10 Common Amish Men's Names (& 10 Unusual Ones) 

Les Ardènes or Les Ardennes - also a French regional name. I don't know if the English Arden was borrowed from Norman French or was from Sason English or from British Celtic / Gaelic sources. (Or Brittany in France, and France was formerly Gaul.) So three possible sources, I just don't recall the origin.

Glad you found it Nancy! I'm enjoying it and I'm fortunate to have some great photo sources :)

It's one of relatively few male "Time Capsule" names along with Aidan and its' variants (from a much more recent time). A lot of names, especially Biblical and/or Celtic ones, had faded from use in mainstream society over the first half of the 20th century but have come back since the late '60s, and stuck.

Thanks Linda, I do appreciate hearing that.

Hannes was very common in German, too.

Hans also is the short form of Johann

Mose would make a good addition to the list. Usually it's "Mose" and not Moses

He probably never got a birth certificate so doesn't really know.

This is only a sample of 10 - there are a good number and Jacob is among them

There is a village in NYS called Vernon with a milk processing plant in it.

I m from belguim and speak dutch

Wayne -- Wayne, Wagon, Wagner (a Wagon-er or wagon-maker), yes, from wæġen in Old English, pronounced like wagon today, or with the g as a y- sound like in yellow, so "wayen" with emphasis on that Y sound. (I don't know if Wayans is a variant, but it is probably either from Wagons or from Way. -- A wainwright was also a wagon-maker (a wright is a maker, like wrought iron, made of iron that's been sculpted and turned.) -- But another kind of wain, or swain, like a boatswain or coxswain, was a person doing a task. (Look up the root wain, I don't recall exactly.) Dwayne and Duane, however, are from an Irish/Scottish Gaelic source, and I should remember the meaning, but I don't. (Look up those names to find it.) DeWayne is also a source, but that combines French "de" (of/from/by) with the English Wayne name from the Norman French period (Middle English).

Mervin, Merfyn, Mervyn, Marvin, and Merwin are all related to the name Merlin and Marlin, from a Welsh source. Yes, the Merlin from the legends of King Arthur is that same name. The Arthurian legends started as Welsh and British Celtic sources, then were passed into Norman French and Saxon English and came into English folklore that way in the Middle Ages, from a legendary ro maybe semi-historical or maybe not, Britihs / Welsh kind or prince in the Roman Britain period, pre-Christian, then Christianized into the Middle Ages. So, wow, a lot there. I should recall what the meaning is, but you should be Abel to find it from those names. I think it was sea-king, sea-ruler, seaside-sweller, or something like that, but it's not the same root for the first part as Irwin and Erwin and Irving. Ervin and Erwin, Irwin, and Irving, if I remember right, are all from another word source, either that same British / Welsh origin or Saxon English or a fusion of both in a similar way to the Merlin and Mervin and Marvin thing. -- Irwin and Irving are supposed to be something like sea-king, sea-ruler.

Melbern is probably a form of Melbourne, Melburn, like the Australian city name or the English family name. -Bourne and -Burn are root words used in English names; and you can find the meaning, either "carried" (like to bear, borne) or another meaning (rock or hill, something? I forget). -- Bern and Behrn and Bjorn are all related to the English word Bear and Bearn. All those forms are from their common source further back in the history of the Germanic / Teutonic tribes, passed into English, German, Dutch, Danish, Viking / Norse / Norwegian / Swedish, and so on. (Bernhard and Bernard and Barnard and Barney, Bernie, are all "bear-hard, hardy as a bear."

Leander -- the name comes from an older source than that bishop's name. It was a common enough Greek name. I think it's used in the New Testament and as a Shakespeare chatter, along with Lysander. The Amish ancestors would have known German and Latin and Greek names, especially if they were common in the Bible and literature. Phenis -- I'm not sure on this one. Phoenis, maybe, or Phoenix? Phoebos gets passed down into Yiddish (German Jewish language and culture) as Feivel, if I remember right. But for Phenis, I'm not sure what that is. It looks like Greek or Latin source, though, maybe a respelling of something carried down in German? Not sure. (Someone is sound to know.)

If I remember right, Absalom was a son of King Saul and was David's best friend. Absalom pledged lifelong loyalty and friendship to David. When they were young, they were both riding horses and Absalom was killed when his neck was caught in a low tree branch. David mourned deeply, and Saul blamed and pursued David for this, even though it wasn't his fault. That's my recall of the Biblical story, and I hope I've remembered it right. So Absalonm would be a good Biblical name. Why it's not more popular in English, I don't know. It's said to be more used as a Hebrew and Jewish name, but it is used in other European countries, including in the form, Absalon with an N at the end. I've heard the nickname Abs for this, but I think there are other nicknames.

Their children take care of them

Yes - one of the most common.

Despite what you might think (Weird Al song:)), it's not a name you'll see much of. In fact I don't believe I've ever come across an Amish Jebediah, and I've met a lot of Amish and been through a lot of their church guides. But, that doesn't mean there is no Amish Jebediah out there somewhere... :)