Dutch Genealogy Research Tips

In 1581 The Netherlands became a republic with a confederation of autonomous provinces with their own government and a confederal government. It didn't become a united Kingdom until 1815. Through the ages baptisms, marriages and burials used to be registered in special books by pastors and priests until 1811-12, when the "Burgelijke Stand" was introduced in The Netherlands. From then on births, marriages, divorces and deaths were officially registered by a municipal officer.

Dutch Genealogical Sources

You can search for sources of Dutch birth, baptism, marriage, death and/or burial at these websites: 

• digital resources is a site with all known links to Dutch and Belgian genealogy sources
• wiewaswie.nl has mainly birth, marriage and death records from 1811 onwards
• erfgoedcentrumdiep.nl with genealogical sources of the area around Dordrecht
• dorte-na-zoeker with genealogical sources of the area around Dordrecht and IJsselmonde
• archief rotterdam with genealogical sources of Rotterdam
• genealogie hoeksche waard with old genealogical sources of the Hoeksche Waard area
• regionaal archief tilburg with genealogical sources of the area around Tilburg
• archief brabant with genealogical sources of Noord-Brabant
• militieregisters.nl with Dutch military service records in the period 1811-1940
• hogenda.nl genealogical sources, some for members only
• dutch archives archives website with a genealogical section

Dutch Genealogy Words

When searching for ancestors in The Netherlands, a major obstacle can be the Dutch language. Here you'll find a Dutch genealogy words list: FamilySearch's Dutch Word List.

Dutch Genealogy Research Articles

These are some English-language websites explaining aspects of genealogy research in The Netherlands:

• About.com: Researching Your Dutch Ancestors
• MyHeritage: Searching your roots in The Netherlands

In Holland and Brabant in the southwestern part of The Netherlands surnames were used from approximately 1700 onwards. Through the ages patronymics (surnames based on the given name of one's father) have often been used in place of family names, or as middle names. This article explains how patronymics were used in the 1600s in The Netherlands:   

• http://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/nn/pat.shtml

Dutch Genealogy DVDs

Alas, the links to the websites selling the Genealogy of South Holland DVD with batisms in South Holalnd have become obsolete.