Dutch Baby Names

Dutch influence on names in the United States goes back to the colonial settlement of New Netherland, centered on New Amsterdam, which later became New York. Several familiar names on this list grew out of that history. Brooklyn and Brooklynn come from the Dutch village of Breukelen, and Harlem comes from the Dutch city of Haarlem. Skylar and Skyler come from Schuyler, the surname of a prominent Dutch family in colonial New York.

Other names trace back to Dutch forms of old Germanic names. Derek and Derrick come from a Dutch form of an old Germanic name meaning ruler of the people, Koen and Coen are Dutch short forms of a name meaning bold counsel, and Hendrix is a patronymic surname built on the Dutch form of a Germanic name meaning home ruler. Anika is a Dutch and German diminutive, and Van is the Dutch particle meaning from or of, familiar from many Dutch surnames. Holland is also used as a name, borrowed from the historic region that gave its name informally to the whole country.

Dutch names often sound crisp and short, with strong consonants. Dutch pronunciation can differ from English reading habits, so decide whether you prefer the original sound or the anglicized version before you choose a spelling.