Neeltje

Neeltje is a Dutch diminutive of Cornelia, the feminine form of the Latin name Cornelius, which derives from the Roman family name Corneille and is traditionally associated with the Latin word cornu, meaning horn. The name has long been common in the Netherlands, particularly in earlier centuries, and is closely tied to Dutch rural and maritime communities. It appears famously as the subject of a celebrated painting attributed to Rembrandt van Rijn, often identified as a portrait of Neeltje Willemsdr van Zuytbrouck, his mother. Related forms include Cornelia, Neel, and the Flemish variant Nele.