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HelpThoughts on these names?
I've been browsing the submitted Dutch & Frisian names. I was wondering what your thoughts are on these names. Yes, they're mostly not common in the English speaking world, but that's exactly why I'm wondering what you think of them :) Which do you like and which ones you think are a bad idea to use?
Boys:
Rodin
Jerom
Han
Fender
Falko
Berend
Sybrand
Fardau
Wessel
Girls:
Anemoon
Vlinder
Veerle
Imme
Feia
Merel
Pip
Rozemarijn
Sanderijn "San"
(if you interested in meanings, you can find them here https://www.behindthename.com/submit/ )
Boys:
Rodin
Jerom
Han
Fender
Falko
Berend
Sybrand
Fardau
Wessel
Girls:
Anemoon
Vlinder
Veerle
Imme
Feia
Merel
Pip
Rozemarijn
Sanderijn "San"
(if you interested in meanings, you can find them here https://www.behindthename.com/submit/ )
Archived Thread - replies disabled
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Replies
It looks like you have quite the soft spot for Frisian names! I hope you don't mind if I point you to a few other sources that might be of interest to you:
- Fryske foarnammen / Friese voornamen written by Rienk de Haan (bought the book on Bol.com a few years ago, but it seems to have gone out of print since - maybe you'll still be able to find it in a library, antiquary or places like Marktplaats)
- Ostfriesische Vornamen von A bis Z written by Manno Peters Tammena (also out of print, but you can still find some used copies on Amazon Deutschland)
- Friesche Naamlijst (Onomasticon Frisicum) written by Johan Winkler (available for free in PDF at http://www.wumkes.nl/index.php?volg=8&id=95 - click on the red-coloured word "document" in order to download the file)
- "Rufnamen auf den Inseln Föhr, Amrum und Sylt von ca. 1600 bis 1900" (männlich): http://www.amtfa.de/friesVornm.pdf
- "Rufnamen auf den Inseln Föhr, Amrum und Sylt von ca. 1600 bis 1900" (weiblich): http://www.amtfa.de/friesVornw.pdf
- http://nds.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_vun_plattd%C3%BC%C3%BCtsche_V%C3%B6rnaams (in Low German, but contains East Frisian and North Frisian given names)
Also, if you like Anemoon, then the French name Aymone (also found spelled as Aimone) might possibly be up your alley as well - feel free to check it out! :)
- Fryske foarnammen / Friese voornamen written by Rienk de Haan (bought the book on Bol.com a few years ago, but it seems to have gone out of print since - maybe you'll still be able to find it in a library, antiquary or places like Marktplaats)
- Ostfriesische Vornamen von A bis Z written by Manno Peters Tammena (also out of print, but you can still find some used copies on Amazon Deutschland)
- Friesche Naamlijst (Onomasticon Frisicum) written by Johan Winkler (available for free in PDF at http://www.wumkes.nl/index.php?volg=8&id=95 - click on the red-coloured word "document" in order to download the file)
- "Rufnamen auf den Inseln Föhr, Amrum und Sylt von ca. 1600 bis 1900" (männlich): http://www.amtfa.de/friesVornm.pdf
- "Rufnamen auf den Inseln Föhr, Amrum und Sylt von ca. 1600 bis 1900" (weiblich): http://www.amtfa.de/friesVornw.pdf
- http://nds.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_vun_plattd%C3%BC%C3%BCtsche_V%C3%B6rnaams (in Low German, but contains East Frisian and North Frisian given names)
Also, if you like Anemoon, then the French name Aymone (also found spelled as Aimone) might possibly be up your alley as well - feel free to check it out! :)
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Thanks, I'll check them out. Can't have enough sources for good names! :) I've gained the soft spot when we were actually living in Friesland. I quite like a lot of them, but not everything works as well in other languages. (like the Fokke & Sukke comics for example!)
Aymone is nice too. I like the pronunciation, but the look a little less.
Aymone is nice too. I like the pronunciation, but the look a little less.
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Ooh, these are a treat! My favorites are Rodin, Jerom, Falko, Wessel, Anemoon, Veerle, Imme, and Rozemarijn.
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Thank you! Yeah, it's something different from your typical English name :)
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For boys, I liked Rodin, Fardau, and Wessel the best. Maybe don't name your son Fender? I don't know, it just doesn't seem like a name he would like to stick with, and it could maybe be unusual to grow up with a name like Fender.
For the girls, I liked Feia and Sanderijn the best out of the group! Vlinder is also good too. Veerle seems pretty masculine, and unless you're going for a masculine girl name, I don't think it's the best fit. Merel, even though it's an older classic, is kind of outdated now, and may not have the same classy affect now as it used to.
