Garret (originally: Gerrit) Hesselink gravestone
Men’s names
| Dutch first name | English variant |
|---|---|
| Abraham, Bram | Abraham |
| Adrianus, Aart, Janus | Adrian |
| Antonie, Anthonie, Antony, Anthony | Anthony, Tony |
| Arend | Aron |
| Berend | Bernard, Berny |
| Christiaan | Christian |
| Cornelis, Kees, Nelis | Cornelius, Neal, Neil, Case, Coon, Cork, Casey |
| Derk, Dirk | Derrick, Dirk, Dick, Richard |
| Evert | Everett, Ed |
| Gerrit, Garrit, Geert | Garrett |
| Harmen, Herman | Hiram |
| Hendrik | Henry |
| Jacob, Jakob, Coepe, Ceupe, Koepe, Keupe | Jacob, Jake |
| Jan | John |
| Karel | Charles |
| Klaas, Nicolaas | Nicholas |
| Leendert | Leonard, Leo |
| Manus | Hiram, Mannes |
| Marinus | Martin |
| Matthias, Matthijs, Mattijs, Thijs | Matthew |
| Meindert | Minard |
| Machiel, Michiel | Michael |
| Peter, Petrus, Pieter | Peter |
| Roelof, Rudolf | Ralph, Rudolph |
| Steven, Stephanus | Stephen, Steven |
| Teube, Tobias | Tobias |
| Teunis, Tonnis | Anthony, Tony |
| Theodorus, Dorus, Doris | Theodore |
| Wichart | William |
| Willem | William |
Women’s first names
| Dutch first name | English variant |
|---|---|
| Aafke | Effie |
| Aaltje, Aeltje | Ella, Alice |
| Adriana | Adriane, Jennie |
| Aleida | Lydia, Olydia, Adelaid |
| Anna, Antje | Anna, Annie |
| Antoinette | Antoinette, Nettie |
| Berendina | Berdina, Dina, Diana, Dena, Delia |
| Berendjen | Betty, Betsy |
| Catharina | Catherine, Kate |
| Cornelia | Kate |
| Derkje | Dora, Theodora |
| Dina | Dina, Diana, Dena, Delia, Cordelia |
| Dora | Theodora, Dorothy |
| Eeke | Agnes |
| Elsken | Elizabeth |
| Elisabeth | Elisabeth, Elizabeth, Eliza, Betsy, Rebecca, Lizzie |
| Engele, Engelina | Angela, Angelina |
| Enneken | Anna |
| Evertje | Effie |
| Frederika | Frederica, Fanny |
| Geertruid, Geertruida | Gertie, Gertrude, Kate, Charity (rare) |
| Geesken | Jessie, Jessica |
| Gerritdina | Geraldine, Delia |
| Gerritje | Harriet, Gertie |
| Gesiena | Syna, Ciena, Siena, Cena, Asenath, Josie |
| Grada | Grace, Geraldina, Kate, Clarissa |
| Grietje | Gertrude, Gert, Margaret |
| Harmina | Minnie, Mina, Amelia |
| Hendrika | Henrietta, Hattie, Hetty |
| Henriëtta, Henriëtte | Henrietta, Hattie |
| Imke, Ymke, Ymkje | Emma |
| Jacomijntje | Minnie |
| Janna, Jannetje | Jane, Anna, Jennie |
| Jeltje | Jessie, Jessica |
| Jenneken | Jennie |
| Johanna | Hannah, Jane, Annie, Johannah |
| Klaartje | Clara |
| Levina | Livinia |
| Leida, Lijda | Lydia, Eliza |
| Lubbertje | Betty, Betsy |
| Magdalena | Lena |
| Maria | Mary |
| Sara | Sarah |
| Stijntje, Christina | Christina |
| Theodora | Theodora, Dora, Dorothy |
| Teuntje | Tillie, Antonia |
| Tjitske | Jessica |
| Trijntje | Catharina, Catherine |
| Willemina, Wilhelmina, Willemke | Minnie, Wilhelmina, Mina, Amelia |
About Yvette Hoitink
I had niet gezien dat die lijst alweer een paar jaar oud was 🙂 had ik even moeten checken, maar volgens mij zou je er een hoop mensen een groot plezier doen met een Update
groet van Henk
Ik heb hem vandaag naar aanleiding van de Facebook-discussie al meerdere keren aangepast 🙂
In my tree, I’ve got:
Machiel-> Michael
Johanna -> Anna
Magdalena -> Lena
Jozina -> Irene
Very interesting to see a list of names supplied by someone in the Netherlands as most people rely on the old published lists from the 1800’s. I have one name I’ve never found an English equivilent. Have you come across the feminine name Joosje or Joostie? I assume it’s a feminine form of Joost.
