For people who speak Dutch, “nijntje” is a logical contraction of “konijntje” (meaning “little bunny”). But things are different outside the Netherlands, where “nijntje” is difficult to pronounce for most people. The word for “bunny” is also different in every language, so Dick Bruna went in search of an international name for his little bunny. Together with his English translator, he came up with the name “Miffy”. It’s the kind of sound a bunny might make, but it has no special meaning. It’s also a name that is easy to pronounce in any language.
