In the records of Hvaler, Østfold, Norway (1700's) I see many farm names such as Seylöe, Sannöe, Spier, Haugge, Ørdal, etc. etc. But I see no farm names reflecting the names of people who lived there. Such as Pedersen, Jacobsen, Nilsen, etc. Do the farm names predate the system of adding "sen" after a fathers first name? Or are the farm names a descriptive name or term of some sort? Thanks for any assistance.

Hi Gordon! Farm names shoule be considered an address that were later taken as surnames. Maybe this will help: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~maggiebakke/naming.html Olaf In the records of Hvaler, Østfold, Norway (1700's) I see many farm names such as Seylöe, Sannöe, Spier, Haugge, Ørdal, etc. etc. But I see no farm names reflecting the names of people who lived there. Such as Pedersen, Jacobsen, Nilsen, etc. Do the farm names predate the system of adding "sen" after a fathers first name? Or are the farm names a descriptive name or term of some sort? Thanks for any assistance.

Gordon Anderson wrote: > In the records of Hvaler, Østfold, Norway (1700's) I see many farm > names such as Seylöe, Sannöe, Spier, Haugge, Ørdal, etc. etc. But I > see no farm names reflecting the names of people who lived there. > Such as Pedersen, Jacobsen, Nilsen, etc. Do the farm names predate > the system of adding "sen" after a fathers first name? Or are the > farm names a descriptive name or term of some sort? Thanks for any > assistance. http://www.dokpro.uio.no/rygh_ng/rygh_info.html Gives you some information about Norwegian farm names. They were usually a descriptive name of the place. http://www.dokpro.uio.no/perl/navnegransking/rygh_ng/rygh_visetekst.prl?s=e&Vise=Show&KRYSS11412@2609=on This is what he says about Ørdal, for instance, it's connected to a river in the region. -- Kelly