A Dutch genealogy dictionary

Understanding Dutch genealogy resources

Reading Dutch records is a skill that you can learn, even if you don’t speak Dutch. The form of Dutch records from the civil register is relatively constant. With practice, patience, perseverance, and a good dictionary, you can understand most records, even though you won’t be able to understand every word. Other sources, such as church books and the population register, are mere lists of names, dates and places – with just a few Dutch words, you can understand what it is all about.

The aim of this dictionary is to help you understand Dutch registers. All words and phrases listed below are taken from major Dutch genealogy resources, such as civil register records, population registers and church books. Many of these phrases are archaic – this list is not meant to help you with conversational Dutch!

For more information on the main sources for Dutch genealogy research, see my article Sources for Dutch genealogy research.

Dictionary

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

7ber, 7bris	September
8ber, 8bris	October
9ber, 9bris	November
10ber, 10bris	December

A

Aangever	Declarant, informer
Aangifte	Notification, declaration
Aanmerking	Remark
Acht	Eight (8)
Achttien	Eightteen (18)
Afgevoerd	Removed
Afkondiging	Announcement
Agt	Eight (8)
Agttien	Eightteen (18)
Akte	Act
Aldaar	There, In that place
Alhier	Here, In this place
Ambt	Occupation
Ambtenaar van de Burgerlijke Stand	Registrar
April	April
Arrondissement	(Court) district
Attestatie	Document proving church membership, usually provided by the church when someone moved to another town
Augustus	August
Avond	Evening (des avonds, in the evening)

B

Begraafregister	Register of funerals
Beide, Beyde, Beiden	Both
Belijdenis des geloofs	Creed, Confirmation
Beroep	Occupation
Bevolkingsregister	Population register
Bloeimaand	May
Bruid	Bride
Bruidegom	Groom
Burgerlijke staat	Civil state
Burgerlijke stand	Civil register

C

Comparant	Comparant, Appearer, Party
Compareren	Appear (compareerden voor ons, appeared before us; zijn voor ons gecompareerd, have appeared before us)

D

Dagtekening	Date
Datum	Date
December	December
Dertien	Thirteen (13)
Dertig	Thirty (30)
Dewelke	Which, Who (dewelke heeft verklaard, who has declared)
Dezer	Of this, Of this month (den tweeden dezer, the second of this month)
Dezes jaars	Of this year
Dienstbode	Maidservant
Dinsdag	Tuesday
Dochter, Dogter	Daughter
Domicilie	Residence
Donderdag	Thursday
Doop	Baptism
Doopboek	Book of baptisms
Drie	Three (3)
Duizend	Thousand (1000)

E

Echtgeno(o)t(e)	Spouse
Eén	One (1)
Elf	Eleven (11)

F

Familie	Family, Extended family
Familienaam	Surname, Family name
Familienaam der vrouw	Maiden name of the wife
Februari	February

G

Geboorte	Birth
Geboorteplaats	Place of birth
Geboortig van	Born in
Geboren	Born
Gecompareerd	see Compareren
Gedoopt	Baptized
Gehuwd	Married
Geloofsbelijdenis	Creed, Confirmation
Gemeente	Municipality (binnen deze gemeente, in this municipality)
Gemeenteveldwachter	Policeman, Constable (employed by the municipality, with only local competency)
Gereformeerd	Reformed (zijnde van de gereformeerde Religie, Dutch Reformed, litt. being of the reformed religion)
Gescheiden	Divorced
Geschieden	Happen (is geschied, has happened)
Geslacht	Gender, Lineage
Geslachtsnaam	Surname
Gete(e)kend	Signed
Getuige	Witness
Geven	Give
Geweest	Been (is geweest, has been)
Gezin	Family, Household
Gezinshoofd	Head of the family
Grasmaand	April

H

Haar	Her
Half	Half. When followed by a number, half an hour before the hour: Half twaalf (litt. half twelve) is half past eleven.
Heden	Today
Herfstmaand	September
Honderd	Hundred (100)
Hoofd	Head
Hooimaand	July
Huis	House
Huis der gemeente	Town hall
Huisvrouw	Housewife, Wife
Huwelijk	Marriage
Huwelijk ontbonden	Marriage dissolved

I

Inboorling	Native
Inschrijving	Registration
IXber, IXbris	November

J

Jaar	Year (plural Jaren, Jaaren)
Januari	January
Jaren	Years
J.D.	Jongedochter
J.M.	Jongeman
Jongedochter	Unmarried woman
Jongeman	Unmarried man
Juli	July
Juni	June