Another unusual name is Hoepje or Hoopje which I think might be the same as Hope.
Hi Chris,
Joostje would be the feminine version of Joost. The -t- is mostly silent so Joosje would be the phonetic spelling which I can easily imagine people using. Joostie would be an old spelling that did not make a difference between an -i- and a -j-. The English translation would be Justine or Josie.
Hoepje or Hoopje is not a Dutch name that I know and it does not appear in the first name database of the Meertens Institute. Do you have a source citation or scan of the source where you found that name?
My name is Justine, so amazing to see it in the Dutch form, thank you!
I have a relative Thomas Dingeman Nuijten (1733-1792) born in Essen-Horendonk, Antwerp, Belgium. What might be the English equivalent of Dingeman?
I don’t know that there is an English equivalent for Dingeman, I have never seen one.
I asked the people in the Dutch Genealogy Facebook group whether anyone knew a variant of Dingeman, and the consensus is that Dingman would be the English version. Like Dingeman in the Netherlands, it is a rare name.
The Dutch patronymic Dingemanse (son of Dingeman) became a surname by at least 16th century in Holland and later became Dingman in New York when a Dutch colony. Rare but found as a last name of descendants Adam Dingemanse/Dingman (17th century immigrant from Haarlem, Netherlands, to New Amsterdam/New York) in US and Canada. My mother’s maiden name–southeastern Ontario.
Dingemans isn’t a first name, it’s a surname. The american version is Dingman.
I am Adam Dingemans 13th greatgrandson
Dingeman is a first name, with Dingemans the associated patronymic.
Dingeman is a rare Dutch given name that gave rise to patronymic/surname Dingemanse which means son of Dingeman. (Just like MacDonald and Donaldson are surnames based on given name Donald.). An Adam Dimgemanse emigrated to New Amsterdam (now New York) where it changed in spelling to Dingman. Branches of this family ended up in Ontario as Loyalists after American Revolution. There is another unrelated Dingemanse family that remained in Netherlands.
I am a 7x great-grandson of immigrant Adam Dingemanse and 3x great-grandson of Adam Dingman who immigrated to Ontario after American Revolution.
I cannot attest to the origins of the name but I have seen the name Dingman in the Dutch Reformed Church records in Ulster County, NY going back to the early 1700s.
I can find my ancestor, Jacob Schuckman, on the passenger list for the ship Richard and Mary 1752 out of Rotterdam to Philadelphia. I can not find that last name on the German Genealogy website. Is there a possibility that my ancestor is from Holland. Family folklore says that the name was Von/Van when they came over. Thank you for your help in this matter. LaRese
Hi LaRese,
The name Schuckman is not a Dutch name. It sounds German to me. Von is the German version of the Dutch Van, meaning ‘from.’
I have some tips about how to find your immigrant ancestor in the Netherlands elsewhere on this site. Many of these tips would work for German immigrants as well, especially the part about first finding all that you can in US records.
