NORWEGIAN-AMERICAN SURNAMES IN TRANSITION 159 people from other dialect sections of Norway. Visitors and new members are always welcome. These examples illustrate several typical features of Norwegian immigrant names found in the USA. When Norway itself was liberated from Nazi Germany in 1945, relatively few Norwegian Americans under the age of 40 still spoke Norwegian as their primary language (although many still understood the language). But names with double a would seem strange in English in any case. From a farm name Hustveit several places. Yen.com.gh has provided a list of the most popular Japanese female names as well. From a farm name Hilton in Ullensaker in Akershus. From the farm name Sævareid in Etne in Hordaland. 25 places. From a farm name Vangsnes in Vik in Sogn. Ueland: Eric M. Ueland, b. I… But in other cases, there is only one place in Norway where you will find certain names. The ultimate A-Z Norwegian names list, complete with name meanings, origins and background info for all Norwegian baby names. Oppdatert 07.01.2020. They had a given name (Anna, Knut), which was their actual name, and a patronymic, which consisted of the father’s name and the suffix son/sen (English son) as in Knut Andersen or dotter/datter (English daughter) as in Anna Larsdatter. During the 1880s the siblings Lena, Nils, and Tormod emigrated from Helland, where they had lived for a few years on the farm where their mother Ambjørg Tormodsdatter grew up. Reading circles encouraged people to read Norwegian novels in the original, drama groups performed plays in Norwegian, and a good many novels and non-fiction books were published in Norwegian. Surnames During the Immigration Period "Bjug Aanondson," he replied. Aus: Gunvald 1851-1950, engineer, founded the Gunvald Aus Company in New York City. If you have a Norwegian last name, you find it a little difficult to trace your family history back further than a few generations. Sometimes the genitive form of the father's name is used before adding the suffix. They had lived at Kløv for only nine years. Browse an interactive list of Norwegian baby Boy names with their real meanings and religion. The result of 10 years of research and 30 consulting editors While at Luther College, President Lauritz Larsen asked Harstad his name. The surnames Lar(s)son, Nelson, and Ol(s)son are the most common among Scandinavian Americans, but it is difficult to determine whether the bearer is of Norwegian, Danish, or Swedish descent. Behind common American patronymics may be the name of a Norwegian father. When asked about his name, Bjug gave his first name, which is his “real” name, and the patronymic, which tells the name of his father. Gradually, society was becoming more organized with a growing bureaucracy, which put demands on a more dependable system for identifying its citizens, but it wasn’t until 1923 that the Norwegian Parliament, Stortinget, passed a law requiring all Norwegians to take a set surname or family name. 1965 in Oregon. This name provided information as to whose daughter or son the person was. Other than their unique pronunciations, the monikers also embody a rich sense of meaning behind it. (Out of print) Book U. Palestine Gazette (15,142 surnames). When Norwegian families immigrated to America in the 19th century, they were inconsistent in their use of surnames. FamilyEducation does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. From a farm name Vevle in Vang in Valdres. But the descendants of Synneva Knutsdatter and Jone Hadlesen, who left the area with their three children the same year, took the patronymic Johnson in America, based on the name of their father Jone. References: Coleman, Nancy L. and Olav Veka: A Handbook of Scandinavian Names. Although accounts of the expedition were well-known for centuries, they weren’t archaeologically proven until the 1960s. Boy Danish,German,Norwegian,Swedish What does it tell you about your lineage?From the editor of the highly acclaimed Dictionary of Surnames comes the most extensive compilation of surnames in America. See the map below for numbers of Norwegian Americans living in the various states and provinces. Anna is the daughter of Lars and lives on the farm Helland. It is interesting that Ola chose the name Guggedal when he settled in America, a name that is almost unpronounceable in English. The former refers to the male gender, while the latter refers to females. Guggedal was adapted to Gudgdal, but his sons chose the patronymic Olson/Oleson, based on the name of their father. Haaland: Debra (Deb) Anne, born 1960, a member of the US House of Representatives from New Mexico, one of the first two Native American members of the U.S. Congress. Special Norwegian Letters Sometimes the double a was preserved: Rølvaag became Rolvaag, and ØdegÃ¥rd could be either Odegard or Odegaard.Names with the element Ås or Aas might be written Oas, Aus or Awes, Åssved as Aaosved, and Åsheim as Oasheim. In 1850 Tron Jacobsen and his wife Henrikke Henriksdatter and their five children, who lived on a farm named Buringrud, packed up their belongings and immigrated to Iowa. Furuseth was active in the formation of two influential maritime unions: the Sailors' Union of the Pacific and the International Seamen's Union, and served as the executive of both for decades. Æ, æ: Sæther was written Setter or Sather, Sæbø became Sabo(e) or Sebby, Skjæveland became Sheveland, and Sævareid was written Sevareid. Photo: Lisa WiltseSource: Getty Images. First element of uncertain origin, possibly an unattested word for ‘wide, broad’ about a lake, or derived from uv ‘barren, poor’ about the soil. Eide: Elling 1935-2012, scholar of Chinese poetry who founded The Elling Eide Center in Florida, the greatest library of Chinese literature in the US. This is the case with Buringrud, Fisketjøn (Fisketjon), Guggedal (Gudgdal), Hagland, Mundal (Mondale), Rokne (Rockne), and Tufteskog. Initially, most of the surnames ended in a definite structure with a prefix -son, -sen, -dotter, or -datter. Bob Fosse's family came from Voss in Hordaland. The former refers to the male gender, while the latter refers to females. Farm Names Borlaug: Norman Ernest 1914 â€“ 2009, American agronomist who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970. C. Blegen, Norwegian Migration to America, II The American Transition (Northfield, Minn., 1940). Johnson may come from Jonsen, Johnsen, Jonesen, Johansen, or Johannesen. ). The University of Wisconsin Press, 2010. Choosing a name may seem like the most challenging thing to do, but with multiple options above, there is no need to worry. In these states communities were established that could be termed rural ghettos of Norwegian immigrants. Except for the bourgeoisie in the cities and some civil servant families, almost all Norwegians were Mondale: Walter, born 1928, politician from Minnesota, Vice-President of the USA 1977-81. Loken: Kristanna, born 1979, actress from New York State. Norstad: Lauris (1907-1988), born in Minnesota. Ola had come to Helland from the Guggedal farm further up the valley. Samson was born on the Slogvik farm, and when he emigrated, he was working at the coppar mines at Karmøy. Since very many Norwegian immigrants settled in rural communities together with friends and neighbors from back home, they could use a surname in a Norwegian form: Buringrud, Elvrum, Ildjarnstad, Kaupang, Liabraten, Musgjerd. In this post, MomJunction puts together 100 Norwegian surnames or last names along with their interesting and fascinating meanings. In 1862 another family left the small farm Træ (Hellandstrædet) at Helland after having lived there for fifteen years: Siri Oddsdatter and Ola Paulsen with their six children. You'll be spoilt for choice. Norwegian last names are some of the best monikers to consider for your adorable baby. Tightly Knit Rural Communities If the individual lived on a farm, the name of the farm was added to the two previous names, more like an address than a surname. That's because before 1923, the most common last names in Norway ended in -son, -sen, -dotter, or -datter, which mean "son of" or … This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Translated by Nancy L. Coleman Norwegian names are names that remain popular in Norway since the Viking Age. Scandinavia is usually considered as a middle ground region bordering Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. Since then, Ancestors from Norway has grown to over one hundred separate web pages, and now contains several original articles on how to trace your Norwegian ancestors, as well as numerous links to genealogy-related web sites in Norway and the U.S. He did not have a set surname at this time. From the farm name in Nes in Ringsaker in Hedmark. Ol(s)son may come from Swedish Olsson or an Americanized form of Norwegian or Danish Olsen . In 1861 Marta Osmundsdatter and Hans Jonesen and their five children left the small farm named Kløv at Helland to start a new life in America. We are based in Minnesota and hold most of our meetings in South Saint Paul. Names Peculiar to Norway Ueland was a member of Donald Trump's transition team. Check it out! Thompson may come from Torsen, Torbjørnsen, or Torgersen. Ol(s)son may come from Swedish Olsson or an Americanized form of Norwegian or Danish Olsen. From a farm name Klemetsrud in Eastern Norway (Austlandet). From the farm name Roverud near Halden in Østfold. Another change might be to shorten a name that was found too long: Roverud to Rove, Værholm to Holm, Klevstadberget to Berg, LiabrÃ¥ten to Braten, Sigmundstad to Sigmond. Å, Ã¥, Aa, aa: Since the letter Ã¥ was not introduced to replace aa before 1917, it was rarely found in the spellings of immigrant surnames. Many immigrants chose as a surname the name of the farm they had left (Helland), even though they might not have lived there more than a few years. Generally speaking, the more recently an immigrant has come to America, the more likely it is that the surname has been kept as close to the original form as possible. From a farm name Hegg in Lier, Buskerud. By this time, the main immigration period from Norway to America had ended. Sunde: Sarah Cameron, theatrical director in New York City. The surnames Lar(s)son, Nelson, and Ol(s)son are the most common among Scandinavian Americans, but it is difficult to determine whether the bearer is of Norwegian, Danish, or Swedish descent. Norwegian last names are unique and elaborate. All of these family members took the name Helland, even though their connection to this farm was rather remote. Modi- fications and additions accommodate the developments that specifically concern sur- names that are of German … Veblen: Torstein Bunde 1857-1929, Norwegian-American economist and sociologist, famous as a critic of capitalism, his most famous book is The Theory of the Leisure Class. Names ending in sson will normally be originally Swedish, and names with the suffix sen (Larsen, Nielsen, Nilsen, Olsen) will point to a Norwegian or Danish background. Photo: BSIPSource: Getty Images. From the farm name Mundal in Fjærland in Sogn. Check your inbox to be the first to know the hottest news. The spelling Haaland/HÃ¥land reflects the spelling reform of 1917 when aa was replaced by the letter Ã¥, which is used both in Norwegian, Swedish and Danish (a similar spelling reform in Danish in 1948).