K

Kerkgenootschap	Religion
Kind	Child
Kleermaker	Tailor
Koopman	Merchant

L

Leeftijd	Age
Lentemaand	March
Levenloos, Leevenloos	Lifeless (levenloos geboren, stillborn)
Lijkbezorger	Undertaker
Louwmaand	January

M

Maand	Month
Maandag	Monday
Maart	March
Mannelijk	Male
Meerderjarig	Of age (cf. Minderjarig)
Mei	May
Metselaar	Bricklayer, Mason
Middag	Noon, Afternoon (des middags, at noon)
Minderjarig	Minor, Under age (cf. Meerderjarig)
Moeder	Mother
Morgen	Morning, Tomorrow (des morgens, in the morning)

N

Naam	Name
Namiddag	Afternoon, P.M. (des namiddags, in the afternoon, p.m.)
Negen	Nine (9)
Negentien	Nineteen (19)
Negentig	Ninety (90)
Nevens	Beside
November	November
Nommer	Number
Numero	Number
Nummer	Number

O

Obiit	He/she died (Latin)
Ochtend	Morning (des ochtends, in the morning)
October	October
Ondertekenen	Sign (ondertekend, or onderteekend, signed)
Onecht, Onegt	Ilegitimate (in onegt geboren, born out of wedlock)
Ontbinden	Dissolve
Ontbonden	Dissolved
Oogstmaand	August
Openbaar	Public (in het openbaar, in public)
Opgemaakt	Made up (waarvan deze akte is opgemaakt, of which this act is made up)
Opmerking	Remark
Oud	Old, Age (oud 53 jaaren, aged 53 years)
Ouder(s)	Parent(s)
Overleden	Died, Deceased
Overlijden	Death

P

Provincie, Provintie

Province

Q

R

Raadhuis	Town hall
Rijksveldwachter	Policeman, Constable (employed by the national government)
Roomsch	Roman Catholic (zijnde van de Roomsche Religie, Roman Catholic, litt. being of the Roman religion)

S

Scheiding	Divorce
Schilder	Painter
September	September
Slachtmaand	November
Sprokkelmaand	February
Staande	Standing, Located
Stiefdochter	Stepdaughter
Stiefzoon	Stepson

T

Tachtig	Eighty (80)
Tagtig	Eighty (80)
Tegenwoordig	Present
Tegenwoordigheid	Presence (in tegenwoordigheid van, in presence of)
Ten .. ure, Ten .. uur	o’clock (ten negen ure, nine o’clock)
Tien	Ten (10)
Timmerman	Carpenter
Toeziend voogd	Co-guardian
Twaalf	Twelve (12)
Twee	Two (2)
Twintig	Twenty (20)

U

Uur	Hour, o’clock (ten negen ure, nine o’clock)

V

Vader	Father
Veertien	Fourteen (14)
Veertig	Forty (40)
Veldwachter	Policeman, Constable
Verhindering	Hindrance, Impediment
Verklaard	Declared
Verklaring	Declaration
Verschenen	Appeared, Attended, Made an appearance
Vertrokken	Left
Vier	Four (4)
VIIber, VIIbris	September
VIIIber, VIIIbris	October
Vijf	Five (5)
Vijftien	Fifteen (15)
Vijftig	Fifty (50)
Voldoen	Comply
Voldoen aan de Nationale Militie	Comply with his obligations with regards to the military conscription
Volgnummer	Number, Serial number
Voltrekking (van hun huwelijk)	Solemnization (of their marrage)
Voluit geschreven	Written in full, not abbreviated
Voogd	Guardian
Voorlezing	Reading out (aloud) (na gedane voorlezing, after reading out)
Voormelde	Aforementioned
Voormiddag	Morning, A.M. (des voormiddags, in the morning, a.m.)
Voornaam	First name, Given name
Vorig(e)	Previous
Vreemdeling	Foreigner
Vrijdag	Friday
Vrouw	Woman, Wife
Vrouwelijk	Female

W

Weduwe	Widow
Weduwnaar	Widower
Welke	Which, Who (welke heeft verklaard, who has declared)
Wethouder	Alderman
Wijk	District (of a town or city)
Wijnmaand	October
Wintermaand	December
Woensdag	Wednesday
Wonende alhier	Resident of this place
Wonende te	Living in, Residents of
Woning	House, Housing, Dwelling
Woonplaats	Place of residence

X

Xber, Xbris

December

Y

Z

Zaterdag	Saturday
Zes	Six (6)
Zestien	Sixteen (16)
Zestig	Sixty (60)
Zeven	Seven (7)
Zeventien	Seventeen (17)
Zeventig	Seventy (70)
Zijn(e)	His
Zomermaand	June
Zondag	Sunday
Zonder	Without (zonder beroep, without occupation)
Zoon	Son

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z