Just my opinions, and don't hope to offend in any way. I hope this helps!
For the girls, I liked Feia and Sanderijn the best out of the group! Vlinder is also good too. Veerle seems pretty masculine, and unless you're going for a masculine girl name, I don't think it's the best fit. Merel, even though it's an older classic, is kind of outdated now, and may not have the same classy affect now as it used to.
Just my opinions, and don't hope to offend in any way. I hope this helps!
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I personally didn't have all the associations with Fender, which is why I'm asking people from other backgrounds. I'm way happier finding out any bad associations now :)
Veerle give me a feminine vibe, also bc 'veer' in Dutch means 'feather', which gives it a softer feminine feel to me.
Thank you!
Veerle give me a feminine vibe, also bc 'veer' in Dutch means 'feather', which gives it a softer feminine feel to me.
Thank you!
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I'm not sure how to pronounce most of these, and my opinion would probably change if I met any.
Rodin - uh, my first thought was 'rodent' but ro-dahn or ro-dan would sound nice
Jerom - it's okay; recognizably similar to Jerome, which I like
Han - it's okay but I'd be surprised to meet an American one
Fender - I think of car parts, so that's weird...I'd probably want to call him Fen instead, unless he hated that
Falko - I think it was the name of a corrupt senator in Gladiator...other than that, it reminds me of falcons and Valko
Berend - I thought of Berit and Burundi; the sound is pleasant imo
Sybrand - I thought of 'synthetic', 'hybrid', and brands (like cattle brands), which are not great associations
Fardau - interesting; I think I like it
Wessel - hate it; sounds like Wesley combined with weasel
Girls:
Anemoon - like it
Vlinder - it looks too foreign for me to really form an opinion, without having met one
Veerle ...neat? I wouldn't know how to pronounce it
Imme - seems like Emmy / Emma, which I'm tired of seeing
Feia - reminds me of Freya; I kind of like it
Merel - reminds me of Meryl or Mariel; it's okay
Pip - sounds silly; it's in the lyrics of a song I know ("In an Operetta" -The Magnetic Fields)
Rozemarijn - I like some names with similar beginnings
Sanderijn "San" - it's okay; reminds me of diminutives of Alexander
Rodin - uh, my first thought was 'rodent' but ro-dahn or ro-dan would sound nice
Jerom - it's okay; recognizably similar to Jerome, which I like
Han - it's okay but I'd be surprised to meet an American one
Fender - I think of car parts, so that's weird...I'd probably want to call him Fen instead, unless he hated that
Falko - I think it was the name of a corrupt senator in Gladiator...other than that, it reminds me of falcons and Valko
Berend - I thought of Berit and Burundi; the sound is pleasant imo
Sybrand - I thought of 'synthetic', 'hybrid', and brands (like cattle brands), which are not great associations
Fardau - interesting; I think I like it
Wessel - hate it; sounds like Wesley combined with weasel
Girls:
Anemoon - like it
Vlinder - it looks too foreign for me to really form an opinion, without having met one
Veerle ...neat? I wouldn't know how to pronounce it
Imme - seems like Emmy / Emma, which I'm tired of seeing
Feia - reminds me of Freya; I kind of like it
Merel - reminds me of Meryl or Mariel; it's okay
Pip - sounds silly; it's in the lyrics of a song I know ("In an Operetta" -The Magnetic Fields)
Rozemarijn - I like some names with similar beginnings
Sanderijn "San" - it's okay; reminds me of diminutives of Alexander
This message was edited 11/6/2018, 3:10 PM
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I had been wondering if Rodin immediately would make people think of 'rodent' :)
Veerle is VI:R-lə
Sanderijn is indeed a form of Alexander.
Thank you!
Veerle is VI:R-lə
Sanderijn is indeed a form of Alexander.
Thank you!
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Hi Mar !!!
From the boy list I like Fender, Sybrand, Fardau and Wessel. Fender because of the guitar and 'defender'. Sybrand has a wonderful gothic, German sound and I like the y instead of i in this case. Fardau seems a surname like Landau or Murnau both with the same gothic vibe of Sybrand so I like Fardau too. Wessel is like 'vessel' the kind of boat.
I prefer Falco to Falko because it is more familiar to me.
The best feminine name is Vlinder. I like the meaning and how it sound light and lively.
I prefer Anemone while Merel is interesting but not enough.
Pip is only masculine while I prefer Rosemary (plant) to Rozemarijn. The best would be Rosmarino that in Italian would be masculine.
