Sometimes you stumble over names that are unusual, strange, funny or even ridiculous. Many of them seem far too odd to be true, but all of them are found in church records. Here’s a few just for the fun of it:
Female first names:
Allotine
Andersine
Blondine
Bombardine
Carlsine
Christophine
Daviddine
Deodata
Diamanta
Dividale
Dusin(e)
Ellenmine
Engel
Ferdinande
Ferdinandine
Fernanda
Flinta
Fredsine
Fritzine
Gotta
Gottliebine
Hansa
Henningline
Herlig
Indiane
Joachimine
Knudsine
Kornbechdine
Liane
Manna
Muliane
Omega
Oskarvine
Pedernille
Pussy
Rasmusine
Rosine
Saxine
Senorita
Sexafine
Sigarine
Skyldfri
Søster
Thomine
Tollesine
Uhrine
Urania
Valdemardine
Valdemine
Vikinga
Vulkana
Male first names:
Alf
Anholt
Arnoldius
Constantinopolitanus
Florentinius
Gorgonius
Caliytus
Gotthilf
Kolumbus
Polycarpus
Aristofiles
Procopius
Last names like colors:
Blaa (Blue)
Grøn (Green)
Grønne (Green)
Graa/Graae (Grey)
Hvid/Hviid (White)
Brun/Bruun/Bruhn (Brown)
Mørk/Mørch (dark)
Rød (red)
Sort (black)
– and in other languages:
Black
Braun/Brown
Green
Schwartz/Svart/Zwart (black)
Weiss/White
Last names from locations, cities and farms:
Almind
Annise
Berlin
Binderup/Binnerop
Bidstrup Bjerregaard
Bornholm
Borup
Brabrand
Bræstrup/Brædstrup
Buytenstadt
Colding
Djørup
Ejby
Ellingsgaard
Flensborg
Gottorp
Grauballe
Hammelef
Hammerom
Hattinge
Hjelm
Hollænder
Holmstrup
Holstebroe
Hvalsøe
Haastrup
Isted
Karrebek
Kastrup
Kjerumgaard
Kjøge
Kornerup
København Lemvig
Lyngbye
Nexø
Nørgaard/Nørregaard
Pilegaard
Ramstrup
Randrup
Ringsted
Rongsted
Rønne
Samsøe
Skive
Skærbæk
Skaarup
Strandgaard
Støvring
Sundstrup
Søborg
Søgaard
Søndergaard
Saabye
Thisted
Thyboe
Thye
Tranekær
Tydsk
Tølløse
Uth
Valløe
Vedersø
Veile/Weile
Vesterby
Vestergaard/Westergaard
Wadum
Wissing
Øllgaard
Ørsted
Østergaard
– and names with endings like these also originate from a location:
-borg/-burg
-bro
-by/-bye
-gård/-gaard
-heim
-hof/-hoff
-holm
-holt
-hus
-land
-lev/-løv
-rup
-stad
-sted
-strup
-søe
-toft
-trup
-torp/-torff/-dorff/-dorph
Last and middle names:
Achilles
Admiraille
Babe
Bajer
Balle (bale)
Bancke
von Barm
Been (bone)
Bertolatus
Bierfreund
Blanck
Blem
Blievernicht
Block
Boldsen
Boll
Bollesen
Bom
Bon
Bott
Bremsen
Broders
Brodtkorb
Bror
Brummer
Brædder
Brødløs
Brønnelsen
Böger
Bølle
Bøy
Christmas
Darling
Dose
Dÿne
Eg
Ek
Elfenbein
Elg
Eller
Faster
Fehlhaber
Feyerabend (Tysk = fyraften)
Fiala
Fix
Fjäla
Flade
Flibbe
Flott
Flou
Fløyel
Fotel
Frendesen
Frobøse
From
Frue
Fyhr
Fyrste
Fændrik
Færdig (finished)
Gade (street)
Gamst
Gang
Glad (happy)
Glasius
Godt (good)
Greve (count)
Grimm
Grubb
Græm
Græs (grass)
Gunst
Gyldenspids
Gætje
Gaarn
Handschuh
von Hansen
Haste
Hertz (heart)
Herzog (duke)
Hopp(e)
Horn
Hundeschwang
Hurtigkarl
Hvilsom
Høihuus
Høm
Ihle
Isberg
Jappe
Kaiser (emperor)
Kam (combe)
Keck
Kleinmondt
Klidt
Klug/Klog (clever)
Knag
Knap (button)
Knaar
Knoll
Knoph
Korte (short)
Krabbenhøft
Kraul
Krog/Krogh (hook)
Kruhøffer
Krummhaar
Kræfting
Kæmpe (giant)
Kölle (club, maze)
König/Koenig (king)
Lampe (lamp)
Landsvig
Langdill
Langhans
Langthjem
Lase
Lemme
Lerka
Let
Lieberkind (dearchild)
Loft (ceiling)
Luffe (mitten)
Lustig
Luxenius
Ly (shelter)
Løhr
Marsviin
Mehr
Mehrpahl
Mommsen
Morgenstjerne
Muhlig (possible) Mule
Muxoll
Maale
Maas
Nehm
Nicke
Nordhjelm
Nuppenau
Ohm
Ott
Papp
Pfaff
Pii
du Plat
Plato
Plum
Popp
Poulmann
Prahl (brag)
Prieme
Priiskorn
Prinz
Puls
Pødenphandt
Quaade
Ree
Rom
Rothgarn
Ruge
Runde
Rønnelin
Rørtang
Røst (voice)
Safft (juice)
Sager (things)
Salto
Saphir
Sauermilch
Saul (drool)
Schlick
Schnabeltrauch
Schnack (talk)
Schnell (quick)
Schnoor (string)
Schweinsteiger (take a guess!)
