My Swedish gr.father's name changed as was his parents.
Teetertotter
Every generation up to my grand father have different last names, making it very hard to find. Even when they arrived in the US they changed their name again.
This is so hard for me to understand, let alone research.
My father's last name was Davidson, his father's American name was John W Davidson, but his Swedish name was Johan Alfred A Flod and if my information is right, his father's name was Anders Johansson.
Why the different names and how do I go about finding other ancestors when they have different names, and I don't know what they were??? Thank you for any help you can share...
by Teetertotter
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Teetertotter has been a Family Tree Circles member since Mar 2011. is researching the following names: DAVIDSONJOHANSSON, JOHANSSON, DAVIDSON and 5 other(s).
Answers
Teetertotter on 2011-03-11 21:52:05Thank you so much for sharing that information. I know none of the names previous to Anders Johansson which is making it so hard, but I will try the websites you suggested and see where they take me.
Thanks again...
janilye on 2011-03-12 07:00:39Ellis Island is an excellent website .
also https://www.familysearch.org/ Their page on Sweden is probably the best starting point you can find anywhere.
And Genline is an ongoing project to put 20 million pages of Swedish church records from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries on line in gif and tif picture formats. http://www.genline.se/
And Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Centre have a genealogist online http://www.augustana.edu/x13856.xml
I don't envy you, just at a glance at the Swedish Immigration Records I found several Flod's hope you have dates. By the way the records are in Swedish. :)
Teetertotter on 2011-03-12 08:00:01This is definitely going to be a challenge. Being a relative newbie and not able read Swedish, I wonder how far I will be able to get, but with the suggestions I've gotten from fine folks like you, hopefully I will find some information. They all sound promising.
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.
allycat on 2011-03-12 12:22:20Welcome. You could download Babylon9 from Babelfish - Free Online Translation Language Translator.
GenealogyWise - Sweden & Swedish Ancestry sign up as a new user, then search for 'Sweden' top right hand corner, and click to join this Group.
Sweden Genealogy Forum
And if you Google 'Swedish naming patterns' you might glean some insight.
Best wishes.
Teetertotter on 2011-03-12 14:28:09SWEET!!!! Thank you so much. This information looks to be so promising. I never would have dreamed there were so many place to go to.
Thanks for sharing....
allycat on 2011-03-12 14:47:37You're welcome. I forgot to mention Rootschat register as a new user, look at their research in other countries board, emmigrants/immigrants.
Think about putting your family tree online. Say perhaps at Geni. Once you click on link all you will see is it will ask you to begin your tree, so just start entering your own information and work you way upwards. What's great about the site is it is free, and you can upgrade to GeniPro later on and also the fact that you can find and collaborate with living descendants who may hold the elusive clue to your ancestry ... by that I mean those 4th and 5th cousins who are always out there. Invite your rellies electronically to your tree via their email address no matter where they live.
Teetertotter on 2011-03-12 15:00:18I will certainly check into Geni as I would love to have my cousins put on their information as I seem to have a hard time getting anything out of them myself...
BTW do you use Babylon9??? I just did a review check on it and two of three didn't advise it as it put a lot of spammy things on their computer and even though they removed Babylon they still get junk coming in. Maybe just a coincidence or an older version, but thought I'd see if you use it.
I will check Rootschat asap too. Thanks again.
allycat on 2011-03-12 15:10:22I guess it does pay to have a good anti-spam, anti-virus software on your pesonal computer to prevent any problems. I use AVG.
There are other free translation services online that you can translate a page of text by way of cut 'n paste without having to download software to your pc free or otherwise.