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This section includes first names of Dutch origin. These names have been used since the Iron Age by the Germanic peoples who settled in the lowlands on the along the North Sea. Dutch names are closely related to English and German names.
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Browse Dutch male and female names by alphabetical order to find out the meanings of the names. Click on the first letter of the name you're looking for.
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The Dutch language is a West Germanic language spoken by about 24 million people in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, as well as other countries. Its closest relatives are English and German. Afrikaans, spoken in South Africa, is a language descendant.
Modern Dutch evolved in the 16th century from Middle Dutch and was standardized and unified through the mid-17th century. Modern dialects can be understood by speakers of other dialects.
Middle Dutch dialects evolved from Old Dutch in the 12th century. The language evolved slowly so that even though Dutch was not yet standardized, different dialects could communicate with each other. Speakers of Modern Dutch can still understand Middle Dutch texts.
Old Dutch evolved from Old Frankish sometime after the 6th century. Old Frankish was the language of the Franks, a Germanic tribe who at their peak ruled much of Western Europe. Old Dutch was concentrated around the Franks' original stronghold, in what are now the Netherlands and northern Belgium and France.
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