Getting Started with Danish Towns of Origin
Hello everyone! How are you doing this week? I hope you enjoyed some 4th of July celebrations yesterday if you celebrate that. I know we had fun with watching fireworks and having our own barbecue dinner with all of our family that lives in the area. It was awesome!
So who’s ready to talk about all things Danish genealogy?! I am!!!! No really, I am. That’s what we will be talking about for quite awhile because Danish genealogy is also just as awesome as Norwegian and Swedish genealogy. So let’s get started!
How to Find Danish Town of Origin
You all know by now that to get started in Danish genealogy you must have your ancestor’s town of origin. Do you remember the general process on how to find it? First, start with what you know and here are some questions that will help you remember what you have and what you still need to get.
- Do you know the name of his/her parents?
- Do you know his/her birth, marriage, or death date or can you calculate an approximate range of years to search for his/her birth, marriage, or death?
- Do you know the name of the spouse? Did they marry before or after coming to the United States?
- Do you know the names of any of his/her siblings?
- Do you know the names of any children born in Denmark?
Why do you need to know this? Because just like the other Scandinavian countries, Denmark can have the same Nils Nilsen in Copenhagen and in Odense. Therefore, you need to have more than just a name to find the correct ancestor. That’s why these questions are important to ask first. It will give you a good foundation to jump from when getting into real Danish records.
American Records for Danish Town of Origin
Next, you want to search a variety of records in order to find the town of origin. Here’s a list of American records that will help you find it if you haven’t already.
- Birth certificates
- Marriage certificates or licenses
- Death certificates
- Obituaries
- Funeral cards
- Journals
- Photographs
- Letters
- Family Bible
- Naturalization papers
- Citizenship papers
- Military service records
Family Stories for Finding Danish Town of Origin
Third, don’t forget to ask your family about any stories they’ve heard about your Danish immigrant ancestors. That’s what helped me find the correct ancestor for my Norwegian line. I had many people to choose from when looking at just records, but when I combined those records with what I knew from my ancestor’s immigrant stories, I was able to narrow those people down to my ancestor.
Ask your family again to hear the stories if it’s been awhile. Stories have a way of evolving and people remember different things about the same ancestor. You obviously have to use your common sense with these stories because they can get very far from the truth, but there usually is a grain of truth to even the most outlandish stories.
Last, remember that when your ancestor came over from Denmark, they may have changed their information to fit in with America. Therefore, the more American records that you find with the same town of origin the better. That means you have the correct place. However, you may still have some research to do because they may have said they came from a bigger area when they actually came from a small farm from that bigger area. So keep your options open!
Summary
Just like with Norway and Sweden, Denmark genealogy starts with finding your ancestor’s place of origin. If you have ancestors in Norway and Sweden, then check out this post and this post to see how you get started in these countries as well. In addition, FamilySearch has amazing articles on Denmark that will help you learn more. So go check those out!
As always, I’m here if you need me. I would love to help you break down your genealogy brick wall starting with a free 30 minute consultation.
Good luck and happy hunting!
Tiffany
P.S. Have you signed up for my weekly Wednesday Wisdom? New subscribers get a free download of all of the American and Scandinavian websites that work for me in each country.