Dutch Names

As Anouk, a name that's newly popular in The Netherlands, this spelling is borne by Belgian supermodel Anouck Lepere.

Jaap is a common if not exactly fashionable first name for boys' in The Netherlands. For more on Dutch names and their pronunciation, check out this specialty website: http://www.heardutchhere.net/names.html

The yoo sound at the beginning of a name has not typically been attractive to the modern ear. Probably the most appealing form of this ancient name has been the feminized Eugenie, thanks to the British princess.

Derived from Marie, the meaning of which is uncertain. Theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and "beloved" (from the Egyptian root mr).

This name has spawned dozens of spelling variations, but this is one of the more unusual. People won't know whether the c is silent or pronounced as a k.