Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Danish Census Records

Staying with the Danish theme of an earlier note, it isn't difficult to read Danish Census records if you understand certain key words. A number of years ago, a good Samaritan researcher helped me read the census records associated with my ancestors. She sent me a document that I've used in my Danish research ever since. I'm sure you'll find it to be very useful too in your own Danish ancestral quest. You will find Danish census records in English here although most of them haven't been translated yet. I have more luck searching in Danish here. "Fixed surnames were more common in the towns than in the countryside. However it was still not uncommon for males to create a surname by adding ‘sen' (‘son of') or, for females, ‘dotre' (‘daughter of') to their father's Christian name. Thus Ole Mortensen would be the son of, for example, Morten Hanssen. In this case the former's sons would, in turn, be called e.g. Jon or Jens etc. Olsen, his daughters e.g. Maria or Petra Olsen. Note too that a woman kept her maiden name after marriage, a distinct advantage for those now engaged in genealogical research or other nominal record linkage work. The head of the household was usually male, hence husfader (house-father) but could be female, in which case husmoder (house-mother) would appear. Sometimes neither husfader nor husmoder was entered. The list continued with (hans) kone (his wife), søn (son), datter (daughter). Other terms to be found occasionally in this column were: Antaget barn = Adopted child Bedstemoder (fader) = Grandmother (father) Brodersøn = Brother's son Datter datter = Granddaughter Deres børn = Their children Deres søn (datter, barn, broder) = Their son (daughter, child, brother) De to forriges søn (datter) = The above two's son (daughter) Disses moder = The above persons' mother Enke (enkemand) = Widow (widower) Fader (modern, søster, broder) = Father (mother, sister, brother) Familie fader = Family head Farmoder = Grandmother on male side Fattiglæm = Pauper Foranståendes barn (kone) = The above's child (wife) Forældre = Parent Fostersøn (datter) = Foster son (daughter) Frillesøn (datter) = Son/daughter/born outside marriage Hans hastru = His wife Hennes søn (datter, mor, far) = Her son (daughter, mother, father) Hennes søn med 1ste mand = Her son by first husband Husbestyrerinde = Housekeeper Huseier = Houseowner Husfaderens moder (søster) = Household head's mother (sister) Husholderske = Housekeeper Husjomfru = Housekeeper Konens (mannens) moder) = Wife's (husband's) mother Logerende (logerer) = Lodger Logi i huset = Lodges in house Midlertidig logererende = Temporary lodger Pleieson (datter, barn) = Foster son (daughter, child) Stedson (datter, barn) = Stepson (daughter, child) Svigermoder (søn) = Mother (son)-in-law Svoger = Brother-in-law Søster (broder) til konen = Wife's sister (brother) Uægte barn = Child born out of wedlock"

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