Naming Conventions in Norway

[Terry Reigel Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Terry Reigel]

I'm posting here because I think this is off-topic as it's about Norway, not Finland, but I'm hoping the naming conventions we similar enough that someone here can help, or at least direct me to a resource.

A Norwegian family intermarried with my Finnish/German family in Washington state. The immigrant progenitor of that family in the US was known as Ole Eric Erstad after immigrating. I've received this information from a descendant from that family:

"Ole's father was Erik Olsen Smistad and his mother was Gjertrud Ingebrigtsdatter Smistad (born Erstad) Nov 10 1823 - 1902. ... After the marriage, they used Erstadstranden as a last name also."

From that I think I understand that:
- Erik was the son of Ole, and was from a farm named Smistad
- His wife was the daughter of Ingebrigt, and was from the farm Erstad
- They settled on his farm?
- They later adopted a surname based on her farm name?

Does this make sense? Are Smistad and Erstad actually farm names? What does Erstadstranden mean?

Any help would be welcome.

Terry Reigel

[Karen Norwillo Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Karen Norwillo]

Terry,
From what I can gather from online sources, stad, staden, stander all mean place, town, location. There are places in Norway called Smistad and Erstad, both in area containing Oslo. It certainly could be a farm or village name adopted as a surname. Your other conclusions seem valid.
Karen

[Terry Reigel Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Terry Reigel]

Thanks, Karen. That's helpful.

Terry

[Karen Norwillo Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Karen Norwillo]

Terry,
From FamilySearch.org:
Gjertrud Ingebrigtsdatter was born 10 Nov 1823 in Sunndal, More Og, Romsdal, Norway to Ingebrigt and Kari. On 23 Jun 1851 she married Erik Olssen in Sunndal. There are 3 births for this couple, 2 born before their marriage. 15 Feb 1847 Anne Eriksdatter and 18 Apr 1851 Kari Eriksdatter. 12 Apr 1853 Marit Eriksdatter.

[Terry Reigel Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Terry Reigel]

Thanks again, Karen,

It never occurred to me that these records could be found on FamilySearch.

I see the ones you mention. But I've not found the birth of their son of interest, known in the US as Ole Eric Erstad, born Feb 1860 according to the 1900 census. I've still got more looking to do.

Terry

[Karen Norwillo Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Karen Norwillo]

From Find-a-Grave, Ole E Erstad 1860-12 Jul 1932 La Center, Clark, WA. 72 yrs. 5 mos. 17 days. Wife Marie Rudy Erstad 1864-1929. Highland Cemetery.

[Terry Reigel Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Terry Reigel]

Thanks, Karen,

I have all I need about Ole and his children - two of his daughters married one of my dad's cousins. What I was looking for is proof of his parents. A correspondent has provided the names I mentioned above, but with no source documentation. You found their marriage and births of three of their children in the index on FamilySearch. With that information as a guide I can find the actual records online on http://www.arkivverket.no/URN:kb_read

But in neither the FamilySearch indexes nor the imaged records can I find a record of Ole's birth, so can't prove those were actually his parents.

Terry

[Karen Norwillo Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Karen Norwillo]

Terry,
I think this is what you seek. It's the 1865 census in Norway and shows the birth years of all the family. Gjertrud's father is also there. I hope this comes through. Anna 1847 is probably not at home or died. They also show Kari as 1850, FamilySearch has 1851.
Karen

[Karen Norwillo Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Karen Norwillo]

From what I found, Øksendal is a former municipality in More og Romstad, now Sunndal. Stranden was a surname, probably later Erstadstranden, as you had in your info.

[Terry Reigel Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Terry Reigel]

Thanks again, Karen,

I searched the birth registers for several years each side of 1860 for Ole with no success. I think I'll go with the census as proof of his parents and call it good. Thanks for all the great help.

Terry

[Karen Norwillo Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Karen Norwillo]

Terry,
Hope this comes through. I found Ole's birth in the 1860 birth records on Arkivet.no, Øksendal, Birth records pg 22. Ole Eriksen was born 29 Feb 1860 to Erik Olsen Erstad and Gjertrud. #14 at bottom of page.

[Terry Reigel Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Terry Reigel]

Karen,

Wow, again! That is it indeed. How did you ever find it?

I think I see the farm name Erstad after the father's name - would that be right? And these are in a different parish than the parent's marriage and the first three children. So does that mean they moved???

Terry

[Karen Norwillo Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Karen Norwillo]

Terry,
Actually Øksendal was incorporated back into Sunndal in 1960. Before that the northern part of Sunndal municipality became Øksendal in 1854. When FamilySearch transcribed the info, it was Sunndal. Both are in Møre og Romsdal. I found this info by just Googling Norwegian genealogy and happened on the site. I checked the 1864 birth for Sigrid and found her in the same place except this time Erik Olsen is Erstadstranden. Øxendals/Øksendals are the same.
Karen

[June Pelo Senior Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close June Pelo]

Terrific job, Karen!