Some people did go back to their farm surname when they got older though. Because of this practice, in many Norwegian records a surname is crossed through with another surname written after it in reference to the 1875 law.

How do Norwegian last names work?

Norway. The most common Norwegian surnames were originally patronymic, commonly ending with the suffixes -ssen, -sson, -sdatter, -sdotter which is the genitive s plus the word sen or son for son or datter or dotter for daughter. Surnames derived from placenames commonly originated as farm names.

Why do Norwegians use two first names?

Norwegian records are more likely to contain a consistent local spelling. A person – especially an emigrant – would likely go by several names during their lifetime, having different names for each of the places they had lived. When choosing ones name in America, simplicity was a key attribute.

How do Scandinavian surnames work?

The patronymic naming system was used in all of Scandinavia. That means a Scandinavians family name was formed by taking the first name of the natural father and adding sen, son, sson, søn, datter, dotter, or dottir to it. They carried their maiden surname throughout their life in the records.

Is it weird to have two last names?

The use of double surnames is legal but not customary. Children traditionally take on their fathers surname (or, more recently, optionally their mothers).

When did Norway stop using Patronymics?

The practice of changing surnames with each generation was generally phased out by the mid-1800s. At that time, the patronymic surnames stayed the same from generation to generation. During the same time periods we also see the use of other identifying surnames, including place names and occupations.

How did Vikings name their daughters?

Viking parents named their children after a deceased relative, preferably a direct ancestor such as a grandparent or great-grandparent. If an honored ancestor had a common name, then the ancestors byname or nickname would also be given to the child.

What does Lund mean in Norwegian?

grove From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Lund is a common surname, principally of Danish, Swedish, Norwegian and English origin. As a common noun lund means grove in all North Germanic languages.

Are names ending in son Viking?

Experts say surnames can give an indication of a possible Viking heritage in your family, with surnames ending in son or sen likely to be a big sign.

Is son Swedish or Norwegian?

The answer is: Swedish still spells and pronounces it with an -o-, and still spells it -son. The Danes reduced the -o- to an uh sound, and so they spell it -sen; the Norwegians tend to follow Danish spelling, since theyd been part of the Danish realm for centuries.