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*A period of stability, when a very '''strong naming habit emerged'''. (Early Modern era–1960s) | *A period of stability, when a very '''strong naming habit emerged'''. (Early Modern era–1960s) | ||
*The post-World War II period, characterised by '''previously unknown personal names'''. (1960s–present) | *The post-World War II period, characterised by '''previously unknown personal names'''. (1960s–present) | ||
<ref name="dutchname"> | <ref name="dutchname"/> | ||
===Germanic period=== | ===Germanic period=== | ||
*The Germanic names are the names with the longest history in the Dutch-speaking area; they form the oldest layer of the given names known in Dutch. The Germanic names were characterised by a rich diversity, as there were many possible combinations. A Germanic name is '''composed of two parts, the latter of which also indicates the gender of the person'''. A name like Adelbert or Albert is composed of "adel" (meaning "noble") and "bert" which is derived from "beracht" (meaning "bright" or "shining") hence the name means something in the order of "Bright/Shining through noble behaviour"; the English name "Albright", now only seen as a surname, is a cognate with the same origin. | *The Germanic names are the names with the longest history in the Dutch-speaking area; they form the oldest layer of the given names known in Dutch. The Germanic names were characterised by a rich diversity, as there were many possible combinations. A Germanic name is '''composed of two parts, the latter of which also indicates the gender of the person'''. A name like Adelbert or Albert is composed of "adel" (meaning "noble") and "bert" which is derived from "beracht" (meaning "bright" or "shining") hence the name means something in the order of "Bright/Shining through noble behaviour"; the English name "Albright", now only seen as a surname, is a cognate with the same origin. | ||
*Combining these parts was used when the child was named after family or other relatives. For example, the child would receive two parts from different family members, in this way a father named "Hildebrant" and a mother called "Gertrud" would call their son "Gerbrant" and their daughter "Hiltrud". <ref name="dutchname"> | *Combining these parts was used when the child was named after family or other relatives. For example, the child would receive two parts from different family members, in this way a father named "Hildebrant" and a mother called "Gertrud" would call their son "Gerbrant" and their daughter "Hiltrud". <ref name="dutchname"/> | ||
===Medieval names=== | ===Medieval names=== | ||
*Through the course of the Middle Ages names '''derived from Christian Saints''' became more common than Germanic ones. From the 12th century onwards it became custom for the child to receive a Christian name, although some names of Germanic origin like Gertrude and Hubertus remained prevalent as these too became names of Christian saints. In these times typical Dutch names such as "Kees" (Cornelis), "Jan" (Johannes) and "Piet" (Petrus) emerged. | *Through the course of the Middle Ages names '''derived from Christian Saints''' became more common than Germanic ones. From the 12th century onwards it became custom for the child to receive a Christian name, although some names of Germanic origin like Gertrude and Hubertus remained prevalent as these too became names of Christian saints. In these times typical Dutch names such as "Kees" (Cornelis), "Jan" (Johannes) and "Piet" (Petrus) emerged. | ||
*When the conversion was made from Germanic to Christian names, most parents just picked a name they liked best or would be most helpful in their child's later life, for example if the child would come from a butcher's family and he himself would one day become a butcher, the child would probably be called after "Sint Joris" (the Dutch name for "Saint George"), the patron saint of the butchers.<ref name="dutchname"> | *When the conversion was made from Germanic to Christian names, most parents just picked a name they liked best or would be most helpful in their child's later life, for example if the child would come from a butcher's family and he himself would one day become a butcher, the child would probably be called after "Sint Joris" (the Dutch name for "Saint George"), the patron saint of the butchers.<ref name="dutchname"/> | ||
===Stability: Naming Pattern=== | ===Stability: Naming Pattern=== | ||
The Dutch habit of naming newborns after another family member originates with a then-widespread superstition that the name in some way contributed to some form of reincarnation of the person the child was named after, who was usually much older. As the centuries passed, this practice became so standard that the names of the children were practically known at the marriage of the future parents. The rules for naming were the following: | The Dutch habit of naming newborns after another family member originates with a then-widespread superstition that the name in some way contributed to some form of reincarnation of the person the child was named after, who was usually much older. As the centuries passed, this practice became so standard that the names of the children were practically known at the marriage of the future parents. The rules for naming were the following: | ||
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*When the father died before the birth of a son, the son was usually named after him. | *When the father died before the birth of a son, the son was usually named after him. | ||
*When the mother died at the birth of a daughter, the daughter was usually named after the mother. | *When the mother died at the birth of a daughter, the daughter was usually named after the mother. | ||
<ref name="dutchname"> | <ref name="dutchname"/> | ||
===Post-World War II period (1945–present)=== | ===Post-World War II period (1945–present)=== | ||
*Traditionally there was little difference between the Christian name ("doopnaam") and the name used in domestic spheres ("roepnaam"). If someone's Christian name was Johannes, domestically he was referred to as Johan, Jan or Hans. | *Traditionally there was little difference between the Christian name ("doopnaam") and the name used in domestic spheres ("roepnaam"). If someone's Christian name was Johannes, domestically he was referred to as Johan, Jan or Hans. | ||