From the boy list I like Fender, Sybrand, Fardau and Wessel. Fender because of the guitar and 'defender'. Sybrand has a wonderful gothic, German sound and I like the y instead of i in this case. Fardau seems a surname like Landau or Murnau both with the same gothic vibe of Sybrand so I like Fardau too. Wessel is like 'vessel' the kind of boat.
I prefer Falco to Falko because it is more familiar to me.
The best feminine name is Vlinder. I like the meaning and how it sound light and lively.
I prefer Anemone while Merel is interesting but not enough.
Pip is only masculine while I prefer Rosemary (plant) to Rozemarijn. The best would be Rosmarino that in Italian would be masculine.
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Perspective of someone who has never left the US ...
Boys:
Rodin - really strongly associated with the French sculptor, or one of his works ... Americans usually say row-DAN. or maybe a person named for Rodin, or maybe a trendily surname-named person, rhyme Odin? But if the guy was European and not American I'd suspend my judgment.
Han - Solo? of course I'd think of that, right. At least it's natural to say "hahn," and not han like in hand (although I've heard people say Han Solo that way), and it seems very namey.
Fender - a guitar; part of a car body; dumb old slang for breasts. Does not work well.
Falko - Alles klar, Herr Kommissar? lol. Fortunately for me I've mostly forgotten the other one that was a hit here which was just awful... anyway the name always seemed over the top, like Draco. But usable!
Berend - just sounds European to me, or maybe surnamey. Seems way cooler than Bernard.
Sybrand - It looks sort of surnamey to me, or like it'd be a good name for a luxury car model. It'd be a little awkward for me to say at first, because the vowels are both long. But it'd be ok where I am, esp on a European guy
Fardau - interesting. Very foreign to me. Have to be taught prn. But it's neat
Wessel - reminds me of the word vessel, or a surname. Seems alright, kind of nerdy.
Girls:
Anemoon - sounds especially exotic to me (and like could be from any language) but also forgettable because of the smooth sound. Also, if the prn in the sub names db is right, it's counterintuitive to me, as the word moon jumps out of it for me.
Vlinder - also very exotic seeming. I find the meaning way too precious but if I did not know it, I'd probably like the name.
Veerle - this is neat. I think Americans would always botch the prn
Imme - seems a lot like Emma to me, yawn.
Feia - how special. Seems fairyish and maybe artificial. Not unlikeable though! Better than Faye.
Boys:
Rodin - really strongly associated with the French sculptor, or one of his works ... Americans usually say row-DAN. or maybe a person named for Rodin, or maybe a trendily surname-named person, rhyme Odin? But if the guy was European and not American I'd suspend my judgment.
Han - Solo? of course I'd think of that, right. At least it's natural to say "hahn," and not han like in hand (although I've heard people say Han Solo that way), and it seems very namey.
Fender - a guitar; part of a car body; dumb old slang for breasts. Does not work well.
Falko - Alles klar, Herr Kommissar? lol. Fortunately for me I've mostly forgotten the other one that was a hit here which was just awful... anyway the name always seemed over the top, like Draco. But usable!
Berend - just sounds European to me, or maybe surnamey. Seems way cooler than Bernard.
Sybrand - It looks sort of surnamey to me, or like it'd be a good name for a luxury car model. It'd be a little awkward for me to say at first, because the vowels are both long. But it'd be ok where I am, esp on a European guy
Fardau - interesting. Very foreign to me. Have to be taught prn. But it's neat
Wessel - reminds me of the word vessel, or a surname. Seems alright, kind of nerdy.
Girls:
Anemoon - sounds especially exotic to me (and like could be from any language) but also forgettable because of the smooth sound. Also, if the prn in the sub names db is right, it's counterintuitive to me, as the word moon jumps out of it for me.
Vlinder - also very exotic seeming. I find the meaning way too precious but if I did not know it, I'd probably like the name.
Veerle - this is neat. I think Americans would always botch the prn
Imme - seems a lot like Emma to me, yawn.
Feia - how special. Seems fairyish and maybe artificial. Not unlikeable though! Better than Faye.
This message was edited 11/6/2018, 9:58 AM
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Han makes me think of 'Solo' too, but having met a few men named Han changed that. I never knew anyone under 40 with this name though, and I was wondering if it might deserve a comeback :)
Didn't know about the slang for Fender. I'm liking Fender less and less...
The second vowel in Sybrand isn't really a long draw out AH, but more a relaxed short version of AH. Can't really convey that with the tools here though. Sort of like the A in BAR, not like the A in VIVA.
