Few names are as enduring as the evergreen Ann, and perhaps no name has inspired so many elaborations, smooshes, and spin-offs. It isn’t just in English, either … there are Ann- variants to be found all across the globe.
Today’s choice is one of the more intriguing options. Thanks to Tracy for suggesting Anneke, our Baby Name of the Day.
First, the pronunciation. You might be tempted to say ah NEEK, but Anneke is Dutch, and so the pronunciation is pretty close to how we’d say regular ol’ Annika in English. There’s a slight difference: ahn neh KUH or au neh KUH, depending on the native speaker. But they’re terribly close, and so I suspect the question is whether spelling the name Annika or Anneke makes a difference.
I think it does, in the same way that there’s a difference between Isabelle and Isobel. Both are valid variant spellings, and while they don’t change the pronunciation, they do have a different feel. Isabelle is frilly and feminine, while Isobel is tailored and spare.
And so it is with Annika and Anneke. Annika is a Swedish diminutive for Ann, popularized in part by Annika Sörenstam, the successful Swedish professional golfer. Americans have embraced various Ann- names over the years, and Annika fits right in with Annette, Annamaria, Annie, Anya, Anita and Annabel, to name just a few.
Anneke goes in a slightly different direction. She looks modern, trim, European.
She also brings to mind Anne Frank, perhaps the most famous Anne to answer to Anneke. Others include:
- Anneke Wills, best known as Polly in the late 1960s adventures of Doctor Who.
- Dutch singer Anneke van Giersbergen spent some time as frontman of The Gathering, and continues to work as a musician.
- I also stumbled across a singer born Louise Johanna in the Dutch East Indies, better known as Anneke Grönloh. She had a string of hits in the 1960s.
Plenty of other notable women have answered to Anneke, almost all Dutch, from athletes to politicians.
The intriguing thing about Anneke for an English-speaking parent today is how neatly she fits into a nicely established trend: ends-in-e names for girls. Chloe, Zoe, Phoebe, and Emme come to mind. Except, of course, that’s not quite the sound Anneke shares. Just over two dozen Annekes were born in 2010. Are they answering to an neh KEE, something like anarchy?
Beyond her -e ending, it is also a good moment for lots of Ann- elaborations, like Annalise, Annalena, and Annelie. Variant spellings abound, and some of those are certainly more popular than they seem at first glance. I’m not sure how she fares in Dutch-speaking countries, but both Anna and Anne remain very popular. Whether Anneke is in favor as a diminutive or not, I can’t say.
If you’re after a name rooted in tradition but with a modern twist, Anneke is a good bet. She feels current and unexpected, but no one will ever dismiss her as flimsy or invented. If you happen to claim Dutch heritage or maybe a study abroad trip to Amsterdam, Anneke is even more of a win.
I love Annika [and I’ve contemplated using it to honor my gramma Nancy], but only with the AHN pronunciation
My name is Anneke and I enjoy how unique it is. My family has Dutch heritage so my first and last names together always make people think that I speak Dutch or German. I wish I did and really hope to learn soon! Nobody that I meet (all throughout school especially) can ever pronounce it properly or even close. You wouldn’t believe some of the ways that they have come up with over the years! I grew up in New England in a small town, though, so not many people had encountered such a name before. It can get old having people mess it up and having to correct them numerous times but I have gotten used to it. Now, as a teacher, my preschoolers come up with my favorite variations of all! I would recommend it to anyone thinking of names for baby girls, regardless of the pronunciation issues the child will likely encounter. It’s an interesting name and everyone (once they know how to actually say it) always tells me that it’s a beautiful name.
I read this response to my daughter, Anneke. Although we heard our Dutch friend pronounce it Ah-neh-keh and that’s the way we have been saying it since. My daughter loves our way to pronounce it better than the original Dutch way lol.
My daughter thought you were so nice and she loves your name and how unique you both are. She’s 5 years old and was born in 2010.
I love Annika [and I’ve contemplated using it to honor my gramma Nancy], but only with the AHN pronunciation, and I’m positive it would be ANN here. 🙁
Just checked and Annika seems to be the more popular spelling now in Holland at least (25 girls in 2011). Anna is a steady top 10 name.
In general Scandinavian names and spellings have grown in popularity amongst Dutch parents since the 1990’s. Illustrated by the fact that Lars was the number 15 and Sven the number 20 most popular choice for boys in 2011.
Hi, I am Dutch. The name Anneke is well known, but not very hip and trendy here at the moment. In 2011 only 9 girls born in Holland were given this first name. It was very popular from about 1946 until the 1980’s though. In Flanders (Dutch speaking part of Belgium) only two new borns got this name in 2011. Both “e” sounds are pronounced as in the word “the”.
I am a fan of pretty much every Anne derivative (I am the mother of an Annabel.) No suprise, then, that I love Anneke. I wouldn’t fancy the pronunciation problems it would meet in the U.S., though.
I love this name! A former teacher named her daughter Janneke not very long ago, so Dutch names have kind of been on my radar.
Anneke would be pronounced “ANN-eh-keh”. Annika (at least in German and Norwegian-speaking countries, as that’s what I’m familiar with), is pronounced “ANN-ee-kah”. So there is a slight difference.
I had forgotten how much I love Anneke (maybe it’s the 1/2 Dutch in me). with just a few weeks to go, our first pick for a girl was stolen from us, so we’re back to square one. Anneke is going on my list.
I’m confused. I’ve always thought that it’s the first syllable that’s emphasized. Are you saying its the last?
I think my first experience with the name was in the Pippi Longstocking books. Didn’t Pippi have friends Annika and her brother?
I’ve also seen Annica and Onica, sadly.
My family is a big fan of the old TV show MST3K. One of the movies they watched (and probably the funniest episode) was The Day The Earth Froze, a Swedish movie based on Swedish myth. The live interest is Anneke (pronounced in English ANN-eh-kee) and they make the requisite Anneke in the U.K. joke. Anyway, I really like Ann-elaborations but I’d be thinking of Tom Servo if I met a little Anneke.