Hendrikje

Hendrikje is a Dutch feminine diminutive form of Hendrik, which itself derives from the Old High German name Heimirich, composed of the elements heim, meaning home, and rīhhi, meaning power or ruler. The name thus carries the sense of ruler of the home or lord of the household. It is perhaps most famously associated with Hendrickje Stoffels, the companion of the Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn in the seventeenth century. Related forms include Hendrika, Hendrine, and the masculine Hendrik, with broader cognates across European languages including Heinrich, Henrik, and Henry.