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Chap. XII.
DANISH PATRONYMICS.
185
Bugge, 23 Jensen, 18 Jonsen, 10 Munk, 19 Olafsen,
10 Skytte, and many other families in equal proportion.
The town of Copenhagen swarms with Jensens,
Hansens,* Petersens, Thomsens, and all possible “sens.” Were
it not for the Germans, I scarcely know what would
become of them. When a peasant woman—say Catherina
—captivated by the attractions of Hans the butcher, or of
Niels the tailor, entered into the bonds of wedlock with
one or the other, she forthwith bore the name of the
trade of her husband, and henceforth became Catherina
Butcher, or Tailor, as the case might be.
Very few names of real Danish origin are to be found
among the titled nobility. They consist chiefly of the
families of note who have been naturalized in the
country since the year 1659 ; still some do exist of pure
Danish descent—as Bielke, Bille, Brahe, Hardenberg,t
Rosenkrantz, Thott, Trolle, Ulfeld, &c., though even
among these are some of Holstein extraction.
But now let us turn to those who, less euphonious,
are noted among the oldest families of the kingdom.
Many are marked as “ Gammel familie uddod ”—extinct
—and I am sure for those who are blessed with sensitive
ears it’s a mercy they are so:—“ And (duck), Alf (elf),
Begger (pitch, old Danish), Bolt (bolt), Bier, Blaa (blue),
Daa (doe), Demp, Dan, Eek, Fleb, Fos (waterfall), Flue
(fly), Gagge, Glib (net), Glob, Glud, Glug (hole), Grib
* It is only of late years that surnames have been adopted by the
common people. A law was issued by which every one was ordered to
remain somebody’s son in sæcula sæculorum ; and as more Hans had
sons than other individuals, Han-sen is the prevailing name among
the lower orders.
+ The name of Hardenberg occurs as far back as 1095; Ulfeld in
1396.
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