The family Wijngaard has its roots in the province of Friesland, region Wymbritseradeel, in the north of the Netherlands. In the year 1875 Sytse Wijngaard moved from Friesland to Amsterdam, to find work and probably a better living. Many Frisian people did that in these days. His first house in Amsterdam still exist, it's in the Dolle Begijnensteeg. He later moved on to the Jordaan, a really working-class quarter of Amsterdam. He did run a lodging house over there. Sytse Wijngaard is an ancestor of the database owner Peter Wijngaard.
However, a part of the family stayed in Friesland, until now. They lived in Bolsward, Heeg, Achlum and Arum. For an impression how they lived at the beginning of the 20th century, see the postcard collection.

Sytse Wijngaard was born in Workum. The family Wijngaard lived there, and in the hamlet Nijhuizum near by for several centuries. Thanks to the research of mr. Bonnema, the oldest Wijngaard known until now is Jan Doekes, born about 1595 in Bozum. A lot of Frisian descendants of Jan are mentioned in the database like the Bonnema's, the Attema's, de Boer and Couperus.
Still a mystery is the choice of the name Wijngaard, by Jan Doekes in 1811. It is not a common Frisian name although the name Wijngaarden was often chosen as surname. Sources can be the small Frisian settlement Sint Jacobiparochie which in former days was named Wijngaarden (after the place where the inhabitants came from), or the region Wijngaarden (near Langezwaag, Friesland).

Via the marriage of Sybren Wijngaard (son of Sytse Wijngaard) with Helena Jansen, the family Wijngaard is related to the Hermsen family, a large family living in the United States of America. Also a link to Germany (families Niemeijer and Brinkel) is found via Helena.

 To the ahnentafel of Wijngaard.