This is the 442nd most frequent Dutch word.
namen
"Namen" in Dutch means "took" (past tense of "nemen," which means "to take").
In this sentence, 'namen' is the past tense plural form of the verb 'nemen,' meaning 'to take.' Here it is used to indicate what the children did.
De kinderen namen hun speelgoed mee naar het park.
The children took their toys to the park.
In this usage, 'namen' again is the past tense form of 'nemen,' used to describe the act of taking notes.
Tijdens de les namen we aantekeningen over de geschiedenis van het land.
During the class, we took notes about the history of the country.
In this sentence, 'namen' appears as a plural noun meaning 'names,' unrelated to the verb 'nemen.'