Anemoon doesn't sound like Moon indeed. -OO- creates a sound in between the vowel sounds in "BOAT" & "BOUGHT", depending on the accent of the English speaker as well of course. So ah-nə-MAWN / ah-nə-MO:N would be correct using the BtN guide.
I'm not too sure on Sanderijn myself, I'm leaning towards Sandrine. I think I'd appreciate it if the gender thing was a bit clearer for foreigners.
Didn't know about the slang for Fender. I'm liking Fender less and less...
The second vowel in Sybrand isn't really a long draw out AH, but more a relaxed short version of AH. Can't really convey that with the tools here though. Sort of like the A in BAR, not like the A in VIVA.
Anemoon doesn't sound like Moon indeed. -OO- creates a sound in between the vowel sounds in "BOAT" & "BOUGHT", depending on the accent of the English speaker as well of course. So ah-nə-MAWN / ah-nə-MO:N would be correct using the BtN guide.
I'm not too sure on Sanderijn myself, I'm leaning towards Sandrine. I think I'd appreciate it if the gender thing was a bit clearer for foreigners.
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Rodin - Share the same kind of sound as many popular names in the US, could see it work there. I'm personally not a fan though
Jerom - I haven't seen this spelling before. I've never liked the sound or look of Jerom/Jerome.
Han - Swedish word for "he" so that's what I think of, and also some random Chinese/Asian guy
Fender - as in a boat fender? Nope...
Falko - It's okay, but would prefer it spelled Falco
Berend - Not sure what to think. I've never seen it before and I don't particularly like it but I've seen way worse.
Sybrand - No thanks. Dislike the look/sound
Fardau - Sounds arabic to me.
Wessel - Imagine twin boys names Fender and Wessel (vessel).
Anemoon - Honeymoon?
Vlinder - not sure how to pronounce this, if I didn't know better I'd expect it to be Indian.
Veerle - Not for me, but I've seen worse
Imme - Sounds very nicknamey
Feia - It's alright
Merel - I quite like it, and I like how it looks
Pip - Swedish word for 'beep' so I just think of the word, or Pip as a masculine nickname
Rozemarijn - Not a fan, regardless of spelling
Sanderijn "San" - Looks/sounds masculine
My favorites are Falko and Merel
Jerom - I haven't seen this spelling before. I've never liked the sound or look of Jerom/Jerome.
Han - Swedish word for "he" so that's what I think of, and also some random Chinese/Asian guy
Fender - as in a boat fender? Nope...
Falko - It's okay, but would prefer it spelled Falco
Berend - Not sure what to think. I've never seen it before and I don't particularly like it but I've seen way worse.
Sybrand - No thanks. Dislike the look/sound
Fardau - Sounds arabic to me.
Wessel - Imagine twin boys names Fender and Wessel (vessel).
Anemoon - Honeymoon?
Vlinder - not sure how to pronounce this, if I didn't know better I'd expect it to be Indian.
Veerle - Not for me, but I've seen worse
Imme - Sounds very nicknamey
Feia - It's alright
Merel - I quite like it, and I like how it looks
Pip - Swedish word for 'beep' so I just think of the word, or Pip as a masculine nickname
Rozemarijn - Not a fan, regardless of spelling
Sanderijn "San" - Looks/sounds masculine
My favorites are Falko and Merel
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I'm surprised Merel seems to be the favourite so far.
And I see you're not really a fan of Dutch names then? ;)
I had expected people to see Anemoon and would instantly make the connection to Anemone, I never thought about Honeymoon!
Beep is Piep in Dutch, so it isn't even that far off, but oddly I never made that connection.
Thanks for your opinion
And I see you're not really a fan of Dutch names then? ;)
I had expected people to see Anemoon and would instantly make the connection to Anemone, I never thought about Honeymoon!
Beep is Piep in Dutch, so it isn't even that far off, but oddly I never made that connection.
Thanks for your opinion
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Anemoon is pronounced "ah-nu-MAWN."
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I have absolutely no knowledge of these cultures.
Here's my ill-informed, American opinions.
Boys:
Rodin -I'm not a fan of "Rod" or "Road" so no matter how this one is pronounced, I'm not feeling it. The sounds just isn't appealing to me.
Jerom -Well, the Flemish pronunciation of this is the best I've ever heard. I don't like most versions of Jermone.
Han -short and sweet, but also seems dated.
Fender -Guitar
Falko -Falko / Falco makes me think of the Italian mob.
Berend -I liked it better when I thought it was pronounced BEHR-end.
Sybrand -Kind of love this.
Fardau -The database says this is only female. Is it male as well? Either way, it reminds me of Firdaws / Firdaus so I kind of like that.
