Dutch male names on the Camino?

[Kimmy]

This is a bit of a strange camino question, but here goes:

I have written a book that to a large part take place on the Camino (a bit like The Way but the main character is a woman and a lot younger) and now it is to be published in Sweden to begin with, but who knows what will happen... I wish to change name of one of the main characters. He is Dutch, around 40 years old and needs to have a bit of an international sounding name. Any Dutch people in here who has any names to suggest? Thank you very much for helping!

 

[alexwalker]

Erwin, a good Dutch friend of mine

 

[SabsP]

Hans, Joop, Piet, Frans,Gert-Jan, Maarten, Gijs...

 

[Kimmy]

Thanks! I have a few suggestions I got from friends (who are not Dutch) - Sebastian, Willem, Victor, Alexander, Christian, Stefan, Jasper, Pieter. Are any of those names that were used in the sixties?

 

[SabsP]

Pieter, Alexander, Willem and Victor were indeed used in the sixties. The present king is called Willem-Alexander. Jasper and Sebastian are bit more modern names.

 

[Kimmy]

Thank you Sabine! So a man who were born in the late sixties would probably not have been named Sebastian in Holland? If so, would he have a short name? Bastian? Same goes for Alexander? Alex? If someone's name is Willem, what would then his short name in English be? Will?

 

[SabsP]

Alex would be the abbrevation. And yes Will for Willem. Not sure about Sebastian...I know Bas is much used in Holland. Maybe the moderator LtFit here can shine a light?

 

[Kimmy]

Ok, thanks. I will have to think what would suit the character best. Any other suggestions for names that were popular to name Dutch kids in the end of the sixties?

 

[fraluchi]

Ok, thanks. I will have to think what would suit the character best. Any other suggestions for names that were popular to name Dutch kids in the end of the sixties?

I suggest mine, typically Dutch: Adriaan. (note the double A) Needs correction in countries where "Adrian" seems simpler

 

[Kimmy]

Adriaan is a very nice name! Unfortunately another character has a name a bit too close, also the publisher wants me to choose a name without double A. It seems right now it will be Victor, Willem, Sebastian or Alexander.

 

[CanPete]

Adriaan is a very nice name! Unfortunately another character has a name a bit too close, also the publisher wants me to choose a name without double A. It seems right now it will be Victor, Willem, Sebastian or Alexander.

I vote for 'Peter' . . .
(then again, I am a biased, born and raised, Dutch, now Canadian, about to walk El Camino Del Norte in less that 2 months . . .)

Good luck with the rest of the book !
Buen Camino

 

[CanPete]

(and by the way, Alexander has 2 "a's" . . .)

 

[Kimmy]

Oh, lucky you to walk the Camino so soon. I was supposed to walk in September, but now I am to release a book about the Camino in September instead. Funny thing how the Camino provides ... Well, well, the physical path of the Camino will stay.

Ok, so off goes Alexander. Is it the same with Sebastian, i.e. Sebastiaan or is it possible to have with one a. Is Peter normally spelled Peter or Pieter, or are that two different names? This guy is typically middle class/upper middle class and very well educated. Would Victor, Pieter, Peter and Willem suit?

 

[Dokidoki]

This is a bit of a strange camino question, but here goes:

I have written a book that to a large part take place on the Camino (a bit like The Way but the main character is a woman and a lot younger) and now it is to be published in Sweden to begin with, but who knows what will happen... I wish to change name of one of the main characters. He is Dutch, around 40 years old and needs to have a bit of an international sounding name. Any Dutch people in here who has any names to suggest? Thank you very much for helping!

Here we go: Staf, Jan, Guido, Lode, Jos, Sus, Erik, Karel, Paul,.... You can make your chois.
Mannu, Vlaanderen (Belgium).

 

[SabsP]

Yep, Mannu the ones you wrote down are quintessentially flemish.

 

[qpqp]

I did the Camino Frances last spring and met a Dutch fellow named "Arnoud" who had walked the Camino many times before. I think he had said he had done over 12,000km on the different routes. It seems appropriate that his name be immortalized in a book. On the other hand he was in his sixties, rather than born in the sixties, so perhaps the name wouldn't qualify.

