[#71956] Norwegian Wilsons

[Gjest Frank McGuire]

Does anyone know or have a theory as to why so many Norwegian (and Swedish) migrants changed their names to Wilson. I have been trying to trace an ancestor who may have used the name Wilson. I note that possibilities include Willhelmsen and Willusen but that these are fairly rare in Norway. On the other hand there are hundreds of Wilsons from Norway and Sweden listed on US, Canadian & UK censuses. Also there are 159 Wilsons in Norway in a Family Search IGI search, but almost all were not from Norway church records, but from information provided by Latter Day Saints members (presumably in USA)

[Gjest Tor Kvien]

In the 1865 Cencus I found 2723 male persons with first name starting with Vil-,Wil-(Viljalm/Willum/Wilhelm/Villiam etc.) whose children, if emigrating, would be candidates of using Wilson.