Hello,
I have also decedent of this Jacob Schuckman 1732-? Emigration 1752
Son- Jacob S Shoopman
Then- Thomas F Shoopman
Then- John S Shoopman
Then- Thomas J Shoopman
Then- Orlan A Shoopman
Then- Calvin W Shoopman
Then- Dave W Shoopman
Now- Erik W Shoopman (my son)
Is there a general reasoning behind changing the last names??
Thanks
Dave Shoopman
Nope, although most new names tend to be sound-alikes or translations.
My great-grandfather came from Friesland to the US state of New Jersey. His birth name was Ate and he changed it to Arthur. His father, Klaas Sjoerd changed his name to Niklas George. Their surname was Knijft, which was changed to Knyfd. Researching their roots was difficult!
Another ancestor of mine, Reiner van Keimpema, changed his name to Raymond Kempema. There are also many Minnie’s in our family (previously Hermina or Wilhemina) and also Nellie (previously Neeltje).
I’ve recently come across the name Fytje in my genealogy search. Does this have an English equivalent? I’ve assumed this was a woman’s name, but not even sure about that since there is no indication of gender! Thanks!
Fijtje is a diminutive of Sofia (Sophia in English), a woman’s name.
I also have a Dutch ancestor by the name of (Assuera) Sophia. Later in life she was known as Fije and Fija.
What is the meaning of the name “Dingman?” It is my surname but I’ve noticed it is sometimes used as a first name. I really have no clue what it means but I heard it has an association with judicial courts. I have corresponded with other folks with the same surname and genetic lineage and it seems to have some sort of Anglo-Norman connection with Flanders… Most of genetic matches are closely related to Anglo-Normans but very few Dutch, even though we can trace our connection back to a common ancestor who resided in 16th century Antwerp. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Hello Neil/Patti, There are a few origins for the name “Ding(e)man”.
1. The name is both used as first name and last name. In use as first name, people are mostly named after a ancestor with the same name. Use as last name, since abt. 1800 the French introduced the public records office people had to chose a last name, often they chose a name related to the occupation they had. Slager (Butcher), Bakker (Baker), Visser (Fischerman), etc.. Dingeman is formed of the words Ding and Man, Man is logical, Ding is related to the Germanic and means something like Justice/Law, also look to the Vikingword (Al)Thing, which has something to do with Justice/Law. Dingeman in the old days was most probably a person involved with Justice and/or upholding the Law.
2. Dingeman is used to name a piece of rope that holds the helm of a sailingboat in place so the skipper can ajust the sail or perform other duties while the boat continues at its course.
Interesting. My Great Grandma on one side was Lutgertje, which became “Lucy.” My mother, Lucille, was named after her. On the other side, my Great Aunt Magdalena was still named Magdalena, although we knew her as “Aunt Mac.” Aunt Mac’s sister was my Grandma, Delia. Their other sister was “Rose.” I also have Great Grandpa Jan, who became “John,” and Great-Grandpa Johannes, who became “John;” as well as Great Grandpa Roelof, who became “Ralph.”
Yvette, I enjoy and appreciate your blog posts. After reading this one, I got to thinking about my grandfather’s name. He emigrated to the U.S. from Friesland in 1902 at the age of 14, leaving his parents and siblings behind. He changed his name from Tjerk Jacobus Roorda to Richard James Roorda and was commonly known as “Dick.” Is there an English equivalent for Tjerk? Thank you so much.
Tjerk is the Frisian form of the Dutch name Diederik/Dirk so Dick is a logical translation.
Hello, I only know English. My dad’s ancestors are from Holland I believe. And I am intrested in learning more about our family. Hoping you can help.
I’ve recently come across the name Zygie in my genealogy search. Does this have an English equivalent? Also, does the last name of VanPelt indicate that they are from the town of Pelt?
syche fytje hogland
annatje snider
found these names on my ancestry.com family tree..could u translate to english?
I’ve never heard of the name Syche before, could have been Sijtje. Sijtje and Fytje are Dutch variations of Sophia.
