The most popular Dutch boy name of 2025 was Noah: 883 baby boys in the Netherlands got that name, according to the SVB, the agency that pays Dutch child benefit and publishes the name list every year. Liam (723) and Luca (702) followed close behind.
Some of these names are international, but look closer and you will find two very Dutch ones in the top 5: Sem and Mees. Here is the full list with pronunciation and meaning, the classic Dutch boy names you still meet everywhere, and a few sentences to use them.
The 10 most popular Dutch boy names in 2025
| # | Name | Say it like | Meaning and origin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Noah | NOH-ah | the Dutch Noach, the Bible's Noah |
| 2 | Liam | LEE-yam | short for Willem (William) |
| 3 | Luca | LOO-kah | from Lucas |
| 4 | Sem | SEM | possibly short for Samuel |
| 5 | Mees | MAYS | short for Bartholomeus |
| 6 | James | JAYMS (the English way) | English form of Jacob |
| 7 | Lucas | LUU-kahs | from Latin Lucanus, man from Lucania |
| 8 | Sam | SAHM | short for Samuel |
| 9 | Finn | FIN | a Scandinavian name |
| 10 | Levi | LAY-vee | Hebrew, joined or attached |
Read the full story of the name Sem (it is probably not the son of Noah you are thinking of) and the name Mees, which hides a very long saint's name.
Lucas and Luca: watch the vowel
Luca and Lucas look almost the same, but Dutch people often say them differently. Luca usually keeps its Italian sound, LOO-kah. Lucas is a Dutch name with the Dutch u, a sound English does not have: say "ee" and round your lips, and you get the LUU in LUU-kahs. The short Dutch form of Lucas is Luuk, which also happens to be the name of our blue mascot: meet the name Luuk.
Classic Dutch boy names you still hear everywhere
| Name | Say it like | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Daan | DAHN | short for Daniël, Hebrew for my judge is God |
| Bram | BRAHM | short for Abraham |
| Thijs | TICE | short for Matthias |
| Teun | TUHN (rounded lips) | short for Antonius |
| Guus | KHUUS | short for Augustus or Gustaaf |
| Joep | YOOP | a form of Jozef |
| Sjoerd | SHOORT | a Frisian name, a form of Sieuwerd |
Notice the pattern: many classic Dutch boy names are short forms of long saint's names. Your Dutch colleague Thijs might officially be called Matthias on his passport, with Thijs as his roepnaam, the name he actually goes by. Our guide to Daan explains how that works.
The hard ones: G, ui and ij
- G is a throaty sound, like the ch in Scottish "loch". Guus starts with it: KHUUS.
- ij sounds like the English "eye", a little flatter. Thijs is TICE.
- J is always an English Y. Joep is YOOP, Jens is YENS.
Use the names in Dutch
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| Dit is mijn zoon, Noah. | This is my son, Noah. |
| Liam en Sem zitten bij elkaar in de klas. | Liam and Sem are in the same class. |
| Hoe spreek je zijn naam uit? | How do you pronounce his name? |
| Hij heet eigenlijk Matthias, maar iedereen zegt Thijs. | His real name is Matthias, but everyone says Thijs. |
Looking for girls' names too? Read the 10 most popular Dutch girl names, and for surnames like de Jong and van Dijk, see our guide to Dutch last names.
Want to hear these names out loud and use them in real sentences? Practise with our Dutch WhatsApp Buddy, or take the free Dutch level test to see where you stand.