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Belgian Names – What's Hot in Brussels
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Olivier
French
"olive tree"
More and more frequently heard as the Gallic version of Oliver, Olivier could be seen as a tribute to the great British actor, Sir Laurence O.
Ophélie
French variation of Ophelia that might make that lovely-and-haunted name feel more viable, yet there will be inevitable pronunciation issues.
Pauline
French, feminine variation of Paul
"small"
Pauline had its moment of glory a century ago, when movie audiences were thrilling to the silent serial The Perils of Pauline , released in 1914. A Top 50 name in the US between 1908 and 1930, it…
Péter
Péter is the Hungarian form of Peter, derived from the Greek name Petros meaning 'rock' or 'stone.' This name carries significant historical and cultural importance in Hungary, where it has…
Pierre
French variation of Peter
"rock, stone"
One of the most familiar — if not stereotypical — Gallic names. Pierre was a Top 5 name in France from the 19th century through 1940 and is now on a steady decline in its native land. In the US,…
Rania
Arabic, Greek
"to gaze, to look; heavenly"
As an Arabic name, Rania is a variation of Raniya, ultimately derived from the Arabic word ranā meaning "to gaze" or "side look". Other descendants of this root include Ranya and Rana itself.…
Raphaël
Romain
Romain is a masculine name of French origin derived from the Latin 'Romanus,' meaning 'Roman' or 'from Rome.' This classic name has been used in France for centuries, honoring the historical…
Romaine
Sandra
Diminutive of Alessandra, Italian from Greek
"defending men"
2012's Hurricane Sandy blew away whatever style currency Sandra retained from its 1960s Sandra Dee heyday. While in recent years it's been associated with Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor,…
Sander
Dutch and Scandinavian, diminutive of Alexander
"defending men"
Sander is a more conventional form of Zander or Xander, heard frequently on its own in Europe. It is now a Top 20 name in Norway, and is also popular in Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Sebastien
French and Czech variation of Sebastian, Latin, Greek
"from Sebaste"
Also spelled as Sébastien, this is the French and Czech form of the cotemporary (yet ancient) favorite, Sebastian. Derived from the name of ancient city who got its name from a Greek word for…
Stéphane
Stéphane is a French masculine form of Stephen, derived from the Greek 'Stephanos,' meaning 'crown' or 'garland' – traditionally symbolizing honor and victory. Pronounced 'stay-FAN,' it carries a…
Tanguy
French
"warrior"
his engaging French saint's name, pronounced like tangy, with a hard ' g ,' also has a creative connection to French surrealist painter Yves Tanguy.
Théo
Théo is a French masculine name derived from the Greek name Theodoros, meaning "gift of God." This short, stylish form has gained significant popularity across Europe, particularly in France,…
Thibault
French from German
"courageous people"
Pronounced TEE-bow, this version, which is also a very common surname in France, has a lot more charm than the name it derives from — Theobald. A variant spelling is Thibaut. Trivia tidbit:…
Thibaut
French variant of Theobald
A common first and last name in France and, especially, Belgium, more often spelled Thibault.
Tom
Diminutive of Thomas
"twin"
Just like Sam and Ben, Tom could be revived as a simple, well liked name on its own. Tom, just Tom, is one of the Top 100 Boy Names in France
Valentine
French variation of Valentina
"strength, health"
For a girl, we'd say Val-en-teen, though many would insist on pronouncing it like the holiday.
Vince
Short form of Vincent, Latin
"conquering"
Vince is not a short form that often stands alone on the birth certificate, the way Jack or even Joe does, but it has certain credibility as the name always used for football great Vince Lombardi.…