The Netherlands was a Germanic country and the Reformation began in the Netherlands in 1340 and Calvin had the greatest influence. This affected naming.
Initially, names were nicknames and the basis of the nicknames was, among other things, honour, fame and land ownership. Later names from the New Testament were used and later also from the Old Testament. At a later stage saints were also used (Roman Catholic Church). The naming of grandparents and parents came into use later. The difference between Roman Catholic naming and Protestant naming was highlighted. Around the time of the arrival of the Dutch to South Africa, guidelines were drawn up for maintaining a baptismal register.
Johan Fourie, 9 July 2022