Name variant results

How does the search work?

It is very common for names to be spelled differently from source to source. The Norwegian name "Synnøve" for example, could be found with the spellings Synnøve, Synneve or Sønneve, and "Kristoffer" could be Kristoffer, Krestofer, eller Christopher. Gjertrud (Gertrude) has almost 170 variants, for example Gjertru, Giertrud, Gertrud, Jertru, Gjærtrud, Hjertru, Gjerterud, Jærtrud og Gjertrug. Despite these differences, the spellings are phonetically similar. To simplify searching we have implemented a name variant search, which allows you to find results for people who have a variant of the name you are searching for.

The name variant searches uses a database of names, developed by the name researcher Professor Gulbrand Alhaug from the University of Tromsø. The Digital Archives have been granted permission to use this database. Professor Alhaug has standardised names on two levels.

1. Orthologic variation; i.e written variations which should produce identical pronunciation. For example Katrine, Catrine, Cathrine, Kathrine etc.
2. Phonetic variations which, by applying certain rulesets, identify as the same root name. For example Katrine, Katerine, Katarine, Katarina and Katrina.

The name database is based primarily on censuses transcribed and published in The Digital Archives. This means that certain infrequently occurring names are most probably variants which are simply wrong, and have been introduced due to a typo when transcribing the source material to digital form.

The "Father naming", or "patronymic naming" is also handled by the name register. A search for Olsen will return results also for Olsøn. Monsdatter will return results for Monsdatter and Monsdt. but not for Monsen.

Results will also be generated for variations of farm names, in those cases where a farm name is registered using a last name. Nordås will also return results containing Nordaas and Noraas.

What is the same name?

There may be different opinions on what constitutes the "same name". The name database we have implemented will differentiate between the two, if there is any doubt. The database is therefore relatively cautious when it comes to labelling two names as the same.

This means that names such as Dorothea and Thea are not identified as variations of the same name; neither are Martha and Marthe, while Martha and Marta are identified as variants. Female names ending with -a or -e are usually not merged together, with the exception of a large group of female names which end with -ine / -ina, such as Albertine and Albertina.

The name database can be very helpful in certain situations, especially with names such as Synneve and Kristoffer which can be written in many different ways, but less helpful where names flip between different endings such as -a and -e, in the cases of Marte/Marta and Anne/Anna.

Wildcard characters ? and * can also be used in name searches to search for zero, one or many unknown characters in a name. For example a search for Ann? will return results for Anne, Anna and Anni, whereas searching for Ann* will return the same names, but with Annemor in addition, for example.

Read more about special search characters here: Special search characters

Which names are used?

Even if a person has multiple first names, not all sources may contain them.

People may have also changed their last names. In 1923, the first naming laws were introduced, and names became much more standardised than earlier. In the period between 1860 and 1920, naming customs shifted from patronymic naming (father's name) to family names (farm names or names ending with -sen). Women often change their family names in conjunction with a marriage.

Thus, we may find the same person named Mathilde Matiasdtr. in the 1900 census, now named Matilde Matiasen Nordaas in the 1910 census. Finally, we find her again as Mathilde Brukvik in the registry of deaths from 1977.

A search for Einar Gerhardsen will return many results, but none of these are the Einar Gerhardsen who was once prime minister of Norway. He was born on the 10th May, 1897 in Asker, and was named Einar Henry Olsen in the censuses from 1900 and 1910.

• Einar Henry Olsen in the 1900 census
• Einar Henry Olsen in the 1910 census

His father was named Gerhard Olsen, which accounts for the use of Olsen as family name in the 1900 and 1910 censuses. Later, Einar assumes his father's name, after which there is another change to the family name. However, these name changes have occurred in the opposite direction compared to the usual scenarios.

How is the name variant search used?

Name variant search is used in both the basic and advanced person search when searching through all sources. If you first choose a specific source and then search for people within that source, name variant search will not be used.

Feedback on name variant search

Name variant search has been requested by the users of The Digital Archives. We are eager to see what effect this will have, and also which challenges it may introduce. The name database we use is based on name from typical sources in The Digital Archives. This means that if there are many transcription errors of the same name, then this name may end up in the database, unless the error is detected during transcription. For this reason, name variant search can return some unusual results.

It is not easy for a user to know which names have been deemed variants of others. We do not have the possibility of publishing the name database for reasons of copyright. Users must adopt a trial and error approach while they familiarise themselves with how the name variant search works.

Please send feedback regarding name variant search to

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