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SofieJaegtvik
Starting member
Norway
14 Posts |
 Posted - 31/07/2023 : 22:39:18
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Hi,
I understand that many Norwegians that emigrated to the states would adapt their names to better fit with the English language once in the US. My question: how might names such as Henrik Christiansen and Sivert Christiansen be "americanized"?
Background:
My great-great-grandmother had at least three siblings that emigrated in the 1880s. We have a case full of photographs sent to her from the states, but no names are written on them. Most are taken in studios in or around Chicago. I have located one sister in Illinois and assume her brothers Henrik and Sivert are on the other photographs, but I cannot find them on the censuces or in the death notices. Maybe I am searching the databases with the incorrect names? Maybe I should try some "americanized" names?
Thanks for any suggestions! |
Sofie Jægtvik |
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ToreL
Advanced member
Norway
842 Posts |
Posted - 01/08/2023 : 13:05:13
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| Perhaps Henry and Sever? Or maybe this list might provide some suggestions. |
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jkmarler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
7790 Posts |
Posted - 01/08/2023 : 13:10:04
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Well, Henry for Henrik would be the obvious spelling difference. At familysearch.org I think Henry would normally be looked for as long as you haven't checked the box for an "exact" search. Hank is a nickname for Henry.
Sivert could be spelled any number of ways Syver, Syvert, Siever, Sivert, Sever, Severt but mostly the difference that might affect a search in a search engine doesn't necessarily involve just vowels. I think I've only seen Sam used for any Sivert. Sam being a nickname of Samuel.
But maybe just choose a less restrictive option in the engine itself. Or put more information in and have us at NorwayHeritage give it a go.... |
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SofieJaegtvik
Starting member
Norway
14 Posts |
Posted - 01/08/2023 : 21:27:10
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Thanks for the suggestions :D I will definitely have a go looking for them with the naming variations!
But will absolutely welcome some help from NorwayHeritage to locate them in the US - I am very much an amatour genealogist.
Here is the information I have on the two brothers:
Henrik Kristiansen:
born around 1857 in Fjaler (Yttre Holmedal is the old name), Vestlandet
This is him on census 1865: https://www.digitalarkivet.no/census/person/pf01038264000434
This is him on census 1875: https://www.digitalarkivet.no/census/person/pf01052295032797
This is him emigrating somewhere in 1881: https://www.digitalarkivet.no/view/8/pe00000000665555
Sivert Kristiansen:
born and baptised in 1860 in Fjaler (Yttre Holmedal), Vestlandet
This is him on census 1865: https://www.digitalarkivet.no/census/person/pf01038264000434
This is him on census 1875: https://www.digitalarkivet.no/census/person/pf01052414004223
I think this is him emigrating in 1882 (see page 120): https://media.digitalarkivet.no/view/51273/125
Miscellaneous background information:
- I cannot find the brothers in Norway after 1881/1882.
- The parents and many of the siblings moved from Vestlandet to Leirfjord (or Stamnes as it was called), Nordland in the 1870s and Rakel Sofie (known as Sofie) is the only child born in Nordland.
- Their sister Elen Kristiansdatter (b. 1870) lived in Lemont, Illinois and emigrated in 1888. She died in Illinois in 1917 as Ella Peterson (she married the swede John Adolph Peterson).
- Many of the photographs that I have mentioned are studio photographs and are taken in Chicago, Illinois or Minneapolis. Another non-studio photograph is of a large house with the street number 2050. It is written "vort hjem Til Sofie" ("our home To Sofie") on this photograph - potentially one of the brothers lived in this house?
- There are two other siblings that are unaccounted for (Jonas Christiansen (b. 1856) I last find in 1882 and Johanne Karine Kristiansdatter (b. 1864) is last found in 1875). But I have no reason to think they too might have emigrated and so I will keep looking for them in Norway. |
Sofie Jægtvik |
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jkmarler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
7790 Posts |
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jkmarler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
7790 Posts |
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jkmarler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
7790 Posts |
Posted - 02/08/2023 : 10:48:31
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#11 birth baptism Henrik 1 Jan 1858
Fjaler sokneprestembete, SAB/A-79801/H/Haa/Haaa/L0006: Parish register (official) no. A 6, 1835-1884, p. 123
Quick link: https://www.digitalarkivet.no/kb20050818031088
#88 birth baptism Sivert 4 September 1860
Fjaler sokneprestembete, SAB/A-79801/H/Haa/Haaa/L0006: Parish register (official) no. A 6, 1835-1884, p. 140
Quick link: https://www.digitalarkivet.no/kb20050818031106
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Edited by - jkmarler on 02/08/2023 11:42:33 |
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jkmarler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
7790 Posts |
Posted - 02/08/2023 : 11:04:31
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Another off-the-wall, Henry Johnson b 1 Jan 1858 at Bergen, Norway:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2MZ-HZ6Y
He in 1900 US census, came in 1882, lives at 962 Lincoln St, is a contractor:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MS3L-K6Z
An obituary of this Henry Johnson mentions among his survivors is a brother Sievert, wife Jessie, daughter Emma, son Almer and grandsons Carlton and Lloyd. I'll be back with exact wording.
