Columns Methodology

Dutch or Latin names

Genealogy is all about names: first names or given names, family names or surnames. When you are reading old documents, you will find ‘obscure’ names; names that nowadays are very, very uncommon. These ‘lost’ names are often difficult to read, because they do not make sense to us anymore. But what if a priest or a scholar translated such an ‘obscure’ name into Latin? How would the name be written then?

Heading of the list of translations of names, by Heribert Rosweyde, 1647.

Heribert Rosweyde

Lists of Dutch names and their Latin equivalents can be found on the internet. By accident I came across such a list in the archives of the Roman Catholic parish of Saint Clemens in Minderhout, Belgium. The list has the year 1647 on it. The heading says that this is a list of “a few obscure Flemish names translated into Latin by the Rev. Heribert Rosweyde”. To be honest, I never heard of this Jesuit hagiographer before, but Wikipedia has a page on him and his work. According to this text, Rosweyde died in 1629. This makes me believe that the priest in Minderhout made notes in 1647 based on a work by Rosweyde.

I have transcribed the list and posted it here so that everyone can see how this priest in 1647 dealt with Flemish (similar to Dutch) names and their Latin equivalents. A list like this is helpful in two ways. In Roman Catholic parish registers the Latin variants will always have been used. Whereas in other Dutch records the same person will be mentioned with his/her ‘real’ name. In addition, the Dutch first names may have lead – through the use of patronymics – to surnames. This list may show you first names, that look similar to family names. You then know that you are – most likely – dealing with patronymic names.

A few notes.

  • This is the list as drawn up in 1647. Names may be missing, there may be references to names that others would not use as such. The original author is reponsible for this, I am not.
  • I tried to write the letters I/J and U/V as much as possible, as in the present day. In old manuscripts these are often used interchangeably.
  • In my transcription the letter Y is always spelled as IJ.
  • The paper is damaged in a few places, so not all letters or names are legible. I have indicated that with [..].

