Users' questions

When did Sweden stop using patronymics?

When did Sweden stop using patronymics?

1963
However, Swedes with patronymic names were encouraged to adopt family names after 1901. The use of patronymics wasn’t abolished until the 1963 Names Adoption Act.

When did Norway stop using patronymics?

Rural Norway finally adopted unchanging family names by 1900, and codified by law in 1923. The three big Scandinavian countries have since eased up and allowed you to use patronymics/matronymics if you really want to; Iceland generally bans family names.

When did Denmark stop using patronymics?

1826
Patronymics were legally abolished in 1826 since authorities wanted people to use family surnames instead.

What is a common last name in Sweden?

Sweden

Rank Surname Type
1 Andersson patronymic
2 Johansson patronymic
3 Karlsson patronymic
4 Nilsson patronymic

What does patronymics mean in Swedish family names?

Patronymics (from the Greek pater, meaning “father,” and onoma, for “name”) is the process of designating a surname based upon the given name of the father, thus consistently changing the family surname from one generation to the next. In Sweden, -son or -dotter was usually added to the father’s given name for gender distinction.

What is the patronymic of the name Sen in Sweden?

It is not uncommon to find Swedish emigrants dropping the extra s for practical reasons, to better assimilate into their new country. Swedish patronymic “son” names always end in “son,” and never “sen.”. In Denmark the regular patronymic is “sen.”.

Which is the patronymic for Denmark and Norway?

In Denmark the regular patronymic is “sen.” In Norway, both are used, although “sen” is more common. Icelandic names traditionally end in “son” or “dotir.” Adopting Nature Names During the latter-half of the 19th century, some families in Sweden began to take on an additional surname to help distinguish them from others of the same name.

When did they start the frozen patronymic in Sweden?

Sweden passed the Names Adoption Act in December 1901, requiring all citizens to adopt heritable surnames—names that would pass down intact instead of changing every generation. Many families adopted their current surname as their hereditary family surname; a practice often referred to as a frozen patronymic.