Netherlands Births and Baptisms - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
This index covers events from 1564 through 1910.

Record Description
This index is an electronic database of information compiled from a variety of sources including the following:


 * Family Records
 * Church Records
 * Civil Registration

This index is not complete for any particular place or region.

Record Content
The key genealogical facts found in birth or baptism index entries may include:


 * Name of the child
 * Gender
 * Names of the parents
 * Birth date
 * Birthplace
 * Baptism date (if the source is a church record)
 * Family History Library Microfilm and item numbers for the source materials

How to Use the Record
Use this index to help you learn more about your ancestors. The information could help you identify family relationships and lineages as well as direct you to original records of your ancestors, which may contain additional information.

In birth or christening records, if a surname is not listed for the child, the indexer often assigns the father’s surname to the child. This surname may not be correct. So if you are looking for a birth or christening, search by the given name of the child, adding parents' names and as much locality information as is permitted.

Finding the Original Source for an Entry in This Collection
Each entry in this index has a source listed which includes a batch number. You will need to trace the batch number for the individual entry to learn its source. Please see the following wiki articles for more information on batch numbers:


 * IGI
 * IGI Batch Number Descriptions

If an FHL film number is given in the entry for your ancestor, search for it in the Family History Library Catalog.

Record History
For over 30 years, volunteer indexers extracted this information from microfilm copies of the original records. In 2001, some of the entries were published on 1 CD by the Family History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the "Western Europe Vital Records Index: Netherlands." This is an index of some births or baptisms throughout the Netherlands. The index is not necessarily complete for any particular place or region. Some of this information is also found in the International Genealogical Index (IGI).

Why This Record Was Created
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sponsored the indexing of this collection to help individuals find information about their ancestors.

Record Reliability
Church records and civil registration were official records and are some of the most reliable sources of information available for those who were born, married, or died in the Netherlands.

Related Web Sites
There is a site called Genlias which is a compilation of indexed records from the Netherlands, including some from Dutch colonies, mostly dating from 1811 until the mid-1900s. It can be found at http://www.genlias.nl/nl/page0.jsp

It is in Dutch, but with an option to view and search in English. While it is not complete as yet, it is extensive, with records still being added. Images for many of the indexed records on Genlias can be found in the collections on Familysearch.org.

Related Wiki Articles
Netherlands Vital Records

Sources of Information for This Collection
"Netherlands Births and Baptisms, 1564-1910," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org/). Index entries derived from digital copies of original and compiled records.

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should also list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the Wiki Article: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Examples of Source Citations for a Record in This Collection:
"Netherlands Births and Baptisms, 1564-1910." database and images, FamilySearch accessed March 25. 2011. entry for Judick Pietter Jansen, born 22 November 1657; citing Birth Records, reference p237, FHL film 107994; Index entries derived from digital copies of original and compiled records.