 

[Former member 22438]

This is a bit of a strange camino question, but here goes:

I have written a book that to a large part take place on the Camino (a bit like The Way but the main character is a woman and a lot younger) and now it is to be published in Sweden to begin with, but who knows what will happen... I wish to change name of one of the main characters. He is Dutch, around 40 years old and needs to have a bit of an international sounding name. Any Dutch people in here who has any names to suggest? Thank you very much for helping!

Hope not in your book like in "the Way" the Dutch character is a cliché drugs addict.

I am Dutch, my name is Albert and from the baby boom generation, born after the second world war. Nowadays the names given here in Holland are very internationaly like our grandchildren Amaro, Roman and Mareno.

Till lycket och med vänliga hälsningar och hoppas att jag får läser din bok en gång.

Albert från Rotterdam Holland

 

[Kimmy]

No, Albert. This Dutch guy is very pleasant towards everyone. He is a gentleman and knows a lot about Roman architecture. As stated above he was born in the mid/late sixties, so the name I am looking at should be available during that period. Right now I am looking mostly at Victor, Willem and Pieter (is Peter the same name as Pieter).

Tack så mycket för hälsningen. Hur kommer det sig att du kan skriva på svenska?

 

[Thomas1962]

Nice topic!

Happy he isn't using drugs...

For some reason the man you described sounds to me like someone called Hans. But Victor, Willem and Pieter would fit too. All are 60ies names.
Peter is different from Pieter. The first E in Peter in Dutch is pronounced like the A in 'name'. Like German and Scandinavian languages I think. Pieter is pronounced like the English Peter.
Alexander is indeed a Dutch name but no one would call someone Alexander all the time. This would become Alex or Sander. Still, the first name of the Dutch King is Alexander... (so don't do it! )
Sebastian would be called Bas. That might be a good one. Short, typical Dutch.
Will isn't really used. It would be Wil or Wim.
Arno is the name of the Dutch hospitalero/owner from l'esprit du chemin in SJPdP.... A nice one?
I checked a Dutch internet site, couldn't find the 60 names, but did find the 70 names. I don't think it is that different.

Here you go!

Alex Alwin André Antoine Arjan Armand Arno Arnold Arnoud Bas Carlo Casper Christian, Kristian Corné Dennie Dennis Edward Edwin Emile, Emiel Erik Erwin Etienne Ferdinand Ferry Frank Gerjan Gertjan, Gert-Jan Gerwin Guido Hans Harold Henry Jacco Jasper Jeffry Jeroen Jochem John Joris Jos Jurgen Jurian, Jurrian Lennard Leo Leon, Léon Maarten Maikel Marcel Marco Marijn Mario Mark Martijn Martin Mathieu Mathijs, Matthijs Maurice Michel Michiel Miquel Nico Pascal Patrick Paul Peter Ralph Ramon Raymon, Raymond, Remon, Rémon Reinier Remco, Remko Remy René, Rene Richard Rob Robert, Robbert Robin, Robbin Roger Roland Ron Ronnie, Ronny Rudi, Rudy Ruud Sander Stefan, Stephan Steven Theo Thomas Tommie Ton Vincent Walter Wilco William Wim Wouter

 

[alexwalker]

AlexWalker's vote for name should be obvious... ;-)

 

[annakappa]

I suggest mine, typically Dutch: Adriaan. (note the double A) Needs correction in countries where "Adrian" seems simpler

Please remember that 99%of the Dutch shorten their name to the minimum. Therefore my husband Adriaan, alias fraluchi, is known as Ad. Thinking back of family members we have Rob, Hans, Wil, Bart, Joh. Basically all shorten versions of something more " elegant"! Anne.

 

[alexwalker]

The Dutch may have some confusing last names, like "van der Dong", "van der Fart", etc.... So take that also into your name-chosing...

 

[whariwharangi]

I have an uncle born first name Koos ... he changed his name to Jim when he came to Canada ... apparantly Koos is a diminutive or nickname of Jakobus. Which might work as a literary device because in Holland the camino is called Jakobsweg.

 

[whariwharangi]

The Dutch may have some confusing last names, like "van der Dong", "van der Fart", etc.... So take that also into your name-chosing...

Just don't call me 'late for dinner'.

 

[ghostinyou]

The Dutch guys I know are named Patrick, Onno, Alexander, Erik and Max

 

[SabsP]

Indeed I know a dutch Reinier,born in the mid sixties. Nice chap too.

 

[Dokidoki]

The Dutch may have some confusing last names, like "van der Dong", "van der Fart", etc.... So take that also into your name-chosing...

