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Danish Counties 1793-1970 |
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 Aabenraa
Aalborg
Aarhus
Bornholm
Frederiksborg
Haderslev
Holbæk
Hjørring
København
Maribo
Odense
Præstø
Randers
Ribe
Ringkøbing
Roskilde
Skanderborg
Sorø
Svendborg
Sønderborg
Thisted
Tønder
Vejle
Viborg
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Maintenance / update
Please notice that this site is undergoing maintanance and software updates from April 19th and the following 7 days weeks (a bit longer than first expected). You may therefore encounter that some pages and features may not perform as they should, e.g. login and registration. Thank you for your patience.
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Latest News, Articles & FAQs |
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Danish History
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The oldest existing evidence of human habitation in Denmark is traces of reindeer hunters' settlements. They settled on the Jutland Peninsula by the end of the last Ice Age c. 12500 BC, but it was not until the Stone Age, c. 4000 BC, that a peasant culture with organised farming communities emerged. In the Bronze Age (1800 BC) villages emerged and in the Iron Age (500 AD) regular towns. |
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Danish History
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The shelling of Copenhagen on the night between Sep. 4 and 5, 1807.
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During the 1700s, the Danish-Norwegian merchant fleet had become large and rather powerful, and in size only surpassed by the British fleet. Although Denmark tried to keep neutral in the wars subsequent to the French Revolution, Denmark was pulled into the growing conflict between the French-Russian alliance on one side and the English-Swedish alliance on the other. Denmark was not willing to give in to the English demands and kept on calling at ports in France and in French possessions. Twice this lead to an English attack, 1801 and 1807, and after the English shelling of Copenhagen in 1807—the worlds first bombardment of civilians—almost the entire Danish-Norwegian fleet was sieged. |
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Surnames - Naming Traditions, Meaning, and Origin
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Another group of surnames refer directly to the particular trade, craft or occupation of the first bearer. The group comprises easily recognizable names relating to agriculture, manufacturing, retail or to an office, rank, or status, and will therefore tell us what the first bearer did for a living. In this article you will find a group of the most common occupational names in Denmark. |
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Emigration from Denmark
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 In the 1800's people across Europe where on the move, and especially after the 1840's many people departed the "Old World" to seek a better life abroad. Along with millions of other emigrants from all over the European continent, many Danes emigrated via the ports in northern Europe. The most important ports of emigration for the Danish emigrants were Copenhagen, Liverpool (as to indirect emigration), Hamburg and Bremen/Bremerhaven. In the Scandinavian countries this emigration began a little later and did not reach sizable proportions until the end of the American Civil War. The Scandinavian contribution to the total European emigration were, however, relatively small—the share didn't amount to more than 4.5% in the period up to the First World War. |
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Surnames - Naming Traditions, Meaning, and Origin
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 This list covers the 100 most common surnames in present-day Denmark. It explains the origin and meaning of the name and provides information on ranking and numerical distribution. |
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Surnames - Naming Traditions, Meaning, and Origin
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A sub-group of the habitation names are those surnames that derive from the name of a farmstead, which often was owned by the family at the time when the surname was taken/formed. There were, of course, some farmhands who acquired surnames from the farmstead where they were employed, but these cases are exceptions. |
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Surnames - Naming Traditions, Meaning, and Origin
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A group of surnames are the so-called regional names—those names that indicate a families point of origin. You will also find these names in English surnames (e.g. French = from France) and in German surnames (e.g. Berliner = from Berlin). They are all nicknames although they in some way also are related to habitation names. |
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Surnames - Naming Traditions, Meaning, and Origin
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Another group encompasses the surnames deriving from nicknames/bynames, and many of these are among the oldest surnames in Denmark. This is a very broad and miscellaneous group of surnames that usually derive from mythological attributes of certain animals or the characteristics of the first bearer, for example a particular physical feature or the person's appearance (e.g. the color of hair or beard) or character. |
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Place Names in Denmark
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This is a Geographical introduction to the different Provinces and Regions in Denmark, and how to specify a place name when inquiring into family history.
All countries divide into provinces and regions according to the natural
demarcations of the landscape; in a 'Kingdom of Isles' like Denmark, these
geographical borders may be even sharper. The peninsula of Jutland [Jylland] is by nature considered a mayor province as are the other two main islands, Funen [Fyn] and Zealand [Sjælland]. |
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Place Names in Denmark
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Place names found in the historic Denmark, as well as throughout Scandinavia, are different from other place names in most respects. Most of these place names are very old, and the River Ejder forms a natural and historical boundary between the Old Norse settlements and settlements of Keltic, German, Wendic, Frankish and Slavic origin further south. A few common Germanic place names can be found in the endings -ing, -sted(t) and -bæk (-bek, -bech etc.) but these are exceptions. |
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Popular keywords on this website |
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4th of July Celebrations at Rebild,
Community News,
New Census Information,
Emigration from Denmark,
Frederiksborg Museum,
A brief history of Denmark - From Danish Prehistory to the 1800s,
Danish History,
A brief history of Denmark - Denmark in the 1800s ,
Latest News,
Archives and Libraries,
Danish American Websites,
Emigration and Immigration,
Hans Christian Andersen Celebrations,
History and Culture,
Other Interesting Websites,
Link Directory,
Museums and Exhibits,
Parish Registers and Census Lists,
Personal Homepages,
Religion and Churches,
Resources, Tools and Software,
Societies, Groups and Associations,
Societies, Groups and Associations - Regional,
Societies, Groups and Associations - Surnames,
Message Board - Denmark and the Danes,
Message Board - Denmark Forum,
Denmark Genealogy Forums,
Message Board - General Discussion,
Message Board - News and Announcements,
Moesgaard Museum,
Museum of National History at Frederiksborg Castle,
Other Interesting News,
Etymology: Meaning of Common Elements,
Place Names in Denmark,
Place Name Etymology: Common Elements in Danish Place Names,
Introduction to Provinces and Regions in Denmark,
President Bush to Visit Denmark,
Princess Mary Gives Birth,
Censuses in Details,
Enumeration Dates,
Enumeration Fields and Categories,
Census Lists - An Introduction to the Danish Censuses,
Publications,
Genealogical Symbols and Common Abbreviations,
Vital Records in the Danish Parish Registers,
Site Map,
Surname Index - A Comprehensive list of Danish Surnames,
The 100 most common surnames in Denmark,
Surnames deriving from a farmstead,
Surnames deriving from Nicknames / Bynames,
Surnames deriving from Occupation,
Surnames indicating a family's point of origin,
Surnames in Denmark,
Origin and Meaning of 100 Surnames,
Genealogical Dictionary / Word List,
Parish Index - 2200 Parishes in Denmark,
Become a Registered User,
Emigration from Denmark - An Introduction
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