Annatje is a diminutive of Anna.
However, not all people translated their names; some chose a name that sounded alike. Fytje could easily have become Fiona or another name that starts with an F.
Where I live in East Central IL, there is a farming community of people who immigrated here from the area around Emden, in Friesland in the 1870s.
Many people who are now around age 90 are the last generation to have been named Frisian given names.
One of our make friends had the given name of Ehme and I am wondering if there is an English equivalent of the name?
Other names are Trientje and Poppe. Any equivalent English names?
Thank you!
Ehme is not a Frisian name that I know. Trientje is a variation of Trijntje, a diminutive of Catharina. The English equivalent would be Catherine. Poppe is a Frisian name, not a Dutch name. I don’t think there is an English translation and don’t know of any real-world examples of Frisian immigrants by that name who adopted an English name.
Those names, Ehme, Trientje, and Poppe are all names I heard in my East Central Illinois farming community too but they were supposedly from Ostfriesland. Add Ekke to that list of names.
The guy named Ehme I heard pronounced both as AIM and AMY.
I suspect those are distant relatives of mine–descended from the Bras(s) family. There are men named Ehme (sometimes spelled “Eime”) in that family going back to the earliest church records in Hamswehrum in East Friesland, where they came from. One branch of the family moved to Illinois; mine ended up in Iowa. My great-great grandfather’s name was Ehme, and he had several grandsons by that name. They pronounced it like “Amy” but I imagine the original pronunciation was more like Aim-uh.
my husband and I are trying to use our family tree to name our twin girls. What are the English translations of Reinskje, Froukje, Hasseltjen, and Metsje? Thank you!
also we were told that Hasseltjen translates to Hazel, is that correct?
I don’t think the Dutch name Hassel or its diminutive Hasseltjen has an official English translation. The name Hazel has a different meaning, but similar sound, so I can easily that being used by a Dutch immigrant.
I don’t think there are English translations for these names. You could choose something with a similar sound, which is which Dutch immigrant women would have done. These look like Frisian names, rather than Dutch names, and are highly unusual even in Friesland. I haven’t seen any Dutch immigrants with these names so don’t know have any real-world examples.
Please comment on the 17th century custom of clergy Latinating their names. My ancestor, a protestant minister immigrated around 1630. He had changed his name to Everhardus Bogardus (or Bogaardus). We think his original name might be Ebert or Evert Bogard. How can we further research this?
Latin was the language that theologists and scientists used in university and for professional correspondence. It was quite common for clergy to Latinize their names, often when they went to university.
Everhardus Bogardus was quite a well-known person, and several articles have been written about him, including in the New York Genealogical and Biographical Record. I would recommend you start there. If you need help researching his Dutch origins, please contact me.
I have an ancestor by the first name of Aldegonde. Is there an equivalent in English?
I have a Wynchy in my tree. This is my ggg-grandmother. I have not been able to find any equivalent for her name. Any suggestion as to what it may be? She was born in upstate NY in the late 1700’s. As this was an area heavily settled by the Dutch and make up the majority of my ancestors. I have been able to find the equivalents of all of their names so far except hers.
Thanks in advance for the help 🙂
Perhaps Wientje? That’s an uncommon female name, but it’s pronounced the same as Wynchy in English.
My ancestor’s given name in Groningen was Annechien. Her husband & children referred to her as “Anna” here in America. Yet I found the name “Alice” on what appears to be her death certificate here in America.
Is Alice a possible english version of Annechien?
It is not an official translation, but many people chose a name that only sort of sounded alike. You can’t rule any name out. Also check the informant on the death certificate; sometimes that person did not know the person well and made an error.
Hello, my dad(passaway) grandparents and ancestors were from Holland I believe. I am very interested in learning about our family. I am hoping you can help. Reuvers is what our last name was changed to when they came to America.
