Valborg Marie Sophie Arnesdatter Larsen
23 Mar 1855 – 18 Feb 1935
Daugher of Arne Larsen Alnes
& Amalie Tonsberg Pavels
Wife of Charles Conrad Jenssen
Mother of Daniel Bolstad Conrad (Jenssen)
Norwegian Ancestors & Artists
Valborg Marie Sophie Arnesdatter Larsen
23 Mar 1855 – 18 Feb 1935
Daugher of Arne Larsen Alnes
& Amalie Tonsberg Pavels
Wife of Charles Conrad Jenssen
Mother of Daniel Bolstad Conrad (Jenssen)
Heritable family names (surnames) were generally adopted rather late within Scandinavia. Nobility were the first to take names that would be passed on from one generation to the next. Later, clergy, artisans and merchants in cities took heritable names. Family names were still used together with primary patronyms (father’s name plus an affix denoting relationship), which were used by all social classes. This meant that most families until modern times did not have family names. Scandinavian patronyms were generally derived from the father’s given name with the addition of a suffix meaning ‘son’ or ‘daughter’. Sometimes the family name of the mother would be given to the children if that name carried status or an inheritance came from the mother’s side. The names of family farms or other place names were also used. A nobleman had the right to write himself to (Norwegian: til) the seat farm(s) or the estate(s) on which he resided, for example ‘Hans Kaas til Rostrup’.