Forum Baby Names

What do you think of names like Keesje/Guusje/Dirkje

47 replies · page 1 of 3

MathildeGuest ·
I'm pregnant with twin girls. I've always had a soft spot for names like Keesje, Guusje, and Dirkje (but also Teuntje, Neeltje, Kaatje, Jeltje). What do you all think of names like these?

Replies

Page 1 of 3

  1. Rose Guest #2

    Yesss, so nice! Tijsje is and will remain my favorite.

  2. Vera #3

    Hmmm... no... I don't have much of a thing for them. A bit old-fashioned. But maybe it's also region-specific; they've never really been Limburg names, so I'm not so used to them either.
    Do whatever you yourself never find, good luck!

  3. Anonymous Guest #4

    Lovely, a girl twin!!
    I find these kinds of names terrible, sorry. But if you think they're beautiful, then it's totally fine. Good luck!

  4. floydi #5

    It's demeaning when a woman has a diminutive name. I fear Guusje won't be taken seriously, but that was personally important to me. They're only little babies for such a short time, and then they're adult women for the rest of their lives.
    Good luck with your choice, and congratulations on the twins on the way!

  5. Bibi #6

    Totally agree with Floydi.

  6. Anouk Guest #7

    I don't really like the names you mentioned, except Guusje, which is okay.
    Daantje, Eefje, Maartje, and Noortje I find nicer, for example.
    I wouldn't choose them myself.

  7. Maranne #8

    I think all the names you mentioned are really beautiful. We also want to go for that type of name.

  8. Hartje #9

    No, not cool. Sure, it's cute for a baby, but when you're 16, do you really want to introduce yourself as Neeltje? There are plenty of old-fashioned names that aren't diminutives, right? I'd go for one of those myself.

  9. Maranne #10

    I never had the association with derogatory or cute with names like Neeltje. I think they're beautiful, nostalgic names that aren't just fun for babies or young girls. I wouldn't be ashamed at all if I had a name ending in -je. I think it's personal, depending on your frame of reference, how you interpret such a name and what feelings it evokes in you.

    Anyway, I think every parent shouldn't let themselves be guided by the opinions of others! I personally find names like Cheyenne and Jayden disgusting, but there's also a large group of people who like that. To each their own...

  10. Hartje #11

    Well, not everyone asks for someone's opinion on a forum, right?

  11. Madelene #12

    Floortje I personally find quite nice and Guusje is still okay. But they're not really my style of girl names. I do like names like Roos and Floortje. Bregje I find has a certain charm, I do like that. But Keesje, Daantje, Teun or Teuntje I personally don't like at all, sorry. And Dirkje even less so. I have a soft spot for flower names: Roos, Fleur, Jasmijn. Jasmijn is our third daughter's name, and I also think Jara is really nice; that's our oldest daughter's name. Good luck with your choice. Floortje and Bregje are quite nice

  12. Mathilde started this #13

    Thanks for all the comments. I'm asking this on purpose on a forum because I'm curious about the associations. It's not like I let it completely guide me. But when everyone thinks it's childish, it gives me food for thought I see that opinions are quite divided. I'll talk it over with my partner again. We have a name like that in mind for one of the two girls. Our other daughter is going to be called Pien, we've already decided that. For daughter 2, Doortje is currently my partner's top choice.

  13. Nelleke #14

    If one of the two is a 'diminutive name', I definitely don't think it looks nice.
    Pien and Fleur
    Pien and Floor
    Pien and Eef

    I would never choose Doortje.....

  14. Jane Guest #15

    Congratulations, that's so special!
    For me, it's a bit about the name itself, strangely enough. I like Guusje, but Dirkje is absolutely not my thing.
    Pien and Doortje work great! I actually like giving them both a very different sound; you don't necessarily have to pick two short names, I think.

  15. Rose Guest #16

    Haha, Floydi, if you're named Guusje, you won't be taken less seriously, really!

  16. Anonymous Guest #17

    Pien and Guusje

  17. Anonymous Guest #18

    I don't find it demeaning at all. And it's quite nostalgic, wonderfully Dutch too. If you think it's beautiful, just go for it.
    Pien and Sjoukje

  18. Anonymous Guest #19

    I also know a Neeltje in her 30s who is never taken any less seriously than anyone else. Just be yourself.

  19. Anonymous Guest #20

    I have a bunch of -je names in our family. Eefje, Guusje, Geertje, Teuntje. As kids, we thought our names were fine, until we grew up... I found my name terrible, and the rest too. We often talked about changing our names. I'm not little anymore, I'm an adult woman! People now call me Eva, two others have changed their names too, only Guusje still has the same name, though everyone calls her Guus.
    Please think carefully about what name you give your child. Whatever it may be, you choose it with love, but our parents had quite a bit to endure.

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