SweGGate StarGuide:Facts Name changes Guide

Name changes: Guide & Toolbox

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Toolbox and tips

General observations

Many Swedes changes their names on arriving in the new country. There could be many reasons for this but the most common ones were probably a/ difficulties in pronouncing and spelling for a non-Swedish speaker and b/ too many immigrants with the same surname in a small community.

I will continuously collect a number of known name changes on the Examples page. Please send your findings to me.

1 . Translation of a name with a "meaning"

Except for the common patronymic names many surnames are words or combination of two words which mean something. Most common are names of nature objects.
-- For a one syllable name try an English-Swedish dictionary to see if there is a direct translation.
-- For a two syllable surname try to split it in two and translate parts separately.

2. Replace dropped umlauts

Try different combinations with "a":s and/or "o":s replaced by the special Swedish letters "å", "ä" or "ö". This may give a meaning to the name / name parts.
Sometimes in later times the Swedish letters are replaced thus:
"å" with "aa", "ä" with "ae" and "ö" with "oe".

3. Dropped "-son" suffixes

The very common ending "-son" in the patronymic names was often dropped leaving only a "s" at the end, e.g. Jonsson -> Johns, Adamsson -> Adams.

4. Sound-like spelling

Many Swedish names are hard to pronounce correctly for a non-Swedish speaker so many emigrants changed the spelling so that an English speaker would read the new name to sound similar to the original Swedish pronounciation.
So when you are trying to "reverse" the change and find a Swedish variant of a changed name it is often useful to

read the name aloud in English
substitute the typical English sounds like diphthongs with separate letters
try replacing these (English -> Swedish)

w -> v	ph -> f	sch / sh -> sj / sk	th -> t	y -> j
ee -> i	q -> k	qu / qv -> kv	c -> k / s (position dep.)
o -> å

try to spell the sound you hear in Swedish, including use of letters å, ä and ö
test your result by reading the "Swedish" variant as were it an English word and check if it sounds like the original (English) name variant.

Admittedly this is hard for someone who is not familiar with the Swedish sound patterns. Try to find a native Swedish speaker. The mailing lists are a great resource if you are stuck.

5. Variations in spelling within Sweden

Even in Sweden many names have varied spellings. Some examples:

qv = qu = kv	ph = f	sh = sch = sj	ch = k / ck	v = w
h inserted / dropped (except at the beginning)			double / single letters

Some very common variations are the single or double "s" in patronymic like Olson / Olsson, Person / Persson etc.

6. Replace nicknames and short form names with the original

Examples:
Al may have been Albert, Alfred, Albin, Allan..
Bill <- William / Villiam / Vilhelm,
Ken <- Kennet,
Gus / Gust /Gösta <- Gustav / Gustaf,
Mary <- Maria, Mariann(e),
Ann <- Anna and several double names like Ann-Mari, Anna-Lisa


"Interchangeable" given names (this article is just a starter and hopefully extended later)
This is a somewhat tricky subject. The term interchangeable names is widely used also in scholarly documents but the interpretation and implications vary a lot. The definition of the word itself in Br English is "can be used in place of each other" (Longman) but this wide, general definition does not apply to the use of variants of given names. I have chosen to discuss this under two headings: Related names and
*Names of Common Origin*
Almost all given names have a traceable origin and until lately they have been used for hundreds of years in various forms. The main (traceable) origins for given names in Sweden are: a/: the Ancient Nordic language(s) and mythology b/: the Antique cultures in Greece and the Roman Empire, including the biblical countries (Roman provinces) with the Bible as the main source for the latter. c/: in later times many new names coming from immigration (not discussed further here) Many of the names from the Mediterranean region travelled through other languages, like German, French and English and each language developed new variants to adopt to linguistic aspects. Once arrived in Sweden the same adaptation occurs to the Swedish language. This results in three or more variants used concomitantly. One example is the "original" name Johannes from Hebrew language with German Johan (Johann), French Jean, English John and Ian, Danish and South Swedish Jens and Jöns and the general Swedish Jon, Joen and Jan. Here the connection is pretty clear and all those have been used in Sweden in various frequencies but with certain regional differences. Another example where the connection is less obvious is the "original" name Magnus from Latin with the Swedish short form (variant) Måns. All this sometimes gives us several variants of one name but all having the same origin. This does not merit the term "interchangeable" since - for one - the common origin is not always clear to the person changing the name (owner or recorder) and in most cases people do not regard many of those as the same name and would not like to have their choice replaced.
Genealogical consequences If you find a record using a name different from the one you are looking for but of the same origin you must always prove the link between those records since in many cases it can turn out to be different individuals. Read as many different records you can find for what appears to be the same person and compare names. Do not accept variations of this group without being able to link the records by other facts. This could be matching moving/transfer notes, a HFL record for the birth year linking HFL to the birth record or records naming other relatives like parents, siblings or children WITH the relation specified.
*Short name forms of different origins*
An especially tricky situation is when you find a short form name which could be from different "original" names. Example: Manne which could be short for either Emanuel, Manfred or Magnus. The tricky fact here is that the three "original" names are NOT related !
Genealogical consequences Always prove the link between the records as with names of common origin.
*Closely Related names*
Rather soon other variants appear based on dialects and the need for short forms and in the last 100 years also affectionate "pet names".
Genealogical consequences In general if you find a simple change from a basic form to a short form or an affectionate form it is usually acceptable. But you have to be sure of the connection between the two name forms. If more than one name changes then look out and always prove the link between the records as with names of common origin.
"Same" name
There are also pure spelling variants depending on the preferences of a period or the name owner. These are the only variants that can be considered interchangeable from a research point-of-view but not for the individual at a given time.
Genealogical consequences In records older than abt 100 years Per, Pehr and Pär may safely be considered spelling variants and therefore interchangeable. There is no need for separate proof of the person's identity comparing two records because of this type of "name change". Other examples

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Last updated by

F Hae

2005-06-16 14:03