Wessel -No thanks. I just keep thinking about that guy in Frozen who they kept calling WEASELton instead of Wesselton.
Girls:
Anemoon -I prefer Anemona (Romanian), but I like this too. Oddly, I don't like Anemone at all.
Vlinder -This one comes off as very odd and not really pleasant to my ears.
Veerle -eh. I'm kind of neutral on this one.
Imme -I like this name on girls, but I prefer the male version of this name.
Feia -How is this pronounced? Because I'm saying it as FAY-ah and that's also the word for "ugly" in Spanish to I'm not feeling that.
Merel -kind of adore this
Pip -Cute nickname for Philippa or something.
Rozemarijn -I like it.
Sanderijn "San" -"San" is cute, but I'm not feeling Sanderijn.
I wish more diverse names were brought up more often so thanks for this.
Here's my ill-informed, American opinions.
Boys:
Rodin -I'm not a fan of "Rod" or "Road" so no matter how this one is pronounced, I'm not feeling it. The sounds just isn't appealing to me.
Jerom -Well, the Flemish pronunciation of this is the best I've ever heard. I don't like most versions of Jermone.
Han -short and sweet, but also seems dated.
Fender -Guitar
Falko -Falko / Falco makes me think of the Italian mob.
Berend -I liked it better when I thought it was pronounced BEHR-end.
Sybrand -Kind of love this.
Fardau -The database says this is only female. Is it male as well? Either way, it reminds me of Firdaws / Firdaus so I kind of like that.
Wessel -No thanks. I just keep thinking about that guy in Frozen who they kept calling WEASELton instead of Wesselton.
Girls:
Anemoon -I prefer Anemona (Romanian), but I like this too. Oddly, I don't like Anemone at all.
Vlinder -This one comes off as very odd and not really pleasant to my ears.
Veerle -eh. I'm kind of neutral on this one.
Imme -I like this name on girls, but I prefer the male version of this name.
Feia -How is this pronounced? Because I'm saying it as FAY-ah and that's also the word for "ugly" in Spanish to I'm not feeling that.
Merel -kind of adore this
Pip -Cute nickname for Philippa or something.
Rozemarijn -I like it.
Sanderijn "San" -"San" is cute, but I'm not feeling Sanderijn.
I wish more diverse names were brought up more often so thanks for this.
This message was edited 11/6/2018, 9:31 AM
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Fardau isn't male. There have been males named this though. I just don't like it for a girl and I was wondering what kind of impression people got from it :)
Anemona is lovely as well. I think 4 syllables might be over the limit what people in The Netherlands will put up with without using a nickname though.
Feia is FIE-ah, which is pretty close to Fay-ah, so your comment kinda puts me off of this. But that's exactly why I ask for opinions. It'd be horrible to find out after you've named someone that you've named them 'ugly' is a major world language.
I'm surprised by the positive reactions to Merel. I wasn't sure this would work abroad.
Anemona is lovely as well. I think 4 syllables might be over the limit what people in The Netherlands will put up with without using a nickname though.
Feia is FIE-ah, which is pretty close to Fay-ah, so your comment kinda puts me off of this. But that's exactly why I ask for opinions. It'd be horrible to find out after you've named someone that you've named them 'ugly' is a major world language.
I'm surprised by the positive reactions to Merel. I wasn't sure this would work abroad.
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- It'd be horrible to find out after you've named someone that you've named them 'ugly' is a major world language.
The Spanish word for "ugly" is actually feo (which will be fea when in reference to something female), not feia:
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/feo#Spanish (in English)
Somewhat related fun fact: the American sitcom Ugly Betty was based on a Colombian telenovela with the title Yo soy Betty, la fea ("I am Betty, the ugly one").
The Spanish word for "ugly" is actually feo (which will be fea when in reference to something female), not feia:
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/feo#Spanish (in English)
Somewhat related fun fact: the American sitcom Ugly Betty was based on a Colombian telenovela with the title Yo soy Betty, la fea ("I am Betty, the ugly one").
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I never said the Spanish word was "Feia."
I said "ugly" was pronounced "FAY-ah" and it is. It's a female the name is referring to so...
It's not my first language, but I have lived in Mexico so I speak well enough Spanish that "fea" was my immediate thought when reading "Feia."
I said "ugly" was pronounced "FAY-ah" and it is. It's a female the name is referring to so...
It's not my first language, but I have lived in Mexico so I speak well enough Spanish that "fea" was my immediate thought when reading "Feia."
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Yes, it really is too close for comfort for me. Especially since it isn't at all impossible we might live in Spain in the future. I reckon Spanish people might snicker when they see a girl named this..
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