From THE CHICAGO DAILY NEWS AND CHICAGO DAILY JOURNAL
Saturday, Nov 30, 1929
Chicago, IL
Page: 27 col 5
The copy is quite bad lots of missing letters etc.
Johnson, Henry of 4123 N Kedvale Av Nov 30, a e 71 years beloved husband of Jess e nd fa her of Emma and Almer; brother of Seivert, grandfather of Car ton and L oyd services day a 2 p m at funeral chap l 4338 40 Fullerton Av Interment Mount Olive. |
Edited by - jkmarler on 02/08/2023 18:36:59 |
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jkmarler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
7790 Posts |
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SofieJaegtvik
Starting member
Norway
14 Posts |
Posted - 02/08/2023 : 12:03:42
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| This is amazing! Interesting if it is the same Henry Christianson in 1920 - how common is it for people to list incorrect immigration year on a census? Or maybe he went back to Norway after 1881, but came back to America in 1886. |
Sofie Jægtvik |
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jkmarler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
7790 Posts |
Posted - 02/08/2023 : 12:11:32
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A single man on his own, with only his own memory to keep him in line?
A single man lodging or boarding with someone and they think he came in 1886 or was it 1881?
Census taker trying to move it along, was thinking "I wish it was 6 o'clock --quitting time!" and writes down a 6 instead of 1?
I was more concerned that someone in Ella's family reported her name as Johnson, why would that be? So the two men with Johnson surnames with exact same birthdates as those in Ella's family named Henrik and Sivert.
Ella's marriage record from the Illinois State Secretary of State Digital Archives Marriages Database:
PETERSON, JOHN A JOHNSON, ELLA 1890-10-18 00159071 COOK |
Edited by - jkmarler on 02/08/2023 12:20:24 |
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ToreL
Advanced member
Norway
842 Posts |
Posted - 02/08/2023 : 13:10:19
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The brother Jonas was still i Nordland, Norway in 1883. His date of birth was July 9 1855. The transcribed baptism record gets the date wrong. It says July 7, but a look at the original (#58) shows it was July 9. And here Jonas Kristiansen, born 9/7 1855, is the father in a baptism in 1883. The transcription adds Indesal after Kristiansen, but it could be something else. (Just Inderst?) The pair was married in 1882. (Link)
Then the family of three emigrated to North America in 1889 (40--42). Destination Chicago, according to the emigration protocol. (Middle of the page.) |
Edited by - ToreL on 02/08/2023 14:24:54 |
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jkmarler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
7790 Posts |
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ToreL
Advanced member
Norway
842 Posts |
Posted - 02/08/2023 : 17:32:36
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quote:
Originally posted by jkmarler
But on her daughter's birth record her birthplace is given as Tromsoe Norway.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N738-425
Entering the closest larger city as the place of birth was common enough. Harstad and Narvik weren't cities at the time, and Tromsø is in fact closer than Bodø, II would say this match is quite convincing, even if the parents' surnames on the death certificate are wrong. |
Edited by - ToreL on 02/08/2023 18:04:40 |
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SofieJaegtvik
Starting member
Norway
14 Posts |
Posted - 02/08/2023 : 17:35:03
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You are amazing! This is so exciting, I had to drop everything to look through what you have found.
I also wonder about the Ella Johnson Peterson-issue - but that FamilySearch-page show a wedding picture of her, and we actually have the exact same wedding picture in the suitcase I mentioned! So whoever added that picture online probably has some connection to my ancestors.
Could it be they all changed their surnames to Johnson? Elen, Henrik, Sivert and Jonas were all the children of Christian Hansen. I understand why they might choose to go by Hansen and I guess "Hans" and "Jon" both come from Johannes and sound slightly similar? |
Sofie Jægtvik |
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SofieJaegtvik
Starting member
Norway
14 Posts |
Posted - 02/08/2023 : 17:48:37
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| Concerning Julia L Hanson, I also find it very convincing that it is her. Tromsø is larger than Bodø, and maybe when Julia told her children where she was from she just said Tromsø? And although Hadsel (Vesterålen) is in Nordland, it is "facing" Tromsø and not Bodø (you would have to travel around the Lofoten-archipelago). So makes sense Tromsø might be viewed as the closest town. |
Sofie Jægtvik |
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Topic |
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Americanization of Norwegian names
