Last Names of Illegitimate Children

[Ruth Nelson Schumi]

My grandmother was born in 1880, an illegitimate birth. Her mother's name was Maria Svensdotter. On my grandmother's marriage certificate and ship register her last name was listed as Andersson.
 
How would she have this last name?

[Bo Johansson]

Was her mother's father's name perhaps Sven Andersson? Or maybe they knew who the father was, he was just not married to her mother.
 
// Bo Johansson

[Christina Backman]

Most likely her father´s Christian name was Anders.

[Ruth Nelson Schumi]

Thank you for the replies!
 
My grandmother's mother's father's name was Sven MÅnsson.  
 
I was also wondering if they knew who the father was, thus the last name of Andersson.  
 
What was the custom(s) at the time (1880's) for the last name of an illegitimate child?  
 
I would have thought my grandmother's last name would have been Johanna Sofie Svensdotter, not Johanna Sofie Andersson.

[Ulrica Dahlqvist]

Hi Ruth!
 
In the 1880's it was still customary in Sweden to give the children the last name of their father's first name combined with dotter (daughter) or son, depending on whether they were female or male.
 
Since your grandmother's name was Andersson her father's first name would have to be Anders, and her mother most certainly would have reveiled the name of the father. If you're lucky there is a possibility that there has been a trial about the fathership and then you would be able to reveal the father's last name.  
 
If the father's name wasn't reveiled during this period I suppose the customs differed from case to case. My grandfather was born 1885 in Gothenburg as an illegitimate child. He got his last name from his mother's deceased husband Dahlqvist (a name he had taken). Her husband drowned two years before my grandfather was born, thus making it impossible for him being the father. Thank's to my father I got my grandfather's father's real name which was Oskar Agathon Eliasson Wernbom....
 
Best regards,
 
Ulrica Dahlqvist

[Bengt Nordstrand]

Hello,  
One thing I wonder about here: There was a change in the name-laws in Sweden about the year 1900. The (rural) custom of patronyms should be dropped and the (urban) with family names or surnames in stead.  
So I am actually wondering how Ruth´s grandmother was named before marriage and ship register (which years are those?). Is there a husförhör´s book?
Here is an example. My farmor (grandmother) - she was born in her parents marriage in 1881 - was first called Augusta Laurentia Salomonsdotter, after her father Salomon Andreasson, the mother was Anna Abrahamsdotter. This was on the countryside of inner Halland (Gällared).  
Later Augusta moved to the city, Halmstad, and after 1900 she appears as Augusta L Andersson. Her parents up in the woods also were taken down as Andersson from this time. But there never was any Anders.  
 
Bengt

[Christina Backman]

Johan Otto Bernhard Blomberg had two illegitimate daughters. The mother named them Johanna Bernhardina and Hilda (her own name) Ottilia. Their surname was the mother?s. That is one example of how to deal with the problem of giving illegitimate children an identity.
 
There was no strict rule for naming children born out of wedlock.You could use the mother?s surname, the father?s, a patronymikon based on the father?s first name, or on your maternal grandfather?s etc etc. You could also choose a brand new name ie Strömberg.
 
My money is on Anders as the first name of the elusive father which gives Andersson or, if you are feeling stylish, Andreasson.

[Ruth Nelson Schumi]

Thanks to all of you for responding.  
 
I don't have any documentation of what was my grandmother's last name, except for the ship register (1900) and her marriage (1903 in Center City, Minnesota). Although my money is also on Anders as the father, there still remains the possibility that she may have chosen her last name.
 
I can imagine my grandmother, Johanna Sofie taking a new last name when she was 20 years old, leaving Sweden to seek more opportunity, and get away from what we would call today a disfunctional family.  
 
I really like the last name of Andreason instead of Andersson!  All of Johanna Sofie's sisters and brothers had very attractive first/middle names.
 
What is a husförhör's book?

[Judy Olson Baouab]

Ruth,
 
Read about the Swedish parish records on the SweGGate site.
 
http://www.rootsweb.com/~swewgw/
 
Follow this pathway.
 
Themes --> Church Records
 
There is a lot of information there about a parish record called the husförhörslängd which is a book which lists the people in the parish by families, in the format of a census. However, it is FAR better than a census, and was updated continually, instead of every ten years. (Other parish records are also detailed.)
 
Also read the information about Swedish parish records on the Swedish Roots site.
 
http://www.genealogi.se/roots/
 
There are two excellent books about Swedish genealogical research in the English language. The best known book is Cradled in Sweden, but I don't have an up-to-date link to finding that book. There is also a newly published book called Your Swedish Roots. Both are needed, in my opinion. This is where you can purchase Your Swedish Roots.
 
http://tinyurl.com/57dqv
 
SweGGate also has several interesting articles about Swedish naming customs. Follow this pathway.
 
Facts --> Names and Naming Practices
 
Are you aware of the Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center? Their records aren't online but they are extensive.
 
http://www.augustana.edu/administration/SWENSON/
 
Did the ship's manifest indicate where she was going in the U.S. or where she had come from in Sweden?
 
Judy

[Judy Olson Baouab]

Ruth,
 
Could this be the girl?
 
From the Emihamn database of CD Emigranten (the Emigrant CD):
 
First name: JOHANNA SOFIA
Last name: ANDERSSON
Age: 20     Gender: K (kvinna = woman)
Parish: RONNEBY (where she was living when she decided to emigrate)    County: K (Blekinge)
Title/Note: JUNGFRU (Miss)
Port: MALMÖ
Date: 1900 03 27 (date of registering with the police to leave Sweden)
Destination: NEW YORK
Fellows: NEJ (Nej = no. She traveled alone on her ticket.)
Source: 1900:446:129
 
The Arkion database isn't working for me right now, so I can't check there to see if this person was indeed the one with the other relatives you mentioned.
 
Judy

[Judy Olson Baouab]

Ruth,
 
Here is a source for purchasing Cradled in Sweden.
 
http://tinyurl.com/5rc9s
 
I still can't get into Arkion. I can reach the site (which I couldn't do yesterday) and I can log in and get the listing of län and years available, but that is as far as I can go. I will keep trying.
 
Judy

[Judy Olson Baouab]

Ruth,
 
There is a free booklet called Tracing Your Swedish Ancestry which can be ordered to be delivered by mail or you can download that book, if you are patient enough to wait a loooong time.
 
http://www.swedenabroad.com/pages/general____15063.asp
 
It includes suggestions on places to find clues and also has an overview of Swedish records. You can purchase more detailed books (as suggested above) but the price is perfect and it is an excellent booklet.
 
Judy

[Ruth Nelson Schumi]

Judy,
Yes, you found my grandmother.  Thanks so much! I'll get back to you....Have to go...making lasagna..!  Happy New Year.