]Ruben[/name] and [name]Julian[/name]. For girls [name]Noa[/name]. I actually started coming across this name and Iām trying to figure out if it will fit. I donāt think my husband would like it.
Iām also fascinated by [name]Noa[/name] - I liked [name]Noah[/name] until it became so popular for boys, and now I am looking at unisex names, so [name]Noa[/name] might be perfect. I love hearing that itās normal in other countries (also in [name]Israel[/name], apparently) so itās out of the āmade upā or āyooneek spellingā territories.
To the OP - thank you, that list is great! SO interesting, especially the boys. Is [name]Milan[/name] literally a place name, or does it mean something else in Dutch? [name]Thijs[/name] is also popular in Afrikaans (I grew up in South [name]Africa[/name]) but it was usually spelt āThysā. I also find it fascinating how the boys list is quite different, but the girls has a lot more crossover with the UK and US lists.
I love [name]Noa[/name] a lot! I donāt see it as a unisex name tho, for some reason. Probably because [name]Noa[/name] for a girl is popular here in [name]Holland[/name], but [name]Noah[/name] for a boy is not.
Iāve read that [name]Milan[/name] is a Slavic name, itās short for Miroslaw, but I believe that it became popular here in [name]Holland[/name] after it was used on our most popular soap opera.
[name]Thijs[/name] can also be spelled Thys here, we pronounce the Y as an ij or as an ie/ee sound, it depends on the name/word.
I like [name]Bram[/name] and [name]Julian[/name] for boys, as well as maybe [name]Ruben[/name], but not as much as the other twoā¦
Of the girls, my favourite is definitely [name]Anouk[/name], which Iāve loved since I first saw the film āChocolatā ^^ I also like Lieke, [name]Noa[/name] and [name]Isa[/name], [name]Noa[/name] in particularā¦ And the Dutch version of [name]Rose[/name], Roos, and I think [name]Saskia[/name] is Dutch as well? I really like her too, although Roos and [name]Saskia[/name] are not on the listā¦ I think Dutch names are spunky! The sounds are a bit awkward and less melodious than many English names, but I think it adds some variety to a name, and I really like that! I can be overwhelmed with the softness of some names, like [name]Leah[/name]. She sounds like a whisper, or someone taking a breathā¦ Many of the Dutch names have more substance, which I can greatly appreciate!
It sounds more like Ee-sa with a soft s sound. I guess it sounds kind of like [name]Lisa[/name] without the L. The I is pronounced like a short āeeā sound in Dutch. I like this name. Though thereās an actress with this name, and I donāt really like her. If I didnāt know her Iād probably love the name [name]Isa[/name] way more! Isnāt it funny how one person can make or break a name?
[name]Anouk[/name] can be spelled in different ways, I know 2 [name]Anouk[/name]'s and one [name]Anouck[/name]. You know I didnāt even notice it before you said it that Roos isnāt on the list for girls. That surprises me. Not that I know any little girls named Roos, but it just seems like one of those names thatās always around. Yes [name]Saskia[/name] is a Dutch name as well, but itās kind of dated, itās still okay to give that name to a little girl, but itās mostly people my age (19) and older who are named [name]Saskia[/name].
I think so too that English words sound more melodious. In Dutch we have a lot of harsh sounding sounds. Like the G, itās that kind of back in the throat sound that not a lot of languages have. I like it though!
[name]Tamara[/name], I was surprised at Roos not being on the listā¦ I was sure she would be there!
Iām Norwegian, so Iām very aware of the ālackā of harsh sounds in the English language, since there are so many sounds Iām used to in my language that just arenāt there in Englishā¦ Iām also OK in [name]German[/name] and know more Spanish than the average Norwegian, so Iām very aware of differences in soundsā¦ We also have a LOT more vowel sounds in Norwegian, and that makes it really hard for me to understand how for example [name]Madelyn[/name] and [name]Madeline[/name] can be pronounced the same wayā¦
Sometimes when I speak English a lot, I miss the harsh sounds, but English is still my favourite language because of all the possibilities with the 1 000 000 words! Norwegian has 300 000, but many of them are importedā¦ English is full of opportunities and I have to admit I love that ^^
It sounds more like Ee-sa with a soft s sound. I guess it sounds kind of like [name]Lisa[/name] without the L. The I is pronounced like a short āeeā sound in Dutch. I like this name. Though thereās an actress with this name, and I donāt really like her. If I didnāt know her Iād probably love the name [name]Isa[/name] way more! Isnāt it funny how one person can make or break a name?[/quote]
Oh, I really like it!
Yes, it is unfortunate how one bad connotation can ruin a name ā¦ even namesakes you donāt know personally - I think [name]Lolita[/name] would be such a perfect name, if it hadnāt been for the book
Iām English, and I love melodious names, but I also like clunkier ones like Ermengarde, too (I speak [name]German[/name], so this might have affected the names I like ā¦). I adore [name]Anouk[/name], as well - it has such a satisfying sound!
[name]Don[/name]'t get me wrong, I love melodious names ([name]Eulalie[/name], for one), and English is a more ābeautifulā name than [name]German[/name] for example (there are other good adjectives to describe [name]German[/name]^^). I just think thereās a special quality and charm to the clunkier namesā¦ [name]Rosalie[/name] is sweet, but [name]Rosamund[/name] is charming, if that describes the difference ^^ And I absolutely adore Ermengarde! I imagine a little girl with a VERY large hat, so it looks like sheās about to fall over and has trouble keeping her head up, and it just melts my heart for some reason ^^
[name]Ruben[/name]
[name]Finn[/name]
[name]Julian[/name]
[name]Sophie[/name]
[name]Eva[/name]
[name]Noa[/name] - [name]LOVE[/name] this one! Especially for a girl.
I am really surprised to [name]Lisa[/name] (my name) here and on the the top 20 [name]France[/name] list.
Scrambled my name is [name]Isla[/name] and I know thatās a popular one here.
[name]NOA[/name] is great - the first time I have heard of it for a girl, but with so many of us being enthusiastic about it, it will probably end up overused in five years time!
I remember reading The Girl with the [name]Pearl[/name] Earring and liking the name Griet ([name]GREET[/name]) and also Vermeerās daughter, [name]Cornelia[/name].
Oops I just saw that question, two months lateā¦ sorry!
But those are the names of four Dutch top models haha. They are no where near the top 100 Iād guess. They arenāt very popular. I think [name]Doutzen[/name] might get more popular now that the model [name]Doutzen[/name] Kroes is getting more popular. Lonneke is also not unheard of but not very popular. But Ymre and [name]Iekeliene[/name] are kind of rare names.
The names of two other Dutch topmodels [name]Bette[/name] (Franke - pronounced [name]Bet[/name]-tuh) and [name]Kim[/name] (Noorda) are much more popular!
The [name]Lee[/name]-vie pronounciation is still different from the [name]Lay[/name]-vee one in Dutch tho. 
You know I didnāt even notice it before you said it that Roos isnāt on the list for girls. That surprises me. Not that I know any little girls named Roos, but it just seems like one of those names thatās always around. Yes [name]Saskia[/name] is a Dutch name as well, but itās kind of dated, itās still okay to give that name to a little girl, but itās mostly people my age (19) and older who are named [name]Saskia[/name].
