https://www.genealogistkottal.com/danish-genealogy-blogen-USThu, 15 Jan 2026 14:26:51 Zc0511765-cb70-48b0-99a2-d44e735c60e3https://www.genealogistkottal.com/danish-genealogy-blog/the-1828-name-law-in-denmark-explained-for-genealogistsThis blog post provides background information on why Denmark introduced the name law in 1828 and outlines the requirements of that law. It also touches upon the variances in compliance with the law. Finally, it suggests research strategies to overcome challenges and avoid the common mistakes made when researching ancestors through the transition period that followed the implementation of the law in 1828.51eb5b51-90a6-4a1f-b790-af68eca9920chttps://www.genealogistkottal.com/danish-genealogy-blog/patronymics-in-practice-a-danish-family-in-the-1700sWhy do surnames change so often in eighteenth-century Danish records? This blog post follows a family across generations to show how patronymics were formed and why parents and children rarely shared the same last name. Through a real-life case study, it explains how surnames were based on a father’s given name, not on a fixed family name. Understanding this system helps family historians avoid common mistakes and make sense of confusing Danish naming conventions.040aaa6a-f80d-4179-beee-36d2ed2a0b59https://www.genealogistkottal.com/danish-genealogy-blog/from-patronymics-to-proper-surnames-understanding-danish-naming-traditionsThis blog post teaches why your Danish ancestors’ surnames changed. It explains the patronymic surname system and outlines when fixed surnames were adopted in Denmark. Finally, it provides practical tips for tracing Danish family names.4d335d58-c65e-4f8f-83ba-d74ec229bf9ehttps://www.genealogistkottal.com/danish-genealogy-blog/from-data-to-narrative-genealogist-versus-family-historianThe titles genealogist and family historian are often used interchangeably, but some claim that genealogy and family history are two distinct disciplines with their own focus and approach to researching and understanding our ancestry. Here is my take on it.50a61e19-f783-482e-b210-ad762bdf546bhttps://www.genealogistkottal.com/danish-genealogy-blog/school-records-attendance-and-absenceThe last two days I have shown examples of Danish school records showing grading of the pupils. Teachers also had to record the absence and attendance of each pupil from 1814, because going to school was mandatory in Denmark. In this post I give an example of an attendance and absence record and an example from a book of pupils.7d8a9298-18a1-4828-843b-4b97387b5689https://www.genealogistkottal.com/danish-genealogy-blog/19th-century-birth-record-from-a-danish-market-townSince 1646, Folkekirken (the Church of Denmark) has been obliged to keep records of births, which took place in the Danish parishes. No secular registration of births takes place in Denmark, except in Southern Jutland. A few other religions have obtained the right to keep records for the members of their congregation, but the vast majority of births are recorded by Folkekirken. When searching for Danish birth records, the place to start is therefore the parish registers, also called church books.5a0c9e95-613a-4b0f-b7d3-6eed1dddbc08https://www.genealogistkottal.com/danish-genealogy-blog/biographies-of-scandinavian-immigrants-in-new-york-1630-1676Was your ancestor among the settlers of New York in the seventeenth century? Were they Scandinavians or Germans? Then the book Scandinavian Immigrants in New York, 1630-1676 might be of interest to your family history.34fc746e-9f1c-4098-bb68-a31a28663d96https://www.genealogistkottal.com/danish-genealogy-blog/biographies-in-a-danish-18th-century-church-bookThe parish clerk for Egtved Parish, Denmark, wrote short biographies of deceased parishioners in the church book from 1767-1789.23ce214c-2f51-4b2e-8382-6d3b8137fd71https://www.genealogistkottal.com/danish-genealogy-blog/memoirs-about-christmas-in-the-1860sDanish Christmas traditions have changed over the years. Furthermore, regional differences in the celebrations existed and still do. Even if your Danish ancestor did not write their