Gender: Masculine
Origin: English
The name is a short form of Alexander, now used exclusively as an independent given name, it was brought to the spotlight via the TV series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003), in which one of the main characters is named Xander.
As of 2008, Xander was the 45th most popular male name in Belgium. His rankings in other countries are as follows:
A feminine form is Xandra.
Gender: Masculine
Origin: Frisian
(WOWT)
The name is from a Frisian diminutive form of Walter, now used exclusively as an independent given name.
As of 2008, Wout was the 23rd most popular male name in Belgium.
Gender: Masculine
Origin: Arabic
Meaning: “door to heaven”
(RAH-yahn)
The name is a franconized form of the Arabic male name, Rayyan, which is found in Hadith 643 as Ar-Rayyan, which is one of the gates of heaven through which only those who have participated in Ramadan will be able to enter on Judgement Day.
As of 2008, he was the 35th most popular male name in Belgium. His rankings in other countries are as follows:
Other forms of the name include:
Gender: Masculine
Origin: Dutch
Dutch (KOH-beh); Eng (KOH-bee)
The name is a Dutch short form of Jacobus, now commonly used as an independent given name.
As of 2008, Kobe was the 18th most popular male name in Belgium, while in the U.S. he ranked in as the 426th most popular male name (2010).
In the case of Kobe Bryant, he was named for the city in Japan after his parents had seen kobe beef advertised on a menu in a restaurant.
Coincidentally, Kobe is also a Swahili male name meaning, “tortoise.”
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Dutch
(FEEN)
The name is a Dutch short form of Josefien, now used exclusively as an independent given name.
As of 2008, Fien was the 50th most popular female name in Belgium.
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Arabic الكوكب,
Meaning: “star”
(NEJ-mah)
The name is derived from the Arabic word for star. Its Bosnian form of Nedžma is currently the 100th most popular female name in Bosnia & Herzegovina, (2010).
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Dutch
(KAHT)
The name was originally a short form of Katarina and is now used as an independent given name.
As of 2008, Kaat was the 77th most popular female name in Belgium.
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Dutch/Hungarian
Dutch (KAT-toh); Hung (kah-TOH)
The name could either be from a Dutch short form of Katarina or from the Hungarian, Kató, which is also a short form of Katalin.
As of 2008, Kato was the 39th most popular female name in Belgium.
Coincidentally, it is a Luganda male name meaning, “second of twins.”
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Dutch
The name is a compound name of Marie and Grace.
Originally, the name was used by Dutch Catholics and Flemish Catholics in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in particular to one of her many epithehts Our Lady of Grace or Mary of Grace.
As of 2008, Marie Grace was the 62nd most popular female name.
An English form is Mary Grace, which is occasionally used among Irish-Americans and in Ireland.
A popular Italian form is Maria Grazia.
The name could either be from a German diminutive form of Eleonore or it could be from the Basque meaning, “flower.”
As of 2008, Lore was the 11th most popular female name in Belgium.
Its Italian and Spanish form of Lora was the 98th most popular female name in Croatia, (2009).
In either case the name is pronounced (LOH-reh).
Another Basque form is Lorea.