Netherlands - Birth - 1550-1810

This article outlines research strategies to find a birth in the Netherlands between about 1550 and 1810. It starts with the most likely source and is arranged in order of decreasing likeliness.

Parish Register, Baptism, 1500-1874: Church records
Beginning about 1550, churches required their clergy to keep baptism records. The records give the names of the parents and the child and include baptism dates. They may include birth dates. Information may be recorded on or after the date of birth. Information found in a baptism record depends on how detailed the minister made his record.

Where to find
See the Netherlands Church Records article. 99% of Netherlands church records are online.

Why go to the next record
The date baptism registers began can be much later than 1550, sometimes as late as 1750. Some records have been completely lost

Parish Register, Marriage: Church records
Beginning about 1550, churches required their clergy to keep marriage records. The marriage record may include the dates of the marriage intention and the marriage banns or proclamations. Information found in a marriage record depends on how detailed the minister made his record. Usually it gives the name of the bride and groom and their birthplace or residence. It may also give their ages or dates of birth. Even without an age on the record you can estimate that a bachelor was in his late twenties and a spinster in her mid twenties.

Where to find
See the Netherlands Church Records article. 99% of Netherlands church records are online.

Why go to the next record
The date marriage records began can be much later than 1550, sometimes as late as 1750. Some records have been completely lost.

Burial Record: Church records
Beginning about 1550, churches required their clergy to keep burial records. The burial record may include death dates. Information found in a burial record depends on how detailed the minister made his record.

What you are looking for
When parish marriage records do not exist, parish burial records are the best source for determining when a person was born. Burial records do not give a birth or christening date, but they may give a person's age, making it possible to determine his or her approximate birth year.

Why go to the next record
Not all burial records have been microfilmed, and the beginning date of these records varies from place to place.

Civil Death: Public records
Death records were kept by the town in which an ancestor lived. The records were not kept with any consistency or regularity until 1806. Information found in a death record depends on how detailed the registrar made his record. Records after 1806 contain ages, which you can use to approximate a year of birth.

What you are looking for
When parish burial records do not exist, civil death records are the best source for determining when a person was born. Death records do not give a birth date, but they give a person's age, making it possible to determine his or her approximate birth year.

Why go to the next record
Not all death records have been microfilmed, and the beginning date of these records varies from place to place.

Confirmation Record: Church records
Confirmation records give the name of the child and sometimes the name of one or both parents. Occasionally the age or date of birth of the child is also given. If not, a birth year may be calculated from the year of confirmation. These records may not begin the same year for every parish.

What you are looking for
Children were confirmed members of their church between the ages of 12 and 20. If the civil death records do not exist, confirmation records are the best source for determining when a person was born. Confirmation records may not give a birth or christening date, but sometimes they give a person's age, making it possible to determine his or her approximate birth year.

Why go to the next record
Not all confirmation records have been microfilmed, and the beginning date of these records varies from place to place.

Civil Marriage: Public records
As of 1 March 1811, the government required civil registrars to keep marriage records. These records included more information than the earlier church marriage records.

What you are looking for
People who were not members of the state church were required to be married by either a Dutch Reformed minister or a civil magistrate. Couples were married when they were in their twenties and thirties. Second and third marriages may have occurred anytime after that. If confirmation records do not exist, civil marriage records are the best source for determining when a person was born. Civil marriage records do not give a birth date, but they may give the age of the bride and groom, making it possible to determine his or her approximate birth year.

Why go to the next record
Not all civil marriage records have been microfilmed, and the beginning date of these records varies from place to place.

Census: Census
Census or population records were not kept with any consistency or regularity before 1850. If an age is given, use the records to estimate a person's birth date. After 1850, birth dates and places are given. The records can also help identify all the members of a family and help determine where a family originated.

What you are looking for
When civil marriage records do not exist, census records are the best source for determining when a person was born. Census records will either give a birth date or a person's age, making it possible to determine his or her approximate birth year.

Why go to the next record
Not all census records have been microfilmed, and the beginning date of these records varies from place to place.

Orphans Court Records: Guardianship
Orphans' Court records provide information about the birth, marriage, and death of an individual. They can also help identify all the members of a family.

What you are looking for
When census records do not exist, Orphans' Court records are the best source for determining when a person was born. Orphans' Court records may not give a birth date, but sometimes they give a person's age, making it possible to determine his or her approximate birth year.

Why go to the next record
Not all Orphans' Court records have been microfilmed, and the beginning date of these records varies from place to place.

Probates: Court records
Probate records provide information about the birth, marriage, and death of an individual. They can also help identify all the members of a family.

What you are looking for
When Orphans' Court records do not exist, probate records are the best source for determining when a person was born. Probate records were kept by courts and notaries. Probate records may not give a birth or christening date, but sometimes they give a person's age, making it possible to determine his or her approximate birth year.

Why go to the next record
Not all probate records have been microfilmed, and the beginning date of these records varies from place to place.

Probates: Notarial records
Probate records provide information about the birth, marriage, and death of an individual. They can also help identify all the members of a family.

What you are looking for
When probate records created by courts do not exist, probate records created by notaries are the best source for determining when a person was born. Probate records may not give a birth or christening date, but sometimes they give a person's age, making it possible to determine his or her approximate birth year.

Why go to the next record
Not all probate records have been microfilmed, and the beginning date of these records varies from place to place.

Marriage Contract: Court records
Marriage contracts give the name of the bride and groom and frequently the names of the parents. Couples were usually married a few days after a marriage contract was created.

What you are looking for
When probate records created by notaries do not exist, marriage contracts are the best source for determining when a person was born. Marriage contracts were recorded by courts and notaries. Couples were married when they were in their twenties and thirties. Second and third marriages may have occurred anytime after that. Marriage contracts may not give a birth or christening date, but they can be used to estimate a person's age, making it possible to determine his or her approximate birth year.

Why go to the next record
Not all marriage contracts have been microfilmed, and the beginning date of these records varies from place to place.

Marriage Contract: Notarial records
Marriage contracts give the name of the bride and groom and frequently the names of the parents. Couples were usually married a few days after a marriage contract was created.

What you are looking for
When marriage contracts created by courts do not exist, marriage contracts created by notaries are the best source for determining when a person was born. Couples were married when they were in their twenties and thirties. Second and third marriages may have occurred anytime after that. Marriage contracts may not give a birth or christening date, but they can be used to estimate a person's age, making it possible to determine his or her approximate birth year.

Why go to the next record
Not all marriage contracts have been microfilmed, and the beginning date of these records varies from place to place.

Citizenship Record: Naturalization and citizenship
Citizenship records were kept by the town in which an ancestor lived. These records provide an ancestor's occupation, age or date of birth, and sometimes names of the parents or spouse.

What you are looking for
When marriage contracts created by notaries do not exist, citizenship records are the best source for determining when a person was born. Citizenship records may not give a birth or christening date, but sometimes they give a person's age, making it possible to determine his or her approximate birth year.

Why go to the next record
Not all citizenship records have been microfilmed, and the beginning date of these records varies from place to place.

Service Record: Military records
Military records after 1700 provide the date and place of birth of every male that served in the military. The name of the father and his occupation may also be given.

What you are looking for
When citizenship records do not exist, military records are the best source for determining when a male person was born. Military records will usually give a birth date or a person's age, making it possible to determine his approximate birth year.

Why go to the next record
Not all military records have been microfilmed, and the beginning date of these records varies from place to place.