Names by country
Dutch names for characters
Popular Dutch first names by birth decade, common and regional surnames, pronunciation, and the naming rules writers trip over.
How Dutch names work
Most Dutch people born before about 1965 had several given names on the register but went by a roepnaam (call name), often a short form: Cornelis became Kees. Particles (van, de, van der) are lowercase after a first name and capitalised when the surname stands alone: Mr Van Dijk.
First names by birth decade
Names drift in and out of fashion. Pick from the decade your character was born, not the year your story is set.
Born before 1950
Girls
- Maria (Mies)
- Johanna (Joke) yoh-HAH-nah
- Cornelia (Corrie) kor-NAY-lee-ah
- Wilhelmina (Mien) vil-hel-MEE-nah
- Hendrika (Riek) hen-DREE-kah
- Geertruida (Truus) kheer-TROW-dah
- Elisabeth (Bep)
- Adriana (Ria)
Boys
- Johannes (Jan) yoh-HAH-nes
- Cornelis (Kees) kor-NAY-lis
- Hendrik (Henk)
- Pieter (Piet) PEE-ter
- Jacobus (Jaap) yah-KOH-bus
- Gerrit KHEH-rit
- Willem (Wim) VIL-lem
- Adrianus (Arie) ah-dree-AH-nus
Born 1950–64
Girls
- Maria (Marja)
- Johanna (Anneke)
- Marianne
- Ineke EE-neh-keh
- Margriet mar-KHREET
- Els
- Wilma
- Ria
Boys
- Johannes (Hans)
- Petrus (Peter) PAY-trus
- Gerardus (Gerard)
- Jan YAHN
- Cornelis (Kees)
- Hendrik (Henk)
- Willem (Wim)
- Antonius (Ton)
Born 1965–79
Girls
- Linda
- Sandra
- Marieke mah-REE-keh
- Esther
- Monique
- Petra
- Ingrid
- Mariska
Boys
- Mark
- Erik
- Marcel
- Peter
- Michel mee-SHEL
- Patrick
- Martijn mar-TINE
- Jeroen yeh-ROON
Born 1980–94
Girls
- Lisa
- Kim
- Laura
- Anouk ah-NOOK
- Sanne SAH-neh
- Femke FEM-keh
- Iris
- Eva
Boys
- Kevin
- Dennis
- Thomas
- Niels NEELS
- Bas
- Tim
- Jeroen
- Stefan
Born 1995–2009
Girls
- Lisa
- Emma
- Sanne
- Anouk
- Julia YOO-lee-ah
- Fleur FLUR
- Lotte
- Isa EE-sah
Boys
- Daan DAHN
- Thijs TICE
- Tim
- Lars
- Bram
- Sem
- Ruben
- Jesse YES-seh
Born 2010 onward
Girls
- Emma
- Julia
- Mila
- Tess
- Sophie
- Zoë ZOH-ee
- Sara
- Nora
Boys
- Noah
- Sem
- Liam
- Lucas
- Daan
- Finn
- Levi LAY-vee
- Luuk
Common Dutch surnames
- de Jong deh YONG
- Jansen YAHN-sen
- de Vries deh VREES
- van den Berg fahn den BERKH
- van Dijk fahn DIKE
- Bakker
- Janssen
- Visser
- Smit
- Meijer MAY-er
- de Boer deh BOOR
- Mulder
- de Groot deh KHROHT
- Bos
- Vos
- Peters
- Hendriks
- van Leeuwen fahn LAY-wen
- Dekker
- Brouwer BROW-er
- de Wit
- Dijkstra DIKE-strah
- Smits
- de Graaf deh KHRAHF
Regional names
Where a character comes from inside the Netherlands changes their surname, and sometimes their first name.
Friesland
Frisian surnames end in -stra, -sma or -ma; many date from 1811, when Napoleon made fixed surnames compulsory.
Surnames: Dijkstra, Hoekstra, de Vries, Visser, Postma, Bosma, Wiersma, Terpstra, Haagsma, Jongsma
Girls: Sietske, Tjitske, Jitske, Baukje, Hiltje, Geeske, Froukje, Wietske
Boys: Sjoerd, Wiebe, Jelle, Hylke, Douwe, Tjeerd, Durk, Gerben
Brabant and Limburg (Catholic south)
The Catholic south registers several saints' names, including Maria for boys.
Surnames: Janssen, Smits, van de Ven, Hendriks, Willems, Coenen, Schreurs, Peeters, Verhoeven, van der Heijden
Questions
What are common Dutch surnames?
Some of the most common Dutch surnames are de Jong, Jansen, de Vries, van den Berg, van Dijk, Bakker. Regional surnames differ, so check the regional lists before choosing one for a character from a particular area.
How do Dutch names work?
Most Dutch people born before about 1965 had several given names on the register but went by a roepnaam (call name), often a short form: Cornelis became Kees. Particles (van, de, van der) are lowercase after a first name and capitalised when the surname stands alone: Mr Van Dijk.
Build a Dutch character in one tap
InkBorn gives them a name from the right decade, a face card, a background, a personality and even their social media handles.