Military names

[Thomas Hjelm]

Hello, some of my ancestors have more than one surname, and I think it's because they were soldiers.  Can someone explain how it works?  Here are some specific people, if looking them up in military records would help:
 
1) My farfars farfar Anders Peter Tibbling (b. 4 Mar 1826 in Tärna), was probably born an Andersson (his father is Anders Jansson).  No idea where the name Tibbling came from unless it's a military name.  His profession was soldat (in Nackby?).  Does Tibbling mean something?
 
2) My farfars far Per Alfred Hjälm (b. 8 Oct 1866 in Skultuna), also a soldat (in Forsby), has a few names: Per Alfred Lustig, and then later Per Alfred Hjälm.  If these are military names (hjälm means helmet, right?), why does he have two of them?
 
I appreciate any help!  Thanks!
Thomas Hjelm

[Claes-Göran Magnusson]

I don't think Tibbling means anything. Maybe it's derived from a place called Tibble. -ling is a common diminutive suffix. Hjälm is Helmet and Lustig is Funny  I can't say why the name was changed.

[Claes-Göran Magnusson]

More about swedish names.

[Bibi Gustafson]

Hello Thomas,
 
The military name followed the croft/position that he held. As he has two different names he has moved. Among my military ancestors there are some with two different soldier names. Furthermore, the children did not get the military last name in the 18th century but in the 19th century they began using the same name as the father. Some of the soldiers kept their patronymic and added the service name and some used the soldier name only. Or rather the clerical book keeper did.
 
Best regards,
Bibi Gustafson

[Christina Skagerborg]

Thomas,
there are quite a few soldiers by the name of Tibbling, derived from a place called Tibble in various parishes. (http://soldat.dis.se/soldater.php)
 
A soldier's name was often linked to a place. If your ancestor signed on as a soldier for another division he might have got a new name when he moved to the new place. Sometimes a soldier was renamed although he still belonged to the same division.
 
Christina