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Danish Counties 1793-1970 |
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Surnames deriving from nicknames/bynames |
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Written by Anders Buch-Jepsen
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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.
In most cases, the literal meaning of a nickname/byname is clear, but often we can only guess why these nicknames were originally acquired or bestowed.
 Animal names
Bjørn
Buch/Buck
Falk/Falck
Fugl
Hjort
Høg/Høeg
Krag/Kragh
Lam
Ravn/Rafn
Ulv |
Bear
Buck/he-goat
Falcon
Bird
Deer, stag
Hawk
Crow
Lamb
Raven
Wolf |
Seasons and weather etc.
Sommer
Høst
Winther/Vinter
Frost
Kold
Paaske
Storm
Juhl/Juel |
Summer
Fall
Winter
Frost
Cold
Easter
Storm
Christmas |
Other personal characteristics
Bruun/Bruhn
Fast
Flink
From
Graae
Kruse
Modig
Spliid
Stub
Stærk
Rask/Rasch
Scheel/Skeel |
Brown
Steady
Nice, decent
Good, sturdy (not pious)
Gray
Curly
Courageous
Discord
Stump (of a tree)
Strong
Quick, energetic
Crosseyed
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Large numbers of other nicknames/bynames are found in medieval records, for example 'Kong Valdemars Jordebog' from the 1230s (a Danish cadastre, similar to the Domesday Book). However, many of these later became extinct or simply failed to become hereditary. |
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Last Updated ( Friday, 10 March 2006 )
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