Friends , after a week out of connextion, I`m now back. Now I have moved to
a Copenhagen suburb, and even I still have more than 80 boxes to emty and
put up some lights, I got my computer and telephone up and on.

With a weeks delay I can post a comment to the naming traditions and laws
in Denmark.
I can see that you are now looking for origine gambian names. I find it
very interesting. But here is my delayed comment:


I´m sure there are many different name-traditions, not to mention rules and
regulations all over.
I once studied the names and the naming traditions in Denmark in the 15
century taken all the names from the deeds and seals on documents. It was
fantastic to see how many specially first names origined from The Bible,
from south of Europa, very few was of nordic origine. The surnames were
also "foreign". This is not unusual because most of the people who could
afford to exchange deeds came from families with origine in Europe south of
Denmark. Many names were also taken from the nature, animals, a custom
which is more common in Sweden than in Denmark. Or else you were given the
name of the place where you were born or came from, or the job you
performed.

Up till the last century the "normal" naming-rules among the peasants was
that you took your fathers name as your surname. F.in. Peter Hansson. His
son would be given a first name f.in. Kresten and his surname would be his
fathers first name + son = Kresten Peterson. So Peterson was the son of
Hansson, who was the son of Hans. The son of Kresten Peterson would be
f.in. Niels Krestenson. So you could not recognize a famely-line on a
common surname, because the surname was changed every next generation. To
find the father you should look for a first name.

Hans Jenson (later Jensen)
Peter Hanson (Hansen)
Kresten Petersen
Niels Kristensen

In Iceland they still practise this rule. It´s very difficult for a
foreinger to find a person in the telephone-book, because you will have to
know the persons first name. And if it´s a daughter she will take the
fathers first name + dottir (=daughter). Ragnhild Ingemarsdottir is the
daughter of Ingemar.

How is todays naming-law in Denmark, when you marry ?

Let say I,  Asbjørn Sterner Nordam  marry  Grethe Mollerup Pedersen.

1. In the mariage we can continue with our own names A.S.N. and G.M.P.
2. We can also decide to take one of the surnames, so we will be A.S.Nordam
and G.M.Nordam or A.S.Pedersen and G.M.Pedersen
3. We can exchage surnames: A. S. Pedersen and G. M. Nordam
4. We can keep our surnames as second name, and take the spouse´s surname:
Asbjørn Sterner Nordam Pedersen and Grethe Mollerup Pedersen Nordam
4 A) If we want to make hyphen in between we can do so but it is a
"name-changing" and will cost DKr. 3000: A. S. Nordam-Pedersen/ G. M.
Pedersen-Nordam
4 B) If we can and want to make a surname as a combination of the two
surnames, we will have to apply because that is also a "change of names"
and if allowed it will cost DKr. 3000,-

It is not allowed to make the combination 4), 4 A) if we both want to have
the same combination as a joint surname. F.in: if we want to have Nordam
Pedersen