Indead, when you calle that guy 'Piet Uit de Broeck' or 'Piet De Cloot' or 'Joop Den Uyl' everybody will know he is comming from Holland and not from Flanders in Belgium where 66 % is Flemisch people who speak Dutch. The reasen of this funny and crazy names is that during the time of Napoleon the Hollands people were obligate to have a second 'last name'. But a lot of Hollands people were not in mind this name was forever...It was for making joke with the French occupier who did'nt understand this words. 'Piet' is standing for 'penis' and 'Cloot' for 'testis' and 'Uit de Broeck' for 'out of the pantalon'. Maybe it is better to choose for a Flemisch Dutch name...
Excuse me, my Englisch is not so good.
Mannu (shortname, is comming from Emmanuel)

 

[Thomas1962]

The former prime minister was called Wim Kok. On one of his foreign trips he went a former minister who was at that time CEO of the Dutch Mail company, Wim Dik.
So Wim Kok and Wim Dik represented the Netherlands at that time
Here is another former member of parliament:

 

[Vera]

Jan, Kees, Piet, Gijs, Henk, Bert, Hans...

 

[Kimmy]

Wow, thanks for all comments. This is getting a lot more complex than I thought . I think his name will be Pieter. Since all persons around him are using English when they speak his name will be pronounced as the English Peter. Also Pieter seems to have been a rather common name in the sixties, besides the name is a bit similar to the name I first had in my manuscript (Simon) which means it will fit into the text nicely. Pieter should work. Yes?

 

[Thomas1962]

Good choice!
I googled the name and noticed it is a name which is used all along the ages and still popular now.
The most famous hiking trail in the Netherlands is also called 'Pieterpad', which can be translated as 'Camino del Pieter'. It goes from a village called 'Pieterburen' in the north till the 'Pietersberg' (the one and only dutch mountain in the south). It is 492 kms long, no longer stretch possible in a small country like the Netherlands.

 

[Kimmy]

Puh, I am glad to hear it is approved I tired it in the manuscript and it fits well. I also tried to upload a file with the book cover but it was too big size (will ask the AD for a low res picture)

The book title is 'Under Vintergatans alla stjärnor' - in English it would be something like "Under the stars of the Milky Way"

Thanks for all your help! And Buen Camino!

 

[Former member 22438]

No, Albert. This Dutch guy is very pleasant towards everyone. He is a gentleman and knows a lot about Roman architecture. As stated above he was born in the mid/late sixties, so the name I am looking at should be available during that period. Right now I am looking mostly at Victor, Willem and Pieter (is Peter the same name as Pieter).

Tack så mycket för hälsningen. Hur kommer det sig att du kan skriva på svenska?

Hey då , jag arbetade i Sverige- egentlig i hela Scandinavia men det var för langt.
Var är du från i Sverige ?
Pieter is the Dutch equivalent of Peter however we also have Peter, pronounced as you do på Svenka !
As you know we are all related ,being a kind of Vikingar. When I learned swedish long time ago by the way ,it went very fast due to the similarity of the grammatics .
Many common words you'll find back in Dutch, German, Frysk, English,Flamish , Norwegian ,Danish and Swedish . huset är huis på Hollandsk , House in english, Haus auf Deutsch etc etc... the only problem I found was about 5 years ago ,visiting Iceland .I thought my knowledge of Scandinavian languages could help me out. No way. These Icelandic Vikingar speak a kind of language from the 8 th century B.C. Luckely almost everybody speaks english.

Go for one of the names as you mention .

Till lycket med boken och med vänliga hälsningar från denna sida av Europa

Albert

BTW.. Because I work a lot with Brazilean people , my name here on the forum is Albertinho.
Brazileans have a different pronounciation of the "d and t"
Albert being said by a Brasilean sounds like "Albertje " which sounds and means in Dutch "little Albert " little Albert or little Ronald and so on in Portugese is Albertinho ,Ronaldinho etc'

 

[SabsP]

My partner's surname is a description of " female breasts " , very common name in this region. Combined with his first name ( given by parents who dont speak english ) gives a hilarious combo. Won't write it down because it would not get through the spamfilter....

