Question on Name
sprmn13	I was interested in finding out if my surname, Ronaasen, is a family or a farm name. If someone could help that would be great. Thanks
jwiborg	Hi, one of the first things to check out would be the online Norwegian censuses, from the years 1801, 1865 and 1900. They can be found at [url="http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/"]Digitalarkivet[/url]. The only Ronaasen I found, was a family in Grue, Hedmark county in 1900: [url="http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=f00423.wc2&variabel=0&postnr=1245&fulle=true&spraak=e"]Click here[/url]. This could be the same Arne O. in the 1865-census: [url="http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=f60423&variabel=0&postnr=1262&fulle=true&spraak=e"]Click here[/url] His fathers name is then spelled Ranaasen. Jan
NancyC	Your surname would be spelled Rønaasen or Rønåsen in Norwegian. It is a farm name and is found in several places in Norway, among others in Akershus, the county north of Oslo. Norwegians traditionally used their farm name as a kind of surname, and the surname would change if they moved to a new farm. Nancy
NancyC	Yes, then name Rønåsen (this spelling is most common there) is also found in Grue, Hedmark. Nancy