Names in Sweden Throughout History Kerstin Jonmyren
Swedish American Genealogist
Volume 24 | Number 3 Article 13
9-1-2004 Names in Sweden Throughout History Kerstin Jonmyren
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Recommended Citation Jonmyren, Kerstin (2004) "Names in Sweden Throughout History," Swedish American Genealogist: Vol. 24 : No. 3 , Article 13. Available at: https://digitalcommons.augustana.edu/swensonsag/vol24/iss3/13
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Names in Sweden Throughout History
BY KERSTIN JONMYREN
Quite often I get questions from my with only Gustaff or with Gustaff Holmer, Linder, etc. It was rare that research clients about Swedish name Eriksson, because his father was the farmers took family names. They changes. They are confused because nobleman Erik Johansson. He came were described by the people in their they don't understand why and how to be called Vasa during later cen villages using the names of their our names were passed down. turies, long after his death, because farm. It was Sven i Viistergarden or To identify people by their father's his family had a picture of a vase, a Anna i Hultet. On the other hand, for name is not a new idea. There are sheaf, on their coat of arms. a craftsman it could be useful to be examples already in the Bible: Jacob, known by his own family name. The son of Zebedee, and Jacob, son of same would apply for city-dwellers, Alpheus. Foreign influences where there were no places to help At the end of the Viking era, a The Scandinavian countries did not describe someone during a time large number of rune stones were live in isolation. We had active ties when cities were undergoing rapid raised in Sweden; several reasons for with countries on the continent, growth. this have been offered: one of the particularly Germany, where an better suggestions is that the stones other naming practice, family names, Different names in the became a fashion among the more was used, the same system as in powerful farmers to memorialize same family ancient Rome, where children in their families; another that they It was not unusual that one changed herited the family name. denote a deed to the land area. There family names between generations Germans, like the British, often people are sometimes named as son or that siblings took different family had names that described occu or daughter of someone. One ex names. I know of a case from the lat pations: Muller, Meyer, and Schu ample is Ojul, Erik's son, named on ter half of the 1800s where the macher, and Miller, Cooper, and the famous Sparlosa stone. father's name was Olof Cedergren. Mason. After the Viking age, this usage One son was called Olofsson, one solidified; Erik's son became Eriks daughter Olofsdotter, one son Ceder son, Jacob's daughter became Jacobs Old habits change gren, and one son Hoglander. dotter. This naming model is usually Sometime in the mid-1800s, when To begin with, many people with called patronymics and was in Swedish society was changing, our new family names were written in practice in all of the Nordic countries. old naming habits began to change the church records with both the One was given a name at baptism too. Adopting family names had patronymic and surname; Sven Jo and later was identified also by his begun earlier; city-dwellers and hansson Nordin or Erik Svensson or her patronymic, mostly in formal skilled workers had begun doing so Hoglund, but soon they became just and written contexts. This complete in the early 1700s, and from the Sven Nordin or Erik Hoglund. The ly logical naming system lived on middle of the 1800s this custom family name was inherited as a rule unchanged all the way into the 1900s became common even in the country by the children. in many places in our country. In side. principle, patronymics applied to all The names followed a certain Women's names pattern. Some chose nature words people, poor or rich. Our 16th century The wife of the family was written king, known like lind (linden tree), berg (moun in our time as Gustaf with her own surname; either a tain), gren (branch), sjo (lake), and Vasa, was not called that in his time. patronymic or a family name from He signed holm (island), and put them together his documents in various her father. Well into the 1900s the to their liking, such as Berggren, women began to be written with Lindberg, Holmsjo, etc. There were their husbands' surnames, some also other patterns to follow: Oster times with the addition of 'nee gren, Soderlund, Paulin, Berglin, something,' such as "Elisabeth Carls-
