Bobbejaan

One might think that this name is a blend of the name Bob with Jaan, but that is not the case. In Belgium and the Netherlands, the use of this rare first name originated with the Flemish singer and musician Bobbejaan Schoepen (1925-2010). It was not his real first name, but rather, his stage name (which he adopted in 1945). He took the name from the South African war song "Bobbejaan klim die berg", which translates to "Baboon Climbs the Mountain" in English. In the Afrikaans language, bobbejaan means "baboon" and is ultimately derived from Dutch baviaan, which also means "baboon". Despite this origin and meaning of the name, some Belgian and Dutch parents have been inspired (thanks to Bobbejaan Schoepen) to bestow this name as an actual first name upon their sons. As such, in 2010, there was a total of 19 male bearers (of all ages) in all of the Netherlands. Lastly, it might be interesting to know that Bobbejaan Schoepen founded a Belgian amusement park in 1961, which he had named after himself. It is called Bobbejaanland (which basically means "land of Bobbejaan") and is located in or near the village of Lichtaart.