List of names

FlemishLatin
AdeltienAdelgundis
AchtienAgata
Aeltie or EeltienAleijdis
Aenke or NaentienAdriana
AertArnoldus
Amel, AmelkenAmelberga
Ansem, AnxtAnselmus
ArienAdrianus or Adriana
AukenAdaucta
Babbeken, Beijken, BeijBarbara
BaelkeBalbina
BaefBavo
BaltenBalthazar
BarteltBartholomeus
Baete, Baetken, BateBeata, Beatrix
Beel, BeeltienElisabeth, Isabella
BeeligheSibijlla
Beert, BerntienBernardus
BerenkenGerenbernus
BeehkeAmelberga
BertRobertus or Norbertus
Berte, Bertien, BertaPhiliberta
BesselBasilius
BetElisabeth
BoordWillibrordus
BoschardBurchardus
BossaertSijlvanus
Bouwen, BoudewijnBalduinus
BraemAbraham
BrechtLambertus
BrechtieLamberta
Breije, BrijeBrigitta
BroosAmbrosius
BurrichtWalburgis
BijgheBegga
Casen, KaeskenNicasius
Caetie, CalleCatharina
Carijn or CorijnQuirinus
Ceel, Celis, CeliMarcellus
Celie, CelikenCecilia
CeuntieCunera, Cunegundis
CijkenLucia
Cijntien, CijneFrancisca
CiskenFranciscus
ClaesNicolaus
CobiJacobus
Coen, CoenenConrardus
ColaertNicolaus
ColijneNicolaa
Comergie, CommerkenOntcommera
CoorenCornelius
CoppenJacobus
CreesLucretia
CrijntieQuirina
CunerCunera
DaemAdam, Damianus, Damasius
Daen, DeenDaniel
Delia, DellaenOdilia
Dicht, DiggeBenedictus
DierckTheodorus
DingeneDigna
DivertieDivera or Eduarda
DijneDigna, Dijmpna, Arnoldina, Amandina, Bernardina, Gerardina
Do, DokenGuido
Domis, Domin, Doen, DouDominicus
Domis, DoomThomas
DorikenDorothea
DouweDavid or Dominicus
Dries, DrieskenAndreas
DroonHieronijmus
DuijfkenColumba
EerkenHonoria
EertkenArnolda
Eeltie, AeltieAleijdis
Elen, Elken, Heijle, HeijltienHelena
ElisElias
Else, ElskenElisabeth
Embrecht, EmmeEmbertus
Emmeken, EmerentsEmerentiana
EmmerickAijmericus
EmmenEdmundus
EppenAbsolon
EngelEngelbertus
ErnienArnolda
ErnstErnestus
EvertEverardus
Faes, VaesServarius
FelienPhocas or Fredericus
Felten, VeltenValentinus
FemetienEuphemia
Fij, Fijge, Fijfken, VijfkenSophia or Euphemia
FloorkenFlorentia
FlorisFlorentius
FrekenFrederica
FrerijnFrederica
FritsFredericus
FranckLiberius, Eleutherius, Franco
GeenEugenius, Gerardus
GeertieGertrudis, Gerarda
GeleijnGislenus
Gerit, GeertGerardus
GeurickGaugericus
GhijsGisbertus
GielisEgidius
GoedeAgatha
Goele, GoeltieGudula
GoolkeGodoleva
GommarGommarus
GoossenGoswinus
GovaertGodefridus
Griete, GrittienMargareta
GuertGodefridus
Guijleke, GultieGudula
HaesgeHaseha
HansJoannes, Ansegisus
Hanten, Hens, HannenJoannes
HelperAdiutor
HermanHermannus
HerrerntHerrennius
Heijle, HeijltienHelena
HeijlsoeteZoë, Soter
HildeLuithildis
Hilke, HillekenHelena, Hildegardis, Hilvaris
HeijnenHenricus
HuijbenHubertus
HouwenHubertus
HuijghenHugo
JacomijneJacoba
JammenGuillielmus
JappenGaspar
Ide, IJkenIda
JenneviveGenoveva
Jeuntie, IlligeJuliana
IenrickGaugericus
Ifken, IveEva
IhintisJonatas
JoonJonas
IlsingUlisses
JoderTheodorus
JoordenJordanus
Jorich, JorisGeorgius
JoostJustus, Judocus
JoosijneJusta, Judoca, Justina
IsabeauElisabeth
IsenhoutIsidorus
IvenIvo
JurrienGeorgius
IvettienIvetta
Jutte, JuttieJutta
Juijt, JuijtkenJudith
Kees, KeeskenCornelius
Kerst, KerstiaenChristianus
KeuntgeCunera, Cunegundis
Kiel, KillKilianus, Chilianus
KeurCunera
KoletteColeta, Nicolaa
KorstChristianus
Kost, KostenCosmas
Lau, Lauke, Laurijne, LaurijnseLaurentius
Laem, Laemke, LammenLambertus
Leene, LeentienMagdalena or Helena
KeenkenLidwina
LemmenLambertus
Lens, Lins, LeijsLaurentius
LeornEleonora
LetteLaurentius or Coleta
LeunisLaurentius, L[..]inus
Libbeken, LibitkeElisabeth
LiebrechtLibertus
LievenLevinus
LijnGislenus
Lijne, LijntienCatharina
LippekenPhilippus
Lisse, Lisken, LijskenElisabeth
Lioen, LoentienLeo
LoeskenElisabeth
LonerLeonorus
LoontieApollonia
LoijEligius
LoijsLudovicus, Aloijsius, Clodomeus
LootieLancelotus
LumkenColumba, Columbona
LutgenLutradis
Luijte, LuijttienLutgardis, Lutildis
MachuijtMachutus
MaesMaxentius, Thomas
MantenAmandus
MattheMatthias
Mauris, MorisMauritius
MaxMaximilianus
MaijeMaria
Melthie, MelsenMelchior
MelenMelchior
MelisEmilius
MerrigenMaria
MetkenMartina
Mette, Metteken, MettieMechtildis
MeusBartholomeus
Meij, MeijkeRemigius
MeijneJacoba
Mijne, MijntienJacoba, Guilielmus, Hieronijmus
MeijntgheClementia
Mijs, MijkenRemigius
MoorMauritius
NalekenAdelheijdis
Nane, NaentienAdriana
NandesFerdinandus
Nelde, NeldekenRelendis
N[..], NelisCornelius
[..]se, NeeskenAgnes
Nelle, NellekenPetronilla
Nijs, NijskenDionijsius
NodeNoë or Natalis
Noor, Noorden, NoordekenNorbertus
NoorkeLeonora, Leonarda
Nout, NuijtArnoldus
ObrechtAubertus
Ode, OkenOda
OeleAdolphus
OeltienAldegundis
OlifOdulphus
Oole, Oolken, OdilieOdilia
OomerAudomardus
Oor, OorkenLeonora
OortHoratius
OnburgenWalburgis
OskenUsmarus
Paeschen, PaeschierPaschasius
PanckPancratius
PaukePaulus
PellePaulus, Peregrinus
PersevaelPerseveranda
Pierijntien, PierkenPetronilla
Pleine, Pleuntie, PloijnieApollonia
Plis, PlissisSulpitius
PopPoppo
PotienPhilippa
QueldrichServulus (with S. Gregorius)
QuintienQuintina
Raecen, RaesErasmus
RagondeRadegundis
RemeeusRemigius
Renger, Reijn, ReijntienReijnerus
Robrecht, RubbenRobertus
RoelRolandus
Rogier, RongieRegerius
Rombout, RommenRumoldus
R[..]Richarus
R[..], Rosele[..]
Sander, SerAlexander
Sanne, SannekenSusanna
SchalckGodeschalcus
SegerSegerus
SegeVictoria
SegertieSigeberta
Soete, SoetienZoe, Judith, Soter
StaesEuchstachius, Anastasius
Steefken, StevenStephanus
StijneChristina, Augustina
SijburgSigebertus
Sijge, SigeVictoria or Lucia
StoffelChristophorus
SuSusanna
Sijne, SijntienJusta, Judoca, Josina
TadtThadeus
TedarTheodardus
TeuntienAnthonius, Antonia
TeusMattheus
TibaultTheobaldus
Tori, DorikenDorothea
Trine, TrijneCatharina
Truijken, TruijgenGeertrudis
TijmenTimotheus
TijsMatthias
VaesServarius, Gervasius
VastVedastus
Velten, FeltenValentinus
Verele, VerlePharaildis
UdenOda, Udalrica
Vijne, VijntienLihuina
Vijne, VijfkenGenovefa
Vijve, FijfkenSophia
VolpartVolpardus, Fulbertus
VreijsLaurentius
VriendtAmor
Vroede, VrodaPrudentia
VronckeVeronica
VijgelVigilius
WaltmanWaltmannus
WallekenWalburcha
WalravenWalterus
WaijkenWald[..]dis
WentselWenseslaus
3 lines are illegible 

Final words

I realize that this is a long list of names. Nevertheless, I hope that it is useful for those of you who are working with old Dutch documents. And perhaps, even for others who need Latin translations for certain names. Please let me know, if you have made use of the list!

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