Netherlands Genealogy

Europe

Netherlands

Guide to Netherlands ancestry, family history, and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Netherlands Wiki Topics

Netherlands Beginning Research

Finding Town of Origin Getting Started Guided Research Online Learning Record Finder Research Strategies

Record Types

Business & Occupations Cemeteries Census Church Records Civil Registration Compiled Genealogies Court Records Directories Emigration & Immigration Heraldry Jewish Records Land & Property Military Records Naturalization & Citizenship Newspapers Nobility Notarial Records Online Genealogy Records Poor Law Probate Records Religious Records Taxation Vital Records Websites

Netherlands Background

Biographies Church History For Further Reading Gazetteers Handwriting Historical Geography History Languages Maps Naming Customs Periodicals Social Life & Customs

Netherlands Genealogical Word Lists

Dutch Latin

Cultural Groups

Cultural Groups

Local Research Resources

Archives & Libraries Societies Local FamilySearch Center

Country Information

The Netherlands is a country in Western Europe bordered by Germany and Belgium. The official national language is Dutch.

Getting Started

Getting Started with Netherlands Research Links to articles and classes on getting started with Netherlands research. "How to" Guides Netherland Genealogy Research Using the Wiki - Video Series- Seven 5-6 minute classes Using the Dutch Website: WieWasWie WieWasWie, Past the index: What to do next OpenArch.nl Website: Four Lessons Dutch Research Before 1811 Gazetteers and Maps for Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands The Netherlands Finding Town of Origin Guided Research See More Research Tools

Netherlands Research Tools Links to articles and websites that assist in Netherlands research. Dutch Genealogical Word List Latin Genealogical Word List Latin Language Reading Dutch Birth Records Reading Dutch Marriage Records Reading Dutch Death Records Beginner Dutch Handwriting Names in Belgium and the Netherlands WieWasWie, partial indexes and images. OpenArch, partial indexes and images Genealogie Werkbalk GeneaKnowHow Repertorium DTB, parish record inventory Places in the Netherlands, online gazetteer See More Research Tools

Netherlands Online Genealogy Records

Ask the Community

Finding Your Ancestors' Town in the Netherlands

• Genealogical records are organized by geographical locality. Civil registration (government birth, marriage, and death records) and church records (christenings/baptisms, marriages, and burials) were kept at the local level. To search these records, you must know the town where your ancestors lived.
• If you do not know your ancestors' town, follow the advice in the Wiki article, The Netherlands Finding Town of Origin to search a variety of records that might provide that information.

The Netherlands Clickable Map

Use the clickable map or the list below to visit the province Wiki page.

Provinces

The Netherlands consists of twelve provinces, the last one - Flevoland - was created from part of the former Zuider Zee/IJsselmeer on 1 January 1986.

Drenthe Flevoland Fryslân or Friesland Gelderland

Groningen Limburg Noord-Brabant (North Brabant) Noord-Holland (North Holland)

Overijssel Utrecht Zeeland Zuid-Holland (South Holland)

Municipalities

The second tier of jurisdiction and the one most relevant for genealogy, especially after 1811, is the gemeente (municipality). There are currently 393 of them, down from about 1200 in 1811. Links to pages listing municipalities and the towns within them can be found on the page for the relevant province.

FamilySearch Resources

Below are FamilySearch resources that can assist you in researching your family.

• Facebook Communities - Facebook groups discussing genealogy research
• Dutch Genealogy - Facebook group specifically discussing Dutch Genealogy (English)
• FamilySearch Center locator map
• FamilySearch Historical Records for the Netherlands

Additional Resources

• Trace Your Dutch Roots
• BYU Script Dutch Tutorials

Classes

• Finding Your Family in the Amsterdam City Archives
• Dutch Provincial and City Research

Compiled Genealogies

• Centrum voor Familigeschiedenis Resources include printed genealogies in the CBG library,funeral cards, notices, pictures, and contact information of others researching the surname, among others, “persoonskarten” (police registration cards) and –lists available from 1940 on are housed here.
• Voorouders.et, compiled family trees and genealogies

Additional Records Links

• Netherlands, Archival Indexes, Vital Records, 1600-2000 - How to Use this Collection
• Netherlands, Archival Indexes, Population Registers - How to Use this Collection
• Dutch Family Surname Database (Nederlandse Familienamenbank)

Gazetteers

• Aardrijkskundig woordenboek van Nederland (Gazetteer), online gazetteer
• Repertorium van Nederlandse Gemeenten vanaf 1812 (Overview of Dutch municipalities since 1812): Gazetteer that shows changes in municipalities over the years, including merges. Skip over the introductory material to where the actual listings begin on page 52. The first line gives the existence dates. "Afgesplitst" means "split off of", "toegevoegd" means "added", "opgegaan in" means "merged"' "ontstaan uit" means "originated from".