Thanks, Heather
Any ideas on Geerdiena in English? Secondly, any appropriate nicknames other than Dena/Diena?
I have identified a Dutch ancestor Vijt Scherkes who came to Philadelphia(Germantown) in 1684. It appears that he changed his first name from Vijt to David(make sense?) and Scherkes to Yerkes. Does this seem likely?
I don’t think there’s an English equivalent of the name Vijt, so David may have been the closest in sound. Scherkes to Yerkes makes sense too since the Dutch SCH sound is hard to pronounce for foreigners. I’ve seen all kinds of name changes so I don’t rule anything out!
I got to the 17th century with my family from the Browning side and came across ancestors with the sirname Brown but unusual Christian names such as Jacobus, Evanus, Edwardus, Robertus, Willelmi, William Guiliamus , females were Eunice and Hannah. The names seem unusual for English people in the Eaton Soccon area of what was then Bedfordshire, now Cambridgeshire. Might they have descended from Dutch Protestant immigrants? My family on my dad’s side have a long history of being Protestant jon conformist church, they were farm workers and lace makers.
Hi. I came across these names in my genealogical wanderings. I have attempted to translate it myself; please critique:
Emmerenteje = Emerant=Emerald=Esmeralda
Tjaatje=misspeling of Jaatje=Adriana
I have job hulks and elizabethea in my tree. Their children were born in stevenage hertfordshire. Surname is meant to be from dutch orgin but can find no birth record. Would the first name job be any other name?
The name Job is unusual in the Netherlands. The Dutch version would be Job though, although there’s no rule that someone adopts the formal translation. I recommend searching for j* instead of Job.
Hi Yevett, I am trying to find equivalent names for the first name of a female named Hallerkin/Hilleken & also Alletjen/Aletien & also Neesgen, which I was told is an English equivalent to Agnes. I am trying to figure out if Neesgen could be either Hallerkin or Alletjen in records??? These names are for children of Herman op den Graef & wife Grietjen Pletjes/Pletges, children born 1609-1629 in Germany near the Holland border (told most of the records were recorded in a mix of a German & Dutch dialect).
As I explained in the article, many people adopt “unofficial” translations. I would expect Hilleken to become Hillary, Aaltjen/Aeltjen to become anything from Adele to Alice, Ella, or Ellen, Neesgen to become Agnes. “Hallerkin” is not a Dutch name I’ve ever heard, nor is “Alletjen” but I suspect that might be a misreading of Aaltje/Aeltje(n).
This message is for Lori Harvell: Lori I cannot answer your question, but noticed the names of Herman op den Graef and Grietjen Pletjes, but it is interesting to know they are ancestors of my husband also.
one of my relatives is listed on her gravestone as “Frouwke”. In U.S. census I find Kate or Florence depending on the year. Would this be an English variant or does frouwke have a different meaning like wife or spouse?
That’s a Frisian name, moet component sneller as Frouke.
Yvette – any thoughts on an English equivalent for Tjalling? Also, a woman whose name is variously spelled Sijbrig, Sybrig, Sybrich, Sieberig, Siebregtje – what would be the true Dutch spelling? Thank you very much, Kathy
There are no English equivalents as far as I know, but I’ve seen Charles for Tjalling and Cynthia for Sybrig.
Thanks, I have seen Charles for Tjalling.
Is Sybrig the correct Dutch spelling for Sijbrig, Sybrig, Sybrich, Sieberig, Siebregtje, etc?
Do you know why Jennie was used as nickname for Adriana? Is it something to do with the dutch pronunciation? My great grandmother was named Adriana and after coming to the US she is shown in documents as Audrianna, Jennie and also Jane. Her grandmother and great grandmother back in the Netherlands were also named Adriana and referred to as Jennie. Thank you for any light you can shed on this.
Cathy
It’s likely they called themselves Jana as a shortened form of Adriana and then adapted Jana to Jennie/Jane.