 

[Jabaldo]

I suggest mine, typically Dutch: Adriaan. (note the double A) Needs correction in countries where "Adrian" seems simpler

Adriaan-my wife and I will be walking our first Camino this September, 2014. I am so excited I can not control my excitement. I see from you profile you have walked many and plan on another Camino this year. Buen Camino to you. I am reaching out to you for again from your profile you live or did live in Costa Rico. Am I correct? My wife and I after the Camino when we return to the US plan on relocating to Costa Rico, Ecuador or Panama. We are moving for I have had it with winter and cold weather. Can you share any advise or web sites that might be worth exploring to help in the decision process?
Thank you for your help and for your consideration.
Jim a fellow pilgrim.

 

[fraluchi]

...my wife and I will be walking our first Camino this September, 2014. I am so excited I can not control my excitement.[...] Can you share any advise or web sites that might be worth exploring to help in the decision process?

Buen camino! You may write to me on fraluchi @ yahoo . com (delete the spaces)

 

[janwvb]

Follow the advice from a real Dutchman and go for "Jan" btw real interesting topic as I read lots of assumptions about the Dutch and their names. Buen camino!

 

[indyrem]

The former prime minister was called Wim Kok. On one of his foreign trips he went a former minister who was at that time CEO of the Dutch Mail company, Wim Dik.
So Wim Kok and Wim Dik represented the Netherlands at that time
Here is another former member of parliament:

LOL

 

[Kimmy]

Sorry, I will stick to Pieter, since it suits the character and also the manuscript. Btw here is a picture of the book cover. Thank you all! Camilla

 

[SabsP]

http://www.behindthename.com/name/pieter

 

[Kimmy]

Thanks!

 

[Thomas1962]

The cover looks very nice Kimmy! I wish you all the best with it.
I'm getting really curious, hope it will be such a success that it will be translated

 

[Kimmy]

Thanks Thomas! The background picture is taken during daytime on the way up to O'Cebreiro. Then it has been mixed with another picture and been made into night to suit the title (Under the stars of the Milky Way). I hope you are right and it will become a success. As soon as I am ready with this round of proof reading I will send it to agents and hope that someone will find it interesting enough to try to sell it abroad as well.

 

[Former member 22438]

Sorry, I will stick to Pieter, since it suits the character and also the manuscript. Btw here is a picture of the book cover. Thank you all! CamillaView attachment 8565

Mycket bra !

 

[Pelegrin]

"Kimmy, posted: The background picture is taken during daytime on the way up to O'Cebreiro".

Kimmy, I don't know if you include that name in your book, but the right way to write O Cebreiro is without apostrophe. That relatively common mistake, comes from the fashion to name Galician restaurants like O'something, to make the name "cooler"or more international by imitating the Irish names.

But, the "O" in O Cebreiro is the article "The" and so that it doesn't need any apostrophe. Whereas in Irish names O' = Of (IMHO). So, the meaning is completely different.

 

[annakappa]

This has been one of the most amusing threads in a long while! So the character is now Pieter, which abbreviated as the Dutch will always do, becomes Piet.

 

[Kimmy]

Thanks for your info on O Cebreiro. I have been using John Brierley's guide book for the names but intend to look through all city and village names again.

As for the short name of Pieter, I suppose he is called Piet back home in Holland, but when meeting people on the Camino he will call himself Pieter, especially since on of the persons in the walking family is Michael, a rather formal man from UK, who never would use short names

PS. I fear the day experienced pilgrims will read the novel. Even if I have tried to be true to the path it is my memories from the Camino and my encounters that has colored the story, together with a lot of fiction. I have had a few test readers who walked the Camino, who say they recognize the path, the villages they walk through and the ambiance of the whole thing, but of course some people will hate it. Especially since the main character, Emma, is a youngish woman (rather selfish and superficial) who set out on the Camino as something to do during summer after a break-up with her boyfriend and being stressed out from too much work. She has no idea what a pilgrimage is, and certainly not that it will change her life forever …

 

[Thomas1962]

As far as I know all the Pieter's in the Netherlands are still called Pieter in daily life. I know one myself, also known people are always referred to as Pieter, never to Piet.
Piet is kind of old fashioned name not common for people younger than about 55. I can imagin that a Pieter would be even offended if called Piet. Pieter will be happy with Michael
As you might have noticed, there is something in names which intrigues me...
If you are really really really interested:
http://www.betekenisnamen.nl/Naam/Piet
http://www.betekenisnamen.nl/Naam/Pieter

I can understand your fear, but let it go, it is your book! Of course, there are things in it which just came out of imagination.
Although it is a different thing, if you have a close look at e.g. the way, you will see different things who do not fit with reality. E.g. places are not always in the right order, the cathedral seemed to have a different lay out It's part of fiction!
Personally, I also like to read caminostories through 'different eyes'. I know by now what I see, I do learn to watch through these different eyes.

