Genealogy
No matter which of the 50+ spellings of the surname Wyckoff you use (Wikoff, Wycoff, Wicoff etc.), it is likely your lineage can be traced to one of Pieter and Grietje’s eleven children. In fact, it is believed that descendants of Pieter and Grietje now number in the tens (if not hundreds) of thousands. Despite some published claims to the contrary, including fanciful suggestions that Pieter Claesen descended from Swedish nobility, there is no documented information regarding either his birth or parentage. The Wyckoff Association’s fact-based history of Pieter starts with his arrival on this continent aboard the Rensselaerwyck in 1637 where he was listed on the passenger list as Pieter Claesen of Norden (located in East Friesland (Frisia), now West Germany). Recent research by M. William Wykoff and others strongly indicates that Pieter may have hailed from a small farming community in East Friesland called Wykhof (from whence he probably chose his surname in accordance with the regional custom at the time).
Genealogical Information
Family Bibles, local courthouses, and the older members of your family are always a good place to start your search, but the Wyckoff Association has decades worth of genealogical submissions, including those found in previously published volumes and CDs, conveniently compiled into one searchable digital drive. The digital family tree genealogy is updated annually with new family members and information you provide. It is now available on a convenient thumb drive which can be ordered in the Museum Store.
Digital Genealogy File ($35)
Genealogy Thumb Drive ($40)
Contact: Please reach out via email: genealogy@wyckoffmuseum.org
What to Share: Help keep our genealogical information current by sending important family events or new family members to the Wyckoff Association. Family events to share with our volunteer genealogist Jason Wyckoff include:
- Births
- Deaths
- Marriages
Please be sure to include dates, places, and sources for events and new information when available. Material for the notes section is an important part of our Wyckoff heritage (otherwise we just have a bunch of names and dates). Additional information might include education, military service, occupation/career, special awards, personal characteristics, interesting events, or places of residence.