VOC vessel names: what naming patterns reveal about the name-givers’ mindsets

By: Jan Tent

Studies of proper names have revealed naming patterns which may provide insights into the attitudes and values of the contemporaneous name bestowers. This essay analyses the names conferred upon the
vessels of the United East India Company or Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC), in order to ascertain whether there are any distinct naming patterns. This onomastic analysis helps show prevailing attitudes and values in the VOC and the Dutch Republic over two centuries, from 1606 to 1803.