 

[Former member 22438]

Thanks for your info on O Cebreiro. I have been using John Brierley's guide book for the names but intend to look through all city and village names again.

As for the short name of Pieter, I suppose he is called Piet back home in Holland, but when meeting people on the Camino he will call himself Pieter, especially since on of the persons in the walking family is Michael, a rather formal man from UK, who never would use short names

PS. I fear the day experienced pilgrims will read the novel. Even if I have tried to be true to the path it is my memories from the Camino and my encounters that has colored the story, together with a lot of fiction. I have had a few test readers who walked the Camino, who say they recognize the path, the villages they walk through and the ambiance of the whole thing, but of course some people will hate it. Especially since the main character, Emma, is a youngish woman (rather selfish and superficial) who set out on the Camino as something to do during summer after a break-up with her boyfriend and being stressed out from too much work. She has no idea what a pilgrimage is, and certainly not that it will change her life forever …

did not we all know what we could expect the first time ?
It is the "unknown". This forum is full of firsttimers and their questions. For us it was andstill is a great source of information and back up.

My wife and I initially walked the camino as a sportive challenge. Not a deeper spiritual aim but during the walk more deeper thoughts came up and the camino virus too. So now we will go for the next time within 8 weeks from now.
Maybe because we walked together as a married couple ,enjoying it and having fun, we were not involved in what they say problems from others at all.
Most of the time we met "happy ?" people.. You can't see it from the outside .
In Dutch there is a saying "ieder huis heeft zijn kruis". In every house and family happens something sometimes. You can write a book about it.
Nice that your theme and red thread is about the camino. I am curious about it.
Tell me were I can get your book . It is good for my swedish knowledge

Med vänliga hälsningar i kanske vi ses på ruten till Santiago de Compostela en gång.

Till lycket.

 

[Kimmy]

I am glad to hear that me being stubborn calling Pieter for Pieter seems to be okay. Michael will be a very happy chap, since he would hate to call someone Piet

At times I was quite annoyed when watching The Way, and probably some pilgrims will be upset with my book as well. However, my intention is good - the whole point with the book is making people take a pause and start to think about what they REALLY wish to do with their lives, to make people see that much of what we are doing and how we live, is what society make us think we want and not what we need and wish deep within our souls.

The book is about this young woman, Emma. All her life she has been striving for more - a better job, better salary, better flat to live in, nice clothing etc. When work is making her ill and stressed out she quits her job and move from Stockholm to London where the man she is in love with lives. Their love affair turns into a disappointment and her life into a misery. When life is as dark as it can be she hears about the Camino de Santiago de Compostela and decides to go. During long days of walking under the fierce July sun she is forced to confront her dark moments and memories from her life and childhood. She meets people from many parts of the world that become very important to her and make her see life in a different perspective. The one month walking holiday in Spain turns out to be not only a physical journey but foremost an inner journey that forces Emma to re-evaluate her life and everything she has ever believed in.

The book will be out in book stores in Sweden in mid August or beginning of September. If you wish to know more about release dates and so forth you can "like" my Facebook writers page (se below). The page is unfortunately only available in Swedish.
www.facebook.com/camilladavidssonm

Thanks for all that has contributed to this thread and make me feel safe with the name change to Pieter. He is a very important character of the book, so a real help for me!!!

/Camilla

 

[CanPete]

Oh, lucky you to walk the Camino so soon. I was supposed to walk in September, but now I am to release a book about the Camino in September instead. Funny thing how the Camino provides ... Well, well, the physical path of the Camino will stay.

Ok, so off goes Alexander. Is it the same with Sebastian, i.e. Sebastiaan or is it possible to have with one a. Is Peter normally spelled Peter or Pieter, or are that two different names? This guy is typically middle class/upper middle class and very well educated. Would Victor, Pieter, Peter and Willem suit?

Either Pieter or Peter are (or used to be) very common in the NL . . .
My dad was given 'Petrus' which quickly was morphed in to 'Piet' . . .
So, in short, options gallore . . . I see you chose Pieter, which is a great choice !
All the best !!!