[#3013] Nicknames for Berthe

[Gjest Susan Barham]

Family records indicate my great grandmother was Betsy Oline Grorud of Næs på Romrike. Census records for 1865 and 1875 call her Berthe Oline Pedersdtr of same location. I suspect Grorud is a farm name, but what about the "Betsy"?

[Gjest Yngve Nedrebø]

Norwegians in America very often changed their names, and sometimes they did change it so much we have really no chance of guessing the origin. Norwegian names could be hard to pronounce or write in English.Isabell was a common name in America for Norwegian Ingeborg or Inger.A Norwegian born Julia in USA would most likely be known as Guri or Gunhild in Norway.And Betsy could very well be Brite or Berte or Bergitte in Norwegian records.My "best" example is Nicolaja Nilsdatter, emigrating in 1864. In 1880 she registered as Anna Abrahams in Berlin, Minnesota.