memoirs, you might still be able to get an idea of their traditions. Someone else from the same time and area might have written their memoirs, such as Niels Peder Grønvald Nielsen of Ryslinge.5cff0d5e-6879-4169-97dd-2581d1a6711chttps://www.genealogistkottal.com/danish-genealogy-blog/family-history-based-on-old-bills-receipts-and-lettersOld bills and letters can help tell our ancestors' family history. My grandmother Jenny Kirstine (Juhl) Hansen rarely threw away paperwork, which means we have a lot of documents that reveal details about the family's life. In this blog post, I share the information I gleaned from a change of address notification, a lease agreement, a bill, some receipts, and a letter from the municipality. All of this is tied into my mother's memories of the family's relocation from downtown Odense to the suburb of Bolbro in 1954.3ae09c46-418d-4ab8-9248-668be7c0ca6dhttps://www.genealogistkottal.com/danish-genealogy-blog/denmarks-constitution-freedom-of-religionDo you have ancestors who lived in Denmark in 1849? This year in significant to Danish history because the ratified the first Danish Constitution that year. It gave Danes several rights, including freedom of religion. Get tips for which records to examine to understand how freedom of religion impacted your ancestors' lives.f9e44fc3-38f1-45e4-9161-fb8e0babe62fhttps://www.genealogistkottal.com/danish-genealogy-blog/danish-ancestors-why-did-they-emigrate-from-denmarkMany of my clients want to know why their Danish ancestors emigrated. When the story has not been passed down in the family, the question cannot always be answered. However, in this blog post I give two examples of how you might find the reason for your ancestor's emigration.a7b6133d-b31b-4b1f-8962-3a39a9b525bahttps://www.genealogistkottal.com/danish-genealogy-blog/koldskaal-a-danish-dish-and-a-dish-called-american-fruit-saladRecipe collections can tell a lot about your ancestors. My great-grand aunt Else Marie Valborg Andersen Fisker (b. 1893 in Silkeborg, Denmark) left behind a notebook filled with recipes and one of them resembles my recipe for koldskål.c7d5d985-bc7f-42a0-843d-9eb8e1669565https://www.genealogistkottal.com/danish-genealogy-blog/from-cadastral-lot-number-to-addressYou cannot set your navigation for a cadastral lot number if you come to Denmark to see your ancestor's farm or house, so in this post I demonstrate how to find today's address from the lot number.470b2761-de4b-4eeb-8efb-273fd6d88addhttps://www.genealogistkottal.com/danish-genealogy-blog/images-of-crew-lists-for-ships-to-the-danish-colony-tranquebarThe Danish National Archives have published new digital records from the Asian Company, including crew lists from trade ships sailing between Denmark, China, and Tranquebar 1723-1833.002b045c-8ba0-42b6-8e3c-29bb5e6a022ehttps://www.genealogistkottal.com/danish-genealogy-blog/link-lives-danish-life-course-and-multi-generational-databaseWould you trust a machine to make your family tree for you?e0cea7e1-d539-4d92-8cf9-df527a9e5493https://www.genealogistkottal.com/danish-genealogy-blog/link-lives-a-new-database-for-denmark-genealogyNew free database for Denmark Genealogy with "life-courses and family relations of almost everyone [!!!] who lived in Denmark from 1787 until ... 1968."da04f208-8c65-4dfe-9961-ef5f85d0f361https://www.genealogistkottal.com/danish-genealogy-blog/copyhold-records-for-tenant-ancestorsCopyhold records can provide evidence of parent-child relationships, because a leased farm or house was often passed on to a son. This article outlines the contents of copyhold letters (fæstebreve) and copyhold registers (fæsteprotokoller) and teaches you how to determine the manor for your area of interest.78f96fd8-9ff0-42e7-bbec-f35629ad54c8https://www.genealogistkottal.com/danish-genealogy-blog/danish-place-name-database-by-krabsenDeciphering a handwritten place name can be a challenge, especially if it is a place in a country with another language. Read this tutorial to learn about a tool for determining a Danish place name.dff6c518-cd0d-49bc-bb5b-4bdd2e8c0b1dhttps://www.genealogistkottal.com/danish-genealogy-blog/types-of-danish-probate-recordsWhen