[#55871] Choosing which farm name to use for computer entries

[Gjest Marilla Schenk]

When entering Norsk genealogies onto a computer program is it usual to enter the farm name where the person is born as a part of the name or is it more correct to enter the farm name where they have lived for the longest time in their adult life? I assume one doesn't enter just the patronymic unless farm names are unknown as it is the farm name that would connect you more quickly to people researching the same family. When it is a husman living under a bigger farm, for example Nils on Thorud under Bøler, is it more usual to enter the person under the name of Thorud or the bigger farm Bøler? Is there an article somewhere on the net that discusses what you should consider when making a choice when there are different farm names from which one can choose? I have to laugh at myself - after so many years of taking notes on ancestors in so many different parts of Norway here when I finally have time to put it all on computer I can't remember ever seeing such a basic question as this even discussed in all the things I have read. If you can refer me to general guidelines I would be glad to read about this. Are there certain softwear programs that work better with the Norwegian naming system than others? Thank you, Marilla Schenk

[Gjest Egil H Thomassen]

No one seems to answer this interesting question, so I will give it a try. I have not seen an article either giving an answer to your problem. Norwegian genealogy books (ex: Stoa and Sandberg: 'Våre røtter') simply says 'The third name told where the person lived'.I entered the name where the person was born when I first listed my ancestors, but I found that insufficient. In particular when his children were entered in the church registers under other farm names. To-day I list all farm names, such telling the 'life story' of the person.Example: Ole Olsen Bakkerud (arrow) Solberg (arrow) Orholt (arrow) etc.Husmenn I enter after the local practice, such as Thorud u.Bøler or Bøler-eie(Thorud).I use the Stradonitz' number system and no computer program. But I think it must be possible to find a computer system that accept more than one third name.

[Gjest Terje Sande]

http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/sab/howto.htmlYou will find a section in there describing naming conventions.

[Gjest Tor L. Larsen]

In my opinion and work the farm name given in each entry is treated as the address at that point of the person´s life, and not as a name, in most cases from the 19th century and older.But if one Ole Olsen Dal is living on a farm by another name, the Dal must be reckoned as his real last name.I have seen a case where a person moved from something like Gjermundsdal (or whatever) to another parish far away, and simplified and used merely Dahl.(When we write place-names today we do not use that -h-, which was the old Danish or D-influenced spelling, but the family names almost always have kept the h.)

[Gjest Marilla Schenk]

Thank you for replying Egil, Terje and Tor.When I see a genealogy on the net from one of my ancestral areas I always turn first to the surname index as the fastest way to find out if I might have ancestors in common. What has seemed to me to be the case is that for women the surname (farm name used)in the index is often the farm they were born on (which may or may not be the same as their farm name when they married?) whereas for the men it is perhaps more often the farm name where they lived for the longest time.Then if you click on that man it will certainly tell the farm name of his birth (if the author knows that) but the individual is usually not listed under that birth farm name in the index. Even if they list several farm names in his life it is usually only one - the last one entered as 'his name' that will be in the index. When my husband brought home Family Tree Maker yesterday I wondered if there were general Norsk guidelines somewhere.I agree wholeheartedly with you, Egil, that the ideal is to have all the farm names listed because the whole idea is indeed to tell the ancestor's story, not just fit him into some precut pattern. It never occurred to me to try it without a software program as you have managed to do! Here the programs are English ones set up with single continuing surnames in mind. Since all of my ancestors are Norwegian as are many of my husband's, I could see choices have to be made to make my Norwegians fit into this program. Typing it into a program is not nearly so much fun as the thrill of the hunt (trying to solve the knotty problems and find the elusive people) but my husband says genealogy is like a warrior or hunter going out and doing wonderful exploits - the time comes to sit around the fire and share and celebrate the wonderful exploits (problems already solved) instead of always wanting to go out and hunt more! As much as I want to save my descendants the time and money chasing the false trails, etc that I have already covered, it makes me a bit sad too because the thrill is really in the hunt, isn't it and one who has it all given to them could never be quite as excited about it as the one who has done the hunting!

[Gjest Helge Hålåsæter]

Dear Marilla, Off theme: How should I proceed to search for people in Canada ? (We have searched is USA without result). It is Marie Sather and Ole Ronningen from Heidal em 1887 and -88. Helge Hålåsæter (from Heidal)

[Gjest Marilla Schenk]

Hello Helge, To tell the truth I have much more experience searching in Norway than in Canada because my folks were right from Norway on the one side and from Norway via Minnesota on the other...but I will try making some phonecalls first. There are only about nine Ronningens listed in Western Canada and maybe a clue will come from one of them. Are Marie and Ole a married couple or are they two different searches? I am pretty sure I still have your email address unless it has changed so I will email you personally if I have luck making these phonecalls. All the best, Marilla

[Gjest Helge Hålåsæter]

Dear Marilla, Thank you for coming back and so fast. I just found your email and suppose that you still are at the sasktel.net ? I shall contact you off list. My address is including PÅ instead of @ . haalaasPÅonline.no. There are so many hackers around. Earlier I was at frisurf.no Best regards Helge