The History of the Knudson/Loven Surname
For as long as I can remember, I was told that when the Lovens came to America they were embarrassed that their last name was like "love" so they changed it to Knudson, a common Norwegian last name. This story is only partly true. The Knudson name was always a part of Erik Knudson Loven's name, our immigrant ancestor.
Many Norwegians used to have three names, the first two being their legal name. Erik is the given name, Knudson is the last name, and Loven is the farm name. Erik Knudson's father was named Knud, that is why Erik's last name is Knudson. As you will see while reading the Norwegian genealogies, family last names changed every generation--the children took on the father's name as their last name. Daughters got the name with the ending "-datter" and they kept their maiden name when they got married. The farm name was not a legal part of someone's name. People sometimes added it to their last name to differentiate themselves from someone else with the same first and last names. The farm name could be the name of the farm where someone was born or it could be where they were currently living, and a person could change it when they moved if they wanted.
Many Norwegians who came to America kept their farm names as their new legal last names, but others left off the farm name and went by their patronymic, or father's name. Erik Knudson obviously decided to leave off Loven, the farm where he was born, when he emigrated to America. Whether he decided to leave it off because of the word "love" or for some other reason, we may never know for sure.
The Knudson Family
|
Lewis
Edward Knudson was born 23 April 1884 in Wessington Springs, Jerauld, South
Dakota; the son of Erik
and Gjertrud
(Vangestad) Knudson.1 He married Magdalene
Hansen Wold on 29 July 1908 in Pierre, Hughes, South Dakota. The photograph to
the left was taken on their wedding day.
In 1909 Lewis was living in Section 2 of Wessington Springs township, Jerauld, South Dakota.2 According to the 1910 U.S. census his household consisted of himself, his wife, son Gerald, mother Gertrude, brother-in-law Hans Wold, and brother George Knudson.3 In the 1930 census, Lewis and Magdalene were living at 322 East 4th Ave., Mitchell, Davison, South Dakota with all nine of their children.4 At that time, Lewis was employed by the railroad. Lewis died 21 December 1950 in Plankinton, Aurora, South Dakota.5 |
Erik Knudson was born February 19, 1838 on Loven farm in Aurland parish, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway; the son of Knud Erichsen and Anna Larsdatter.6 In 1865 he is living on Vangestad farm7 in Sogndal parish where he had married Gjertrud Nilsdatter on June 13 of that year.8 On 31 December 1865, their first child, Nils, was born.9 Erik, Gjertrud, and Nils soon emigrated to America and left Bergen, Norway on 29 April 1866 on the ship Brødrene10 and arrived in Quebec, Canada on May 27th.11 They first settled in Wisconsin, but stayed there only briefly. In the spring of 1867, they moved near Sioux City, Woodbury County, Iowa, where Erik had a farm of 120 acres. The Knudson family was still living in Sioux City township in 1870,12 but I could not find them in the 1880 census. In 1883, the family moved to Wessington Springs, Jerauld County, South Dakota. Erik's family endured the hardships of pioneer life. Their first house was 14 x 16 feet and one season their crops were destroyed by hail. According to a brief biography of Erik's son, Charles, in 1899 Erik had a 320 acre farm on which he raised stock.13 Erik had visited Norway in 1886 as he is listed on a ship's register departing Bergen in March of that year.14 The family story about Erik is that he returned to Norway, brought his childhood sweetheart back to America, and moved to northern Minnesota. According to his obituary in a Norman County, Minnesota newspaper, he settled in Fossum, Minnesota in 1893.15 That date obviously overlaps with the 1899 date of the Charles Knudson biography. However in the 1900 U.S. Census, he is listed as living alone and single (not divorced) in Flom? Township, Norman County, Minnesota.16 Erik Knudson died 18 January 1908 in Twin Valley, Norman, Minnesota.17
Children:
Nils Erikson Knudson, b: 31 December 1865
Charles (AKA Carl) Knudson, b: 1868
Aaron Knudson, b: abt. 1869
George E.
Gustav
daughter
daughter
Lewis Edward Knudson, b: 23 April 1884, d: 21 December 1950
Knud Erichsen was born 5 April 1790 in Vangen, Aurland, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway; the son of Erich Larssen and Brita Knuddatter.18 He married Anna Larsdatter before 1822. In 1865 he is living on Loven farm with many of his grown children.19
Children:
Erick Knudsen, b: 15 December 1822, d: bef. November 1823
Erick Knudsen, b: 23 November 1823, d: bef. 1838
Britha Knuddatter, b: 6 August 1826
Lars Knudsen, b: 11 December 1828
Anna Knuddatter, b: 9 March 1832
Thor Knudsen, b: 6 June 1833
Christine Knuddatter, b: 17 November 1835
Erik Knudsen, b: 19 February 1838, d: 18 January 1908
Anna Larsdatter married Knud Erichsen before 1822 and died before 1865. I have no other concrete information about her. Based on Norwegian naming traditions and the names of Knud's and Anna's children, it is likely that she is the same Anna Larsdatter that was born to Lars Johannessen and Anna Ellenddatter on 2 July 1798 on Loven farm.20
Erich Larssen was born 3 October
1751 on Skaim farm, Aurland, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway.21
He married Brita Knuddatter
16 June 1783.22 In 1801, he and his family were living on
the Aurland Parish farm where he is listed as a tenant farmer with land.23
Children:
Lars Erichsen, b: 21 September 1783, d: 9 October 1783
Ingebor Erichsdatter, b: 28 December 1784
Randi Erichsdatter, b: 1 January 1788
Knud Erichsen, b: 5 April 1790Brita Knuddatter was born 19 September 1751 on Tero farm, Aurland parish, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway; the daughter of Knud Ellingsen.24 She married Erich Larssen on 16 June 1783.22 In 1801, she was living on the Aurland Parish farm with her husband and children.23
Lars Erichsen was born in 1725. Of the five children that I could find born to him only one survived longer than three months. He died 11 May 1792 in Vangen, Aurland, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway.