Hi,
In my tree I have Johannes which you dont have in your list. Any help greatly appreciated
Joseph
Through some research of my Groningen ancestors I found how these names changed from Dutch to American:
Hillechien – Helen
Noltje – Nellie
Jurriena – Rena
Martje – Mary
Diewerke – Dora
Bertus – Bert
Willemtje – May
Ypkje – Eva
Hans – Hank
Johannes – Joseph
Marten – Martin
Anninje – Anna
Ijske – Isaac
Lourens – Lawrence
Great resource! I have numerous Siebentje’s in my husband’s family and I can’t find the origins or the meaning of the name, it may be German or Polish but I can’t find it and they are from a part of Germany the is adjacent to the Netherlands. Could it be Dutch?
Later one is called Symka in some references and that is what his mother was named. I can’t find out much about the name Symka either, so I have been striking out.
Ideas?
My great-great grandfather (in upstate NY) had a daughter named Jet. I have only been able to find her in ONE census which makes me think that Jet was short for something? His mother, my 3rd great grandmother was named Tryntje which I think means Catherine as I have found her in records (both census and church records) as Tryntje with Catherine or Kate in parenthesis; some records have her just as Catherine or Kate.
Could Jet be a variation of Trynje? Someone suggested it might be Jetje which might mean Henrietta. The problem is that past the one and only census in which I found Jet as a newborn living in her father’s home, I have never found her again. I do not find a Jet, Jetje or Henrietta anywhere in any record living or dead.
I hate to give up. She is not a direct ancestor; she is my great grandmother’s half sister. I find her name so interesting and her disappearance so mysterious that I feel I cannot give up on her.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks
I have an ancestor, James Lee, who lived in the London area in the first half of the c19th. Family tradition suggests he might have been from the Netherlands.
Any clues as to a) what his name might originally have been and b) how I might explore the hypothesis of his Netherlands origins would be helpful.
Thanks
The Dutch version of James is Jacob or Jacobus. Lee is nog a Dutch name I’m familiar with. I would recommend first researching the family in the place where you know they lived. You will need more than just an anglicized name to find the person in the Netherlands.
Thanks for your answer
MB
Is Garret a Frisian name? It is common in Irish Cotter families. Usually thought to be Norse, the DNA points to Frisia rather than Denmark or Norway.
The Dutch and Frisian version of Garret is Gerrit. It appears in Friesland but also in other parts of the Netherlands. You can also find it as Garrit, Gerard, Gert, Gart, Gerhard, Gerardus, or Gerhardus.
Just found this wonderful site and I thank you! Researching Great-grandmother Ienje van Bolhuis led to a Wikipedia article about Eppo Tho Equart. A number of Eppo’s or the like are in the Grand Rapids area census reports. Also Abel. Do you know if Abel is English for Eppo or do both relate to an English name like Leopold?
I only have one document from Holland listing my grandfather as Karel Gregorious Bekker. He left Holland around 1917 and eventually settled in Bermuda where he anglicized his name to Charles George Becker. I have always thought George was his Dutch middle name. Is Gregorious the Dutch equivalent of George? At first I thought it was a misspelling because his grandfather’s middle name was Rigorious.
Gregorius is the Latin/Roman Catholic version of the English George.
I’d I like to add a few to this (idk if this page is dead, but I thought I’d help a bit)
Some of these are changes within my tree, others are similar names that were used in US census takers (trying to write down Dutch names)
Cornelia: Carrie, Corrie, Caroline
Wietske: Winnie, Winifred
Wietse: William, Bill, Willy
Maatje: Maude, Marta
Antje: Anya, Anna
Trientje: Trina, Katrina, Trena, Tillie, Otillia, Tina
Grietje: Gretchen, Gret(t)a
Jannetje: Jean(n)ette, Jennie, Jenny, Janet
Janna: Jane, Jana
Pietje: Petra
Pietranella: Nellie
Martje: Marta, Martha, Marcia
Johannes: John, Johnny
Hannes: Joe
Andries: Andrew, Andy
Adriaan/ Adriaanus: Adrian, Ed
Adriannaje: Adriana, Adrianna, Addie, Annie
Berendina: Bernardina, Dina, Tina
Willem: William, Will, Bill
I would also like to add a name that I have found in my own family records. Pryntje changed to Penelope in English.
