Dutch term – Mannelijke en Vrouwelijke Lijn

In Dutch, the mannelijke lijn is the male line, and the vrouwelijke lijn is the female line.

Traditionally, many Dutch publications have focused on the male line only. Over the past few decades, it has become common to focus on both male and female lines, both in terms of descendants and ancestors. Most Dutch genealogists I know are researching their kwartierstaat, their ancestors in all the lines.

People interested in the female line can join Mamamito, a Belgian research project that compares mitochondrial DNA with the trees.

Kwartierstaat of Jan van de Poll, 1749

Kwartierstaat of Jan van de Poll, 1749. Credits: Rijksmuseum (public domain)

About Yvette Hoitink

Yvette Hoitink, CG®, QG™ is a professional genealogist in the Netherlands. She holds the Certified Genealogist credential from the Board for Certification of Genealogists and has a post-graduate diploma in Family and Local History from the University of Dundee. She has been doing genealogy for over 30 years and helps people from across the world find their ancestors in the Netherlands. Read about Yvette's professional genealogy services.

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