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].

Regions within the major provinces

Other place names from other parts of Denmark are less specific - places like Midtjylland [the central part of Jutland], Sydøstjylland [the southeastern part of Jutland], Vestfyn [the western part of Funen], Østsjælland [the eastern part of Zealand] and so on. Of these only the area of Nordsjælland [the northern part of Zealand] is more specifically defined as the peninsula north of Copenhagen. In other cases people describe a region as 'the Horsens-area' or 'the Ribe-area', according to the nearest city, making the place a little more specific. However, 'the Copenhagen-area' will still be to rough to define a place, due to the sheer size of the capital.

Districts and the 'Syssel' - old administrative areas

Another old administrative unit in Denmark, the 'Syssel', is often used to describe an area, but nowadays almost exclusively when referring to Vendsyssel - the northern tip of Jutland. Over the years, the difference between the administrative units and the geographical areas has increased. Where the old 'counties', containing a different number of 'districts', only vaguely defined a specific geographical area, it became even vaguer when the larger counties were defined by the large administrative reform of 1970. Even some of the larger municipalities today cannot be said to lie within a single geographical area.

Place names in family history

Lars Rasmussen, born Oct. 9, 1803 in Svenstrup, Stenløse Parish, Odense County.

This example provides both name, date of birth and relevant place names. In this case the parish register provide information on a specific village (Svenstrup), so add this where available. By defining the county you avoid any confusion with Stenløse Parish in Frederiksborg County.

To sum up: Defining a specific place will require a narrowing in on the location from above, from provinces, over counties and larger cities, to municipalities and parishes.