Professor Emeritus Gulbrand Alhaug at the Department of Linguistics, UiT, will be attending Steigen to give a lecture about some distinctive features of choosing first names in Northern Norway. 

Northern Norway stands out as the most creative region in Norway for its names. This was especially true in the latter half of the 19th century and early 20th century. In the Viking Age, it was common to create new names by combining existing name parts such as Sig-vald and Sig-ny , a custom that Norwegians resumed in the 19th century. Examples of this are Agnvald and Aldor , Eldor and Ingdor , Jofred and Joralf or Fridlaug , Oddly and Agdis . All of these names were first used in Northern Norway. Most of these were male names. The new female names often ended in -ine or -ina, such as Hilbertina , Detlovina and Israelina . Some were embellished, such as Frantsmina , Ågesine and Golladina .  

In the censuses from the 19th century we find examples of North Norwegian name creativity: Advent and Femina , Signor and Signora , Orkana and Septima , Sulithelma and Theologa .  

In an article in the journal Maal og Minne (1942), Ingjald Reichborn Kjennerud mentions, among other things, the first names Fruktkrem and Hermetik . Other strange names are said to have been Propella and Rullegardine . Did these names really exist, or is it just a myth? The speaker will be happy to discuss "name riddles" such as Jendor and Jobora with those in attendance. 

Have you been puzzled by the names of your ancestors? Are you wondering what to name your child? Since the 2000s, the differences between the regions in naming have been evened out. Maybe it's time to reverse the trend?  

Welcome to the lecture at Steigen library! 

Place: Steigen library 

Time: Monday 24 August at 19:00 

Price: 100,-/ children/youth free 

Language: Norwegian