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Document everything you do. If you look through a collection of records and find nothing--document it so you don't look through them again! If you do find a record, make sure to record everything about the record so you can easily locate the record again, if needed. Sometimes there will be information on the record which seems insignificant at one time, but will prove invaluable at another time. Evaluate what you have already checked. This is a lot easier if you have documented your sources during your research activities. | Document everything you do. If you look through a collection of records and find nothing--document it so you don't look through them again! If you do find a record, make sure to record everything about the record so you can easily locate the record again, if needed. Sometimes there will be information on the record which seems insignificant at one time, but will prove invaluable at another time. Evaluate what you have already checked. This is a lot easier if you have documented your sources during your research activities. | ||
= Danish Research Basics = | = Danish Research Basics = | ||
=== Understand the Danish Naming Tradition === | === Understand the Danish Naming Tradition === | ||
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Surnames were not always used in Denmark. When Danish law finally required surnames to be used, most of the people used patronyms as surnames. A patronym is formed by taking the father's name and adding the suffix -sen (which means son in Danish) or -datter (which means daughter in Danish). For example, a man named Hans Pedersen would be the son of a man named Peder. Also our Hans Pedersen would have sons surnamed "Hansen" and daughters surnamed "Hansdatter". | Surnames were not always used in Denmark. When Danish law finally required surnames to be used, most of the people used patronyms as surnames. A patronym is formed by taking the father's name and adding the suffix -sen (which means son in Danish) or -datter (which means daughter in Danish). For example, a man named Hans Pedersen would be the son of a man named Peder. Also our Hans Pedersen would have sons surnamed "Hansen" and daughters surnamed "Hansdatter". | ||
Denmark also did not use "married" names until almost the 20th century. A woman kept her maiden surname throughout her life. It is also helpful to understand that daughters were less strict about the use of their surname--a daughter with the surname Hansdatter can sometimes jump back and forth between Hansdatter and Hansen. | Denmark also did not use "married" names until almost the 20th century. A woman kept her maiden surname throughout her life. It is also helpful to understand that daughters were less strict about the use of their surname--a daughter with the surname Hansdatter can sometimes jump back and forth between Hansdatter and Hansen. | ||
There are also times in Danish history when individuals may have adopted other surnames. Sometimes a man could have taken on the additional surname of the parish where he lived or another trait that described him. This surname would typically be added on after the patronym. | |||
The bottom line is this: be flexible when searching for a surname--explore multiple spellings and options. | |||
=== Using Available Online Danish Resources === | |||
The Danish Archives has been scanning and placing original Danish records online. There are two main sites where these can be reached. | |||
==== Dansk Demografisk Database ==== | |||
The Dansk Demografisk Database ([http://www.ddd.dda.dk/ http://www.ddd.dda.dk/]) contains Danish Census Records from 1787 and onwards as well as other features. The Danish State Archives are in the process of indexing the Census records, but the indexing is not complete for all years. This website is given in both Danish and English. To access the English version, click on the British flag that appears in the upper right hand corner of the webpage. There is a link to the census records (the word "census" appears with red highlights) along the left hand side of the page, or you can go directly to the page by clicking here ([http://www.ddd.dda.dk/kiplink_en.htm http://www.ddd.dda.dk/kiplink_en.htm]). The searching options will appear on the upper left hand side of the page. Either "Search for Individuals" or "Advanced search" will bring up fields to help narrow your search. The "What is in the database" link will help you search to find which censuses have been indexed. If you search for an individual and get no returns, it may be you are using the wrong spelling for the name (you MUST use the Danish alphabet AND spell the name correctly) or the name may not have been indexed yet. You can use "wildcards" for your census searches. An underscore _ subsitutes one charager and a percent sign % substitutes multiple characters. Remember that a lot is still to be transcribed, so check back later if you are not initially successful. | |||
[[Category:Denmark|Research]] | [[Category:Denmark|Research]] | ||