Children:
Erich Larssen, b: 20 June 1748, d: 10 August 1748
Erich Larssen, b: 13 July 1749, d: 30 September 1749
Brita Larsdatter, b: 23 August 1750, d: 9 November 1750
Erich Larssen, b: 3 October 1751, d: aft. 1801
Brita Larsdatter, b: 22 February 1755, d: 2 April 1755
Click here to send suggestions for changes or corrections.
Notes:
1. Birth Record for Lewis E Knudson, 23 April 1884, State File Number 609215, State of South Dakota, "Birth Record Search Site For South Dakota Birth Records With Birth Dates Over 100 Years," http://www.state.sd.us/applications/PH14Over100BirthRec/index.asp.
2.
3. 1910 United States Census, Wessington Springs Township, Jerauld County, South Dakota; E.D. 249, p. ??, family 383, dwelling 378, lines 24-29; 13 May 1910; http://www.ancestry.com.
4. 1930 United States Census, Mitchell City, Davison County, South Dakota; E.D. 18-9, p. 24-A/189, family 612, dwelling 566, lines 23-33; 21 April 1910; http://www.ancestry.com.
5. "Cemeteries: Graceland Cemetery, city of Mitchell, Davison CO SD," http://www.rootsweb.com/~sddaviso/cgracehijklcem.htm.
6. Birth Record for Erik Knuds. Loven, 19 February 1838, Aurland Parish, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway, "Kulturnett Sogn og Fjordane Databases," http://www.sffarkiv.no/sffbasar/default.asp?lang=eng.
7. 1865 Norwegian Census, Vangestad farm, Sogndal parish, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway, "Kulturnett Sogn og Fjordane Databases," http://www.sffarkiv.no/sffbasar/default.asp?lang=eng.
8. Marriage Record for Erik Knuts. and Gjertrud Nilsd., Sogndal parish, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway, "Kulturnett Sogn og Fjordane Databases," http://www.sffarkiv.no/sffbasar/default.asp?lang=eng.
9. Birth Record for Nils Eriks., 31 December 1865, Sogndal parish, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway, "Kulturnett Sogn og Fjordane Databases," http://www.sffarkiv.no/sffbasar/default.asp?lang=eng.
10. Passenger Records for Erik Knudsen Vangestad, Gertrud Vangestad, and Niels Vangestad, 29 April 1866; "Ship Lists Bergen-Quebec 1865–1873," http://digitalarkivet.uib.no.
11. Ship Arrival Records, "Ship lists Bergen - Quebec 1865–1873," http://www.hist.uib.no/arkivverket/quebec-eng.htm.
12. 1870 United States Census, Sioux City Township, Woodbury County, Iowa; p. 18/339, family 105, dwelling 101, lines 17-21; 15 June 1870; http://www.ancestry.com.
13. "Charles Knudson Biography," in Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography, including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and representative citizens of South Dakota... (Chicago: G. A. Ogle, 1899).
14. ship record for E.K.L.
15. Obituary of Erick Knutson, Twin Valley Times, 22 January 1908.
16. 1900 United States Census, Flom? Township, Norman County, Minnesota; p. ??, family 77, dwelling 77, line 58; 19 June 1900; microfilm records, Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, MN.
17. Death Record for Erik Knudsen Loven, 18 January 1908, "Norman County Death Record Index, L, 1871-1922," http://www.rootsweb.com/~mnnorman/Death/death_l.htm.
18. Birth Record for Knud Erichs. Vangen, 5 April 1790, Aurland parish, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway, "Kulturnett Sogn og Fjordane Databases," http://www.sffarkiv.no/sffbasar/default.asp?lang=eng.
19. 1865 Norwegian Census, Loven farm, Aurland parish, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway, "Kulturnett Sogn og Fjordane Databases," http://www.sffarkiv.no/sffbasar/default.asp?lang=eng.
20. Birth Record for Anna Larsd. Loven, 2 July 1798, Aurland parish, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway, "Kulturnett Sogn og Fjordane Databases," http://www.sffarkiv.no/sffbasar/default.asp?lang=eng.
21. Birth Record for Erich Larss. Skaim, 3 October 1751, Aurland parish, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway, "Kulturnett Sogn og Fjordane Databases," http://www.sffarkiv.no/sffbasar/default.asp?lang=eng.
22. marriage record
23. 1801 Norwegian Census, Aurland parish, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway, "Kulturnett Sogn og Fjordane Databases," http://www.sffarkiv.no/sffbasar/default.asp?lang=eng.
24. Birth Record for Brita Knudd. Tero, 19 September 1751, Aurland parish, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway, "Kulturnett Sogn og Fjordane Databases," http://www.sffarkiv.no/sffbasar/default.asp?lang=eng.