Sick
Silldorff
Sillehoved (herringhead)
Skanke
Slager
Snydstrup
Soeder
Soie
Soldath (soldier)
Sorterup
Spiegelhalter (mirror holder)
Sporleder
Stammerjohan
Stav/Staw (stick)
Stikken
Stikker (snitch)
Stoffer
Strange
Strip
Stylsvig
Staal (steel)
Ståhlgren
Suhr (sour)
Sultan
Surballe
Sylte
Sølvhorn
Tams
Thedsen
Thaae (toe)
Topp
Torgersen
Trille
True
Türck
Tyskegaard
Uhl
Ulm
Unna
Unmack
Vad/Wad
Vierkant (Tysk = firkant = square)
Viingaard (wineyard)
Woer
Waast
Wilian
Yndigegn
Zachariae
Zuschlag
Zwinge
Last names plucked right out of nature:
Aahl
Aborre
Ask
Bille (beetle)
Birk/Birch/Bjørck (birch)
Birnbaum (pear-tree)
Bjørn (bear, also a first name)
Blad (leaf)
Blomsterberg (Flowerberg)
Brasen (some fish)
Bull
Busk (bush)
Bøg/Bøgh/Bøge (beech)
Dahl (valley)
Dam/Damm (small pond)
Due (pidgeon)
Eg (oak)
Elg (moose)
Elm
Falk/Falck (falken)
Flint
Foss (river)
Frost
Fuchs (fox)
Fugl/Vogel (bird)
Gedde/Gjedde
Green (branch)
Grene (branches)
Grib (vulture)
Griis (pig)
Hassel (hazel)
Heide/Hede (heath)
Herbst (autumn)
Hind (female deer)
Hingst (stallion)
Hjort (deer)
Holm (small island)
Hoppe (mare)
Høg/Høegh (hawk)
Høst (autumn)
Kohl (coal)
Korn
Krabbe (crab)
Krebs (crab/lobster/shrimp)
Lemming (lemming)
Lerche (lark)
Lilie (lily)
Lind (linden or basswood tree)
Lyng Løve/Løwe (lion)
Malm (ore)
Muus (mouse)
Myhre (ant)
Nor (noor)
Nord (north)
Path
Piil (willow)
Pind (stick)
Quist (twig)
Rav (amber)
Ravn (raven)
Ren (elk also clean)
Salt
Sand (sand)
Schwanenflügel (swanwing)
Sild (herring)
Skade (magpie)
Skov/Skou/Schou/Schouw (forest)
Sommer (summer)
Spring
Steen/Stein (stone)
Stjerne (star) Storm
Strand (beach)
Stub
Stær/Stjær/Stæhr/Sterr (starling)
Svane (swan)
Tang (seaweed)
Trane/Thrane (crane)
Uhrskov (jungle)
Vest/West/Westh (west)
Wahl
Wasserfall (waterfall)
Weise (meadow)
Wibe/Vibe
Winge/Vinge (wing)
Winther/Vinther (winter)
Zahn (tooth)
Ørn/Oern/Øren (eagle)
– and names that end with:
-ager (field)
-berg/-bjerg (mountain/hill)
-blad/-bladt (leaf)
-busk (bush)
-bæk (creek)
-brink/-brinch (riverbank)
-dal/-dahl (valley)
-dam (pond)
-feldt (field)
-fjeld (mountain)
-gren/-green (branch)
-hede (heath)
-høj (hill)
-kilde (spring)
-kvist/-quist/-qvist (twig)
-kær/-kjær (pond)
-lund (forest)
-mark (field)
-mose (bog)
-skov/-skog (forest)
-strøm (stream/creek/river)
-sund (sound)
-sø/-søe (lake)
-vig/wiig (cove)
-ø/-øe (island)
-å/-aa/-aae (stream/brook/creek)
Names that may have originated from occupations:
Bager
Bonde
Brøgger
Bødker/Bøttcher
Baadsmand
Capitain
Degn
Doctor
Dreier/Drejer/Dreyer
Fisker
Foged
Førster
Giørtler
Jæger/Jaeger
Junker
Klokker
Kok/Koch
Kræmmer
Kudsk
Kurvemager
Ladefoged
Munk/Munck
Muurmann
Møller
Prior
Præst
Ritter
Rytter
Skinder
Skipper
Skriver
Skytte
Smed
Snedker
Stallknecht
Tækker
– and in other languages:
Baker
Bauer
Baumann
Brauer/Brewer
Butler
Carpenter
Cook/Cooke
Cooper
Farmer
Fisher/Fischer
Fleischer
Fletcher
Goldschmidt
Gärtner
Hunter
Hölzer
Kauffmann
Kellner
Kerl
Kleinschmidt
Lehrer
Maurer
Miller
Pfeiffer
Potter
Rademacher
Rädler
Schiermacher
Schmidt
Schneider
Schreiber
Schryver
Schulmeister
Schumacher
Skinner
Smith
Steinhauer
Tanner
Tauber
Taylor
Thatcher
Timmermann
Tischler
Turner
Weber
Weinhandler
Wheeler