Swedish American Genealogist 2004:3 23 son, nee von Malmborg." This might contexts. The custom of the family ner, Oskar, and Valter, and many have indicated that she felt that her name remains, as in the Johansson others. birth family was of a higher social family or the Osterberg family, but When a child was given two or standing than her husband's. upon marriage a Swedish couple to more first names anyone of them The patronymic form -dotter dis day can choose whether each will could be used in daily speech, and appeared during the later part of the keep his or her own surname, or both unless you knew the person, you 1800s and was changed into -son. The will take the man's or woman's name, could not be certain ifhe was known pastors wrote Larsson for Larsdotter or they can even chose a totally new as Per or Johan or Albert, if he was or Andersson for Andersdotter. In third name. If the parents each have baptizedPerJohanAlbert. I can take research in the second half of the different surnames, they can freely an example of this tiresome system 1800s one can never guess which choose which of them the child shall from my own family. My father and surname a child, such as an emi have. But the next child, born of the uncle, born 1898 and 1900, got four grant, would take, and one must find same parents, is to have the same first names each. My father went by that out in each case. Maria, daugh surname as the older sibling. his second name, my uncle, his ter of Lars Svensson, could call her An almost similar name trend has fourth. My mother was called by her self Larsson or Svensson or perhaps happened in all three of the Scandi second of three first names; I myself even Larsdotter. All this shows that navian countries. Iceland has still by the first of three. My sons all go the very old naming system in the kept the logical naming system with by the second of three first names. Nordic countries was completely dis -son and -dotter because foreign im solving by the end of the 1800s. migration has never been especially Out-of-wedlock children big there. There was a large group that was The 1900s always in a jam during the old logical Because of social changes, ordinary The First Names naming system: children born out of people, beginning in the cities, began Beginning in the early 1600s, foreign wedlock, those who had no official to be titled as Mr., Mrs., and Miss. influences showed in that children father. In most cases there is no These titles had earlier been only for could be given two or more first father's name listed in the birth the nobility and were used with first names, as opposed to the single books for illegitimate children, but names: Mrs. Ebba, Mr. Peder, and names used before. This custom quite often they have received a Miss Elin. But around the turn of the began in the upper classes but slowly patronymic as an adult. Evidently 20th century there arose the wholly became very common among coun the pastors approved the name that illogical vocative forms Miss Petters try folk from the 1800s on. To give the child in question stated as an son and Mrs. Gustafsson. First one's children several, often fanciful adult and created a patronymic from names were reserved for private use and romantic names was free and it. In most cases the people in the within the family, and surnames something even poor people were parishes also knew who the fathers became the important ones. Busi allowed. of these children were. nessmen and craftsmen wrote their Earlier the number of Swedish Still there was a group of children names often with just first initials first names was very limited and who had no known father. They could and surname, such as Editor E. A. children often were named after sometimes have their mother's pat Johansson. their paternal or maternal grand ronymic, or make up a new proper parents. In every village there were family name for themself. Some Titles in daily use perhaps no more than 6 or 7 male or times, but rather unusual, is the Various titles, more or less fanciful, female names. If we name Anders, usage of a metronymic, Karinsdotter began to be used as a form of address, Erik, Sven, Nils, Olaf, Johan, and Pe or Stinasson. and it became difficult to know how ter, or Anna, Maria, Lena, Catharina, to address people. Many chose to use Elisabeth, and Christina and their Soldiers' names circumlocutions because it became so parallel forms, we have covered a The military officers did not approve awkward. An example would be that large part of the 16th century's Swe of all the Johanssons and Anders if a neighboring woman was married dish population. This means that sons, etc. They wanted to be able to to a doctor, she would be known as when doing research, one must be separate the enlisted soldiers by doktorinnan, and if you spoke to her very precise when identifying people. names. Thus short and sometimes you would say "Can Mrs. Doctor From the 1800s when people to a strange last names based on differ Larsson please tell me the time?" large extent became literate, they ent attributes were introduced, for As luck would have it, this time of gained access to stories from outside instance: Stark, Modig, and Stolt strange titling did not last long. Now and with that suggestions of new and (English: Strong, Brave, and Proud). in Sweden we are back to first names flowery names. Then came Amanda, Normally a certain last name was as what people go by most and the Augusta, Wilhelmina, Selma, and based on the place from where the last names are used in more formal Laura, as well as Erland, Anton, Ver- soldier came. When a new soldier
