Netherlands Naming Customs

Netherlands Topics
Beginning Research
Guided Research Research Strategies Record Finder Finding Town of Origin Online Learning
Record Types
Cemeteries Census Church Records Civil Registration Court Records Directories Emigration & Immigration Compiled Genealogies Guardianship Heraldry Jewish Records Land & Property Military Records Naturalization & Citizenship Newspapers	Nobility Notarial Records Occupations Online Genealogy Records Periodicals Poor Law Population Registers Probate Records Religious Records Taxation Vital Records Websites
The Netherlands Background
Biography Church History Cultural Groups Dutch Word List Former Dutch Colonies Gazetteers Handwriting Historical Geography History	History, Military Languages Maps Names, Geographical Naming Customs Place Names Social Life & Customs For Further Reading
Local Research Resources
Archives & Libraries Societies FamilySearch Centers
Moderator
The FamilySearch moderator for The Netherlands is Daniel Jones.

Netherlands

Personal Names

Netherlands Online Genealogy Records

Online Tools

• BYU Script Tutorial List of Dutch Surnames
• BYU Script Tutorial List of Dutch Given Names
• Netherlands Surname Database and Distribution Map 300,000 surnames of all persons with the Dutch nationality, who lived in the Netherlands in the year 2007. Also included are about 110,000 family names registered at the census from 1947.

Surnames

Name adoption records (Naamsaanneming registers)

Patronymic surnames were common in several provinces prior to 1811. After that all citizens were required to adopt a fixed surname. Naamsaanneming registers are used to determine prior naming patterns.

• Record type: Assignment of surnames for patronymic families and Jews.
• Time Period: 1808-1814 and 1826.
• Content: Heads’ of families previous and new names, ages and/or birth dates, number or names and ages of children and grandchildren, marks or signatures.
• Location: Provincial, state, city and municipal archives.
• Population coverage: 60%.
• Reliability: Very good.

For Further Reading

• Dutch Name in Wikipedia
• The Origin of Names and Their Effect on Genealogical Research in the Netherlands. An in-depth explanation and history of Dutch given names, surnames, and patronymics.