About Norwegian Names
Anyone searching Norwegian soldiers is handicapped by changing names.
Young Norwegians used one name in Norway, frequently another in the army and a third after the war was over.
In Norway a young man would be known by his given name and his father’s. As an example, Ole, son of Johan, would be known as Ole Johansen. If additional identity was needed, he would add his farm name, Myre; he was Ole Johansen who lived on Myre.
When he came to America and enlisted, he gave his name as he generally did “Ole Johansen” and the Yankee clerk would write “Ole Johnson” and “Ole Johnson” is how the soldier would be known.
An additional point of confusion results from the fact that Norway was a part of Sweden in the nineteenth century. An enlistee might give his place of birth as Norway; the Yankee clerk would write Sweden.
After the war, the immigrant soldier acquired a farm, got married, started a family and began to think seriously about what he wanted himself and his farm to be called. Take, for example, Sergeant George Johnson of the Wisconsin 15th, Company G. He came to America in 1854. After the war, he acquired a farm near Ridgeway, Winneshiek County, Iowa. He took back his baptismal name, adopted his old Norway farm name, and became Guttorm Hovden. It took help from Guttorm Hovden’s grandchildren for usd to connect their grandfather to soldier George Johnson.
A majority of young Norwegians enlisting in the Union army are known in the military records by their patronyms, their given names plus their father’s, adding “sen” or “son.” Very often their descendants do not know these soldiers by the names they used in the Army, but instead by names used after the war, and it takes a lot of searching to connect the two.
Ole Hanson of Winneshiek County, Iowa, came to America in 1862 and joined the Iowa 13th Regiment, Company G. He is known for the diaries he kept, both before and during the war, which Vesterheim has. Soldier Ole Hanson after the war became O. H. Nass.
Jorgen Anderson immigrated from Lier, Norway. His Winneshiek County, Iowa, neighbors knew him as George Linnevold.
Names of Scandinavian soldiers were spelled in the American military records, and in other publications, in the following ways:
A
Aaker
Aker
Abrahamson
Abramson
Amundson
Ammendson, Ammison, Ammondson, Ammunnson, Amondsen, Amondson, Amonson, Amunson, Amundsen, Armonsen, Emenson
Anundson
Annenson, Annunsen, Anonsen, Anunsen, Anunson, Anuson
Anderson
Andresen, Enderson, Enersen
Arneson
Arnison
B
Bendickson
Bendicksen, Bendixon
Benson
Bendsen
Bjornson
Bairnson, Bohnson, Asbjornson
Bolstad
Baalstad
Borstad
Borstaad
Brown
Bruhn, Brun
C
Christianson
Christensen, Christenson, Christiansen, Crestensen
Christopherson
Christerferson, Christofasen, Christofferson, Christophersen
D
Dahl
Dal, Dall, Doll
E
Eide
Heide
Ellickson
Alackson, Alaksen, Aleckson, Allexson, Elicson, Elikson
Ellison
Allison, Elleson
Ellefson
Elefson, Ellafson, Ellefsen, Ellison
Engebretson
Engbertson, Engebertsen, Engebertson, Engebretsen, Engebrigtsen, Ingbretson, Ingebretsen, Ingebretson, Ingebrigtsen, Inglebretsen, Inglebritson
Erickson
Arrickson, Earicson, Erekson, Ericksen, Eriksen, Erikson, Erixson, Errickson
Everson
Evertson, Ivarson, Iverson
G
Gilbertson
Gilberson, Gilbrandson, Gulbranson, Gulbrandsen, Gulbranson, Gulbronson, Guldbrenson
Gullickson
Golaxon, Gulickson, Gullicksen, Gullikson, Gullixson
Gunderson
Gunnerson, Gunnesen
H
Haakenson
Haagensen, Haakinsen, Haakenson, Hoakinson, Hogensen, Hogenson, Hogonson, Hokanson
Halvorson
Alverson, Halversen, Halvorsen, Halvurson, Holverson, Hulverson
Hanson
Hansan, Hansson
Henrikson
Hendrickson, Hendrikson, Henricksen, Henrickson
Holland
Haaland, Halland, Helland, Holand, Hollan
Hovland
Hofland, Hoveland
I
Isaacson
Isaacsen, Isaacsen, Isaakson, Isackson, Isaksen, Izackson
J
Jacobson
Jakobson, Jokomsen, Jokumson
Jamison
Jameson, Jemison, Jemson
Jansen
Janssen
Johanson
Johanesen, Johaneson, Johannesen, Johanneson, Johannessen, Johansen
Johnson
Jahnsan, Joanson, Jonson, Johnston
Jorgenson
Jargenson, Jarginson, Jergenson, Jergeson, Jorganson, Jurgenson, Jorginsen
K
Knudson
Canuteson, Kanudson, Kenutzen, Kneudson, Knudsen, Knudtson, Knuteson, Knutsen, Knutson, Neutson
Kolbe
Colby
L
Larson
Larcen, Larsen
Lawson
Lassen, Lasseson
Louison
Lewison, Liosen
M
Mathison
Matheisen, Mathewson, Mathiasen, Mathiasson, Mathiesen, Mathisen, Matsen, Matson, Matthiesen, Mattison, Mattson
Mickelson
Mekelson, Michelsen, Michelson, Mickelsen, Mikkelsen, Mikkelson
Monson
Monsen, Munsen, Munson
N
Nelson
Neilsen, Neilson, Nielsen, Nielson, Nilsen, Nilson
O
Olson
Ohlson, Oldson, Oldston, Olesen, Oleson, Olsen, Olssen, Olsson, Osolsson
Osmundson
Aasmundsen
Ostenson
Aastensen
P
Peterson
Patterson, Pedersen, Pederson, Petersen
R
Reierson
Reiersen, Ryersen
S
Seim
Saim, Sime
Severson
Seversen, Sivertsen, Siverson, Syversen, Syverson
Simonson
Simonsen
Swenson
Svendsen, Svendson, Svensen, Swanson, Swinson
T
Thompson
Thomason, Thomassen, Tomson
Thoreson
Thoresen, Thorsen, Thorson
Torgerson
Tergerson, Torgersen, Torgison, Torgusen, Torguson
Torkelson
Torkelsen, Torkildsen, Torkilson, Torgleson
Torstenson
Torstensen, Torstenston, Tostenson