I have an ancestor named Neeltje Kort came to United States and died shortly there after in New York State. Died in 1869. Came to New York and arrived July 6, 1869. I have checked at least 3 census mortality lists for her name to no avail. Is there another name for Neeltje. Please let me know. Neeltje is the Dutch name.
Thanks for any help with this.
Neeltje is a nickname for Cornelia.
I have a distant aunt named Eunice and have found what I believe is her baptism record from an 18th century record for a Dutch church in New Jersey, but the handwritten record appears to be for Hisye or Nisye (ulat y). Is any sort of variant of Eunice?
Hello! My 3rd Great Grandfather’s name was Wiltje. What would that be in English? Also, do you any insights on the surnames Osinga and Van De(r) Linde? Thanks!
Faith
Wikthe is a diminutive of Wilhelmina.
Osinga is Frisian. Don’t know what it means. Van der Linde means from the Linden, a type of tree. Probably a geographical reference or a house name at some point.
Here are some Dutch names in my family tree from Rotterdam:
Arnoldus Theodorus called “Nol” – Arnold Theodore, Nol is in the middle of Ar nol d
Jozua called “Joost” – Joshua
Clazina – called Ines
Elsa – called Els
Margaretha – Margaret
Arnoldina – a feminine version of Arnold
Nanning – ? (male)
A mystery: a first name of Gerjen. His mother was from Friesland. Comments?
What would be the Dutch name for Barbara?
Thank you!
Just want to add my recent experience with names and possible spelling error in the church records I’m looking at. I’ve found this thread extremely helpful in trying to decipher some of it! I have the name Fytje in one church record-some people have assumed it translated to Phebe but when I searched the records I did find the name Fytje on another person’s record with the notation of Sophia in parenthesis. Then a later record for my Fyjtje lists her as Sijtje or Sytie* when she marries her second husband. Finally a third record her or possible daughter as Sophia when one of them appears a sponsor for a baptism. It took me forever to figure this one out!
The other name is Geertje/Geertie which I at first assumed was a variation of Gertrude. When I came back here and looked at the names list again, I am now wondering if it is being used/translated in the rarer form listed as Charity? In all of the related branches of this family, the name Charity shows up and is passed down. I have never been able to figure out why this name would be passed down in the mainly Dutch branches of the family until re-reading the names list here!
My Dutch ancestors used the name van Cuick/Cuijck van Meteren. I understand that the “van” means “from” in Dutch, are they saying that they are from two different places?
The second wife of my ancestor’s name was Angeltje. I cannot find an English equivalent or close to it anywhere! I subscribed to this page years ago because my ancestors – almost all of them – were original settlers of NY so…Dutch! That being the case I’ve had to try to learn to read the language in the old documents and understand the name equivalents. I think for the most part I’ve done OK. I cannot figure out this one and it wouldn’t matter except that my ancestor may have also had a THIRD wife named Margaret.
Some researchers are saying that Ageltje & Margaret are one in the same; her name was anglicized as was her husband’s – Jan became John. The problem is that when I try to find Dutch equivalents of the name Margaret, Ageltje is not one of them!! I also know the name Ageltje is not a one-off because I have at least one other Ageltje in another family line.
My mother-in-law came as a child from Kampen Netherlands. Her Dutch name was something like Femague is how it sounded not spelled. It was changed in US to Fanny which did not fit my mil at all. Would there have been a better English equivalent?
It sounds like her name may have been Femmigje. That’s short for Euphemia.