Janszoon, Willem fl. late 16th-early 17th cent., Dutch navigator and colonial governor; his name also appears was Jansz or Janssen. Janszoon served (1603-11, 1612-16, 1618-28) in the Dutch East Indies. Sailing on the Duyfken [dovekin] from Bantam, Java, in 1605, he sailed along the S New Guinea coast and crossed over to what is now the Carpentaria Bay coast of Queensland, becoming (1606) the first European explorer known for certain to have sighted and landed in Australia (though he believed it to be part of New Guinea). He was the colonial governor of Ft. Henricus, Solor (1612-16), and of Banda (1623-27) and rose to the rank of admiral.

Willem is a Dutch given name. The name stems from the Germanic languages, and can be seen as the Dutch equivalent of the name William in English.

People

• Willem I, Willem II and Willem III, Kings of the Netherlands.
• Crown Prince Willem of the Netherlands, eldest son of King Willem III.
• Christophe Willem, contemporary French singer nicknamed 'The Turtle' (La Tortue)
• Willem Barents, Dutch navigator and explorer.
• Willem de Kooning, Abstract expressionist painter.
• Willem Jacob Luyten, Dutch-American astronomer.
• Jean-Pierre Willem, founder of Barefoot Doctors
• William "Willem" Dafoe, American actor.
• Willem Janszoon, Dutch navigator and colonial governor.
• Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange, Heir apparent to the Dutch throne.
• Dr. Willem Johan Kolff, inventor of the artificial kidney.
• Maurice Willems, Belgian football player.
• Willem Kes, Dutch conductor and violinist.
• Willem Drees, Dutch politician.
• Bernhard Willem Holtrop, aka Willem French-Dutch cartoonist. (Bernhard Willem Holtrop, Bernhard Willem Holtrop).

Things

• Prins Willem, a ship built in 1649.
• Willem Eprom Programmer (electronics tool)