Origin of DAHLBERG surname for Niklas Andersson in 1865

[Nedra Gallagher]

I am trying to determine where my grandfather’s surname “Dahlberg” originated.
My grandfather:  Frans Oscar Dahlberg, was born in Vane-Ryr, Älvsborg, in 1879.  His father was Niklas Andersson [Dahlberg], born 1831, Lane-Ryr, Göteborgs och Bohus, Sverige.  There are several Niklas’s listed in this birth record book for 1831, and one born on June 1 is the date that another (fairly trusted) individual says is verified with a family Bible entry.  In Vane-Ryr, Alvsborg, Andersson Niklas (born 1 June 1831) marries Anna Stina Hansdotter { daughter of Hans Bryngelson}, who was born in 1840.  Their first child, a girl, Maria Charlotta, is born Jan, 1861 and dies Feb. 1861.  Parents’ names on records are Andersson Niklas and Anna Stina Hansdotter.  The same is found on the birth record of second son, Karl Johan, born 5 Feb, 1863,.  Then, for the third child, a son, Anders Gustaf, born 30 Aug 1865, father is now listed as Dahlberg, Niklas Andersson, mother is Anna Stina Hansdotter.  The birth records of all additional children (eight more) and household examinations after 1865 list his name as Dahlberg, Niklas Anders, (or Andersson).
My question:  Is there any way to determine WHY he decided upon this name, at this time (somewhere between 1863 and 30 Aug. 1865)?  Are there any documents that would “establish” this as his legal name? It must have had some legal or cultural significance, because all of his surviving children kept it.  Could it be connected to property ownership?  Where might I look for such information?  My great-grandmother’s (Anna Stina) death record lists her as “farm owner,” and by this point she has also taken the name Dahlberg.  Niklas died in 1899, and his wife lived until 1930.  As far as I can tell, all but their eldest daughter immigrated to the United States (although I haven’t done a complete fact-check on travel/immigration records for all of my grandfather’s siblings!)
Lucky for me that Frans Oscar Dahlberg immigrated, however, and if anyone could help me with information on the Dahlberg name, I would be delighted.
High regards, Nedra Gallagher

[Margareta Danielsson]

In the original birth-book, his name was Dahlberg already when Maria Charlotta was born 8 Jan.1861, but not when they married 28 Oct 1860.

Sweden had no "name-law" before 1901. He just had to tell the clergyman, that he wanted to be named Dahlberg or any name he liked. The next law 1919 said that all married women should have their husbands surname.

About swedish names during the times: https://www.thoughtco.com/swedish-patronymics-naming-system-1422722

Regards Margareta

[Ingemar Skarpås]

Even though there was no actual law about familiy names, there were rules! No names like the nobles had! It was not common until around year 1800 that people of lower classes to family names. Merchants with rights in market towns, or those with education in a craft, like smiths. In the country side Priests, clerks, church servants, and wealthy farmers often took family names. When there was 50 Johan and 50 Nils and 50 Anders as fathers with sons carrying their patronymicons the situation became difficult. But one can hardly say that lower class people could just go and get a family name much before mid 1850 or earlier than 1800. The problem arose when so many more children survived after the inocculations began around 1795.


Regarding Dahlberg, I also has that in my family tree - in that case my ancestor born in 1780 was a soldier under another name in Dalarna around the year 1800, he then became a soldier in Helsingland and was given the name Dahlberg, probably by the major och colonel of his company, he then had another name Lyck when serving as another kind of soldier in a regiment in Jämtland 1808-1815.


In other cases soldiers had names from the "rote" which supplied them. This was convinient since when a soldier died the next soldier brought in from that "rote" was called by the same name. Think of how each soldier having his given function in a group, and using the same name for the same function.


Before 1901 new family names were only registered in that county, so another person could take it on elsewhere. Soldiers names were just up to the "rote" or the commanding officer!


Until a person had not become of age, usually 18-21 years old (depending on which "century" we are talking about), they were often not written in orignally in church books with a family name, just with their firstname + sencondary names. When children were old enough to become farmhands or dairy maids but not of age they were known only by their patronymicon.


So, there were some social rules, and in certain regions like Dalarna they used family name usually coming from place names.


Where the name Dahlberg origninally came from you will find out by going back another generation or so.