looking for a Danish probate record, it is best to start by making a list of the available books for the relevant years.56af0efb-27fa-4b88-add5-04b28e10ac38https://www.genealogistkottal.com/danish-genealogy-blog/danish-genealogy-birth-and-baptism-record-pitfallDanish church records have a certain structure, but sometimes the information is arranged differently in some records. That can lead to mistakes in the research. To help you steer clear of those mistakes, I want to highlight the most common pitfall when reading a Danish birth and baptism record.75bd0c7c-12bf-4839-84ee-5f3b8989531ehttps://www.genealogistkottal.com/danish-genealogy-blog/births-in-danish-church-books-information-about-the-parentsDanish parish registers with births and baptisms provide us with a wealth of information about the child’s parents. The information often appears in the same order. If you learn to recognize the typical sequence, it can help you decipher the text in the church book with your ancestor's birth.8e35ec62-425d-400e-890f-1fa091bf69e1https://www.genealogistkottal.com/danish-genealogy-blog/using-danish-military-levying-rolls-for-family-historyDanish military levying rolls are a rich source for genealogists and family historians. Military levying rolls list all boys and men who were eligible for conscription for military service that year or in the future. Many men are listed in several rolls. I found my third great-grandfather in thirteen rolls! Images of the military levying rolls from 1788 to the 1930s are available online at Arkivalieronline and FamilySearch, so you can access them for free at home.70468cec-86a9-44e4-9655-ba9d554d016bhttps://www.genealogistkottal.com/danish-genealogy-blog/husmand-bolsmand-gaardmand-danish-genealogy-wordsWhat do these three Danish words mean: husmand, bolsmand, and gårdmand?9db0d169-35e0-4044-b40c-5295a09056dfhttps://www.genealogistkottal.com/danish-genealogy-blog/determine-the-parish-for-an-address-in-copenhagen-denmarkWhen a Copenhagen census record reveals the street where the family lived around the time of the birth of the children, you can use an online tool to determine which parish is the most likely birthplace of the children.25376313-8928-48dc-a530-4fbe79c76c90https://www.genealogistkottal.com/danish-genealogy-blog/skifte-means-probate-danish-genealogy-wordsWhat does the Danish word skifte mean?90e6e4eb-d693-4a42-86eb-d3f00fabe7c5https://www.genealogistkottal.com/danish-genealogy-blog/tracing-danish-ancestors-in-us-recordsJill Morelli, CG, CGL, has written the guest blog post packed with information on how to find clues about your Danish ancestors in US records. It is best to research US records for as many clues as possible before trying to cross the pond back to the old country. Jill Morelli has Danish ancestors, so she uses her own Danish grandfather as an example in her tips.4f075942-61ca-4737-ae97-c25c2621419bhttps://www.genealogistkottal.com/danish-genealogy-blog/denmark-genealogy-3-free-online-photo-collectionsThree free Denmark genealogy photo collections with images you can use to make your family history book more appealing to the readers.682e836a-cf55-4a93-8227-18f821e0b642https://www.genealogistkottal.com/danish-genealogy-blog/early-19th-century-birth-record-from-a-danish-rural-parishDanish birth records are primarily found in church records from The Church of Denmark, which is a Christian church. The vikings gradually turned Christian in the 10th century. At least since then, Denmark has been divided into parishes. Until 1849, a parish was an area where inhabitants attended the same church, the parish church. In my last post, I scrutinized a birth record from a market town. In this post, I will show an example from a rural parish.f1a05e33-b13e-4e72-aa04-0d177ca24d53https://www.genealogistkottal.com/danish-genealogy-blog/the-wander-research-method-by-amy-johnson-crowAt the WikiTree Symposium in 2022, Amy Johnson Crow held the presentation Finding Ancestors Without Going in Circles: The WANDER Research Method. I recommend watching it.