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 two naming conventions questions
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KnudsonFamily
Medium member

USA
186 Posts

Posted - 18/03/2013 :  06:40:00  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
The timeframe I'm dealing with is 1700-1885. I've got two major questions on how to handle names.
    ]
  • dtr vs.datter vs son

  • I've got two issues.
    One is space on an upward chart. Using dtr would save space.
    The other is being able to explain why some are dtr and some datter

    I'd like to consistently use dtr, but need to know if that's OK or I'm I just being a lazy person.
    For example one 2nd great grandmother was recorded as Marte Chrisofersdatter, Marthe Chrisphersdtr and Marte Kristofesdtr and here as Martha Christopherson.

  • Using Norwegian names vs.the American
  • I've got two of the common issues.
    One is standardizing on American's last name scheme. One of my 2nd great grandfather left Norway as Anders Olsen. I've used he AKA feature to record the various names used here (Anders Olson, Anders Anderson, Mr. Shomaker, Andrew Anderson, Anders O. Sinnerid, Andrew Olson. Is best to have his primary name his birth name or what most descendants would use?

    A large group of the women changed there given name. Mathea became Mattie. Aase became Mary. Ingeborg became Emma. What is the best way to handle this?

Mary <><

eibache
Norway Heritage Veteran

Norway
6495 Posts

Posted - 18/03/2013 :  09:06:14  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Using dtr (short for datter) is quite all right. (using Martha Christopherson for the time frame in question would not be advisable).

Using Norwegian names vs the American
Why not stick with the names as used in each country. When variations are found, make your own choice.

Einar
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hasto
Senior member

Norway
294 Posts

Posted - 18/03/2013 :  17:22:10  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
For timeframe 1700-1885 most Norwegian people used patronymics. Kristoffersdtr = Kristoffersdatter, meaning daughter of Kristoffer (a female). Kristoffersen, meaning son of Kristoffer, is a male.

For rural Norwegians I prefer to use both the patronymic and the farm name (where born). Anders Olsen Sinnerid means Anders, son of Ole, from Sinnerid farm. If I should use a software with only one column for surname, I would prefer to use the farm name. That is most informative. The name was the given name. The patronymic and the farm name were facts, added to identify better.

For that timeframe I prefer to standardize also given names. I would use Kristoffer. His name name might also be spelled Kristopher, Kristofer, Krestoffer, Krestopher, Krestofer, Krystopher, Krystopher, Krystofer, Christoffer, Christopher, Christofer, Chrestoffer, Chrestopher, Chrestofer, Chrystoffer, Chrystopher, Chrystofer, and also Xtoffer, Xtopher, Xtofer. The style of spelling was decided by the man with the pen. When a parish got a new pastor, many names might be spelled in a new way.

Mathea/Mattie = different spellings of the same name, Aase became Mary = a change to a new name, Ingeborg became Emma: in my region in Norway that was the same name, Ingeborg in church books, Emma in daily speech (like Robert = Bob)

Harald S Storaker
4586 Korshamn, Norge
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KnudsonFamily
Medium member

USA
186 Posts

Posted - 18/03/2013 :  18:51:39  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Thanks to both.

In the software, I put the farm name under Title Suffix.

Thanks for the explanation on Ingeborg and Emma. I had several that did that switch.
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Kwheaton
New on board

USA
1 Posts

Posted - 26/07/2013 :  15:57:03  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Late to topic but very informative. Does Asloug have a modern equivalent?. My gg-grandmother adopted Elizabeth. is there somewhere that lists Norwegian names and equivalents or nicknames? Many thanks.

Kelly
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hasto
Senior member

Norway
294 Posts

Posted - 26/07/2013 :  20:35:36  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Aslaug is modern Norwegian spelling (pronounced ah-s-low-g). In my region (Agder) old church books used spellings Asloug, Aslou and Aslu.
Norway has no tradition of standard nicknames. In Sweden they have: Lars=Lasse, Nils=Nisse, Bo=Bosse, Karl=Kalle etc.
Ingeborg=Emma is the only Norwegian example I have found. I checked those called Emma in 1910 census in Agder and Telemark. 95 % of them were baptised as Ingeborg.

Harald S Storaker
4586 Korshamn, Norge
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Hopkins
Norway Heritage Veteran

USA
3351 Posts

Posted - 26/07/2013 :  20:44:11  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
No list of equivalents that I've ever heard of. Most emigrants chose a new American name that sounded somewhat similar to the original in Norway or at least started with the same sound. Keep in mind that different parts of Norway often had variant spellings of names also. I've found this to also be true of names chosen in the US, there were often patterns to the names chosen. In northeastern Iowa most women named Ingeborg became Isabel.

In one particular family I've researched that was from the Hardanger area of Norway - Guri became Julia, Ragnhild became Nellie, Kari became Carrie, Sjur became Stewart, and Mikkel became Michael later Mike, but Ole stayed Ole and Johan kept his spelling exactly the same. It was a personal or family choice not governed by any rules.
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