24 Swedish American Genealogist 2004:3 enlisted and moved there, he nor Names in the cities children were usually ennobled, as a mally inherited his predecessor's During the latter half of the 1800s token of gratitude for their father's name. If the soldier left the service industrialization began in Sweden. services. Prominent scientists could he often took a new name or kept his Then people were sought at all of the also be ennobled. original one. Soldiers' children nor newly-opened factories, and jobless The world-renowned botanist Carl mally never adopted their fathers' people streamed in from the over Linneaus is an example of the latter. military last names, until during the populated countryside. This hap His origin is an interesting example latter part of the 19th century, when pened despite the living conditions of movement from one social class to the old name customs changed. being significantly worse in the cities another, it is called standscirkulation Let us take an example: in one than in the country: miserable and (circulation between the estates, so place the soldiers were called Stark. crowded dwellings, the water supply cial classes). A young man called Erik Johansson wretched, and sewer and waste re Linnaeus' paternal grandfather enlisted. In the church record he moval non-existent. was a farmer in the 1600s in Vittaryd became noted as the soldier Erik Jo This made for a shorter life span parish in Smaland and was named hansson Stark. After a number of and greater death rate in the cities Ingemar Bengtsson. Because Ing years he left the army. Then he was than in the country, but that was emar had a farm of respectable size just Erik Johansson again or even where the work was. In the cities and was wealthy, his son Nils Inge Erik Hoglund, quite a new name. His there was a greater need to be able marsson could go to Uppsala and children were called Anna Eriks to tell people's names apart, and study to become a pastor. There Nils dotter and Johan Eriksson. During there one began to use family names adopted the latin name Linnaeus, the latter part of the 19th century far earlier than in the countryside, which was, according to legend, they might have kept the surname even if patronymics inspired by a big linden (lind) tree Stark. existed as well. Almost all well-to-do city people such on his father's farm. He then became as merchants and craftsmen adopt Nicolaus lngemari Linnaeus and The Pastors' Names ed family names. These were mostly eventually pastor in Stenbrohult in Many, perhaps most, of our pastors inherited by the children, names like Smaland, which is where his son throughout the centuries came from Lundin, Paulin, Bergstrom, and Carl grew up. When he came to Upp the farmer class, sons from slightly Nordgren. Women kept their in sala to study he called himself Caro larger farms. They left home with herited family names. lus Nicolai Linnaeus. During diligent ordinary names like Erik Persson, Jo work he became famous even inter han Nilsson, or Anders Andersson, Nobility and Carl nationally for his research results, but soon changed their names. A pas and in 1757 he was ennobled by king tor, a man of learning, needed a sur Linneaus Adolf Fredrik. He became Carl von name and it was fitting to have a La The nobility initially began with the Linne, as French type names were tin name. They soon became Ericus same naming practice as the com modern then. From farmer to noble Petri, Johannes Nicolai and Andreas mon folk: first names plus patro man in three generations! Andreae. During the later 1600s they nymics. Increasingly they began to Carl von Linne's only son, Carl, usually added a surname, based on be identified by their coats of arms died at age 42 and was unmarried, their home. There were Angerman to distinguish them. It could be so the noble name von Linne did not n us (from Angermanland), Hel Gumsehuvud, Sparre, and Bielke. survive. His sisters married nobles singius (from Hiilsingland), Cruci After the House of Nobility (Rid and their descendants had family montanus (from Korsberga), Axtelius darhuset) was founded in 1625 by names like Bergencrantz and Duse. (from Axsta). These family names Axel Oxenstierna, there was a rule could be inherited and the daughters that stipulated that every family Kerstin Jonmyren is a profes then went by the feminine form, like should have a proper surname. It sional genealogist, living in Angermannia and Helsingia. But if could be based on their coat of arms, Sweden. Her e-mail is a pastor's son became a pastor he but did not have to be. Many German
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