Sogn og Fjordane, Norway

[Mons Andersen Holmevig 1761-1846; Ingebor Henrichsdatter Wiig 1775-1851; Anton Paulsen Tonning 1795-1846; Clemet Johnsen Grønfur 1802-1850; Elizabet Jørgensdatter Erdal Grønfur 1803-1868; Sigrid Monsdatter Holmevig Tonning 1812-1901; Jon Gronfur Svoren 1840-1919; Johanne Lunde Svoren 1844-1882; Elizabeth Svoren Almlie 1871-1889]

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History

In an article on the history of Stryn farm names, there are ancient “wine” names ending in “-vin” or “-heim” that date back to 500 AD, indicating location at the meadow, including “Muri, Gytri, Lauki, Hilde, Skåden, Langvin, Folven, Stauri, Dispen, Nesje, Tenden, Gjørven, Tjugen, maybe also Raudi and Sæten” [Kristain Solvang, “Kor gamle er gardsnamna våre? Ein kort studie kring gardsnamna i Stryn kommune – Cows old is our farm name? A short study of gardsnamna in Stryn municipality [as Google translated]” Fylkesarkivet, Sogn og Fjordane].  Also ancient, are farms like “Berg, Gjuv, Rand, Rake, Eide, Kvamme, Sunde (seinare Mindresunde, Storesunde), Lunde, Vik, Bø, Fure, Flo, Grov, Hjelle, Brekke og Rygg”; and “many community names can and may be very old, such as: Verlo, Myklebust, Valaker, Tisthamar, Silverberg, Frøholm, Lyslo, Heggdal, Steinsåker, Faleide, Auflem, Åbrekk, Beinnes, Bruvoll, Skarstein, Rake, Vanberg, Loen, Nesdal, Visnes, Vinsrygg, Tonning, Lindvik, Glomnes, Guddal, Erdal and Tunold” [Solvang].  Many other older farms end in “-stad” or “-set.”  As the population grew after the Viking era (between 1000 and 1350), it was less likely to create whole new farms than to split farms and their names with “ytre, indre, øvre, nedre, uti-, inni-” (“outer, inner, upper, lower, outside, etc.) as Google-translated” [Solvang].

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Further Reading:

Bygdeboker: Nordfjord frå gamle dagar til no. II. Dei einskilde bygder, part 3: Innvik – Stryn, by Jacob Aaland, 2 volumes (both contain farm histories and genealogy), Published 1932, Republished Sandane: Solglimt Trykkeri (1974).

Archives/Museums:

Photos from the Norwegian national library:

• Stryn, 1962 and 1965.

Other Sites:

O. Rygh Farm Names for Stryn.