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NORWEGIAN NAMING CUSTOMS
Sharon Babcock, Family Researcher
A discussion of traditional Norwegian Names and Naming Customs
To help the family researcher reconstruct a family history
I.
Introduction
II.
History
A. Viking Era Influence
Names consisted of two parts, a prefix and a suffix
Children could be named after deceased relative or hero
Or after the Gods or everyday nouns
Nicknames were common, descriptive
B. Christian Influence
1030 A.D. Christianity adopted in Norway
1685 Church records required by law
Only 127 parishes have registers dated before 1700
Church records available on <arkivverket.no>
Use Norse alphabet to search Norwegian records
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How to type foreign alphabets characters:
ALT + 0216
Ø
ALT + 148
ö
ALT + 0248
ø
ALT + 153
Ö
ALT + 0197
Å
ALT + 132
ä
ALT + 0229
å
ALT + 142
Ä
ALT + 0230
æ
ALT + 0198
Æ
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III.
Naming Customs before 1800
Usually only one first name
Second name added to avoid confusion
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IV.
Naming Customs in 19th Century
Traditional patterns followed which honored generations past
Exception patterns can explain life events:
death, property exchange, property rights
Illegitimacy
Naming transitions occurred in late 1800’s to 1900’s
No consistency either in U.S. or in Norway
Old and new patterns often used together
V.
“First” Names “fornavn”
Variations in spelling – regional, changes throughout time
Handout of common Norwegian first names attached
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*NAMING RULES
Paternal
Paternal
Grandfather -------- Grandmother
/
/
/
FATHER
Maternal
Maternal
Grandfather -------- Grandmother
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
------------------------------------------- MOTHER
/
/
/
Son #1
Named for
Paternal Grandfather
Son #2
Named for
Maternal Grandfather
Daughter #1
Daughter #2
Named for
Named for
Paternal Grandmother
Maternal Grandmother
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Additional children would be named after the parents’ grandparents, but
not necessarily following a strict maternal/paternal order.
*From Sons of Norway VIKING, August 2015
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VI.
“Last” Names/Patronymic Names: “etternavn”
Jon, son of Anders: Jon Andersson
Anne, daughter of Anders: Anne Andersdatter
Patronymic names could be dropped in upper classes
1923 in Norway: families had to select one last name by law
-Some took patronymic, others took farm names, some
Used old hereditary names
-In Norway today, old naming customs again being
adopted by women
VII.
Farm Names “Gårdsnavn”
“The name belongs to the farm”
Descriptive of place or area, some hundreds of years old
Used as “third” name
Spellings have changed over the years
Upper class people did not have a farm name to use
Names ending in –stad, -set, -heim, - um, -land, -tveit, -tvedt
are farm names
Examples of farm names for same man:
If Jon Andersson lived on farm called Bakken, he would
be called: Jon Andersson Bakken
If Jon Andersson moved to a farm called Vik, he would be
then called: Jon Andersson Vik
VIII. Immigration Influences
“Americanization” desired
Variations of name usage even within families
People selected one name, then changed their minds
Spelling variables and alphabet letter changes
Norwegian pronunciation difficult for English-speaking census
takers
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ENGLISH SPELLING “SUBSTITUTIONS”
Æ changed to “e”
Å changed to “aa”
Ø changed to “oe”
B=p
C=k
K = gh
LD = ll
Nd = nn
Q=k
D=t
f=v
g=k
l= j
tj = kj
w=v
ch = k
Hj = j
First Names were “Americanized,” often in school:
Examples:
Malena – Molly
Botolf – Butler
Gulbrand – Gilbert
Øystein – Austin
Goro/Guri/Gunhild – Julia
Mari – Marie/Mary
Kari – Carrie
Jens – James
Oline - Lena
Johannes - John
IX.
Discussion
“For every rule, there is an exception!”
Finding farm names
Research example (constructing a family group sheet)
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