Â. Heg: Hans Christian 1829 – 1863, American journalist, activist, politician and soldier, best known for leading the Scandinavian 15th Wisconsin Volunteer Regiment in the American Civil War. In this family we thus find people using the farm name and the patronymic in two spelling variations. When emigrants were registered on departure from Norway, and on their entry into America, they needed to have a surname, so immigrants had needed to choose one. It was most prevalent in Cork (3087 households), Wexford (1688), Kilkenny (888). Amble: Michele, born 1956, married name Bachmann. The very first Scandinavians in America were Leif Eriksson and his crew of 35 men and women, who wintered in Newfoundland around the year 1000 AD. Norwegian Surnames in America Dyrenamn Hestenamn Namnestatistikk Namnestudium For skulen Litteratur Aktuelt Aktuelle artiklar Konferansar Lenkjer Velkommen til Norsk namnelag Norsk namnelag (NNL) har til føremål å . After Ireland, Norway is the country that sent the largest percentage of its population to America, and Norwegians were the largest group of immigrants that settled as farmers in the New Country. From the farm name Åkre in Rendalen in Hedmark. Their father, Samson Nilsen, joined them in America in 1898. Interpreting and researching farm surnames can be challenging, but armed with an understanding of their nuances and thanks to the availability of digitized records, you’ll be able to scale what could otherwise easily become a brick wall in your genealogy research. With it comes a wide array of first names and last names that are distinct across the globe. As in the other Nordic countries, the use of primary patronyms (and sometimes matronyms) instead of surnames was common in Norway until hereditary surnames became mandatory in 1923. The choice of name could vary a great deal within a family, and it could also be changed during the first decades in the new country. Map from article ”Norwegian Canadian” at Wikipedia. The spelling of some names has undergone minor changes in order to approximate the Norwegian pronunciation in English. Represented Minnesota in the House 2007-2015. Norwegian emigrants from the Åsum farm in the traditional district of Vinger (Hedmark, Norway) adopted the Anglicized spelling ‘Awsumb’ after arriving in North America in the 19th and 20th Centuries. From a farm name Tveit several places. "But what farm did you come from in Norway?" Among the gentry during the 1800s, it had become customary to have a set surname. Norwegian last names are unique and elaborate. But a name thus adjusted would be recognizable even so. However, three letters did have to be changed because they are not found in the English alphabet. Supreme Allied Commander Europe (NATO) 1956-63. Republican, political advisor and government official. Tastad from the farm name Tasta in Stavanger, Rogaland, of unknown origin, probably Tastar in Old Norse. Most Norwegian female names are always as beautiful as the country's forests and mountains. From the farm name Fisketjørn in Suldal in Rogaland. Norwegian Family Names: The most important fact about Norwegian names is that hereditary surnames were not usually used. On the other hand, many of them point to a Scandinavian background. Thus, BrÃ¥stein was changed to Brosten, BrÃ¥ten to Braten, FagerÃ¥s to Fageros, HaukÃ¥s to Hougas, and NybrÃ¥ten to Nybroten. Be the first to get hottest news from our Editor-in-Chief, Check your email and confirm your subscription. He was born in Stange, Norway, as Anders Furuseth and settled in San Fransisco in 1880. Ø, ø: Fisketjøn became Fisketjon, Jørstad became Jorstad, Kjølvik was written Colwick, Lepsø became Lepse, Løvoll became Lovoll, Rølvaag became Rolvaag, SøndenÃ¥ became Sandeno, Ødegaard became Odegaard, Øfstedal became Oefstedal, and Østebø was written Ostebee. The most common Norwegian surnames would include many names which originated as farm names: Bakke/Bakken (hill or rise), Berg/Berge (mountain or hill), Dahl/Dal (valley), Haugen/Haugan (hill or mound), Lie (side of a valley From a farm name Borlaug (Borlo) in Lærdal in Sogn. Tastad: Carolyn, born 1961 in Saskatchewan, Canada. Bureaucracy is such in our day that a person’s identity must be as unique and stable as possible, and these qualities will be necessary to get a passport and other I.D. Photo: Nik TaylorSource: Getty Images. What are the common Norwegian last names? But before we get in into the history of the naming rituals and traditions, let’s take a look at some key words in this field. His grandfather was from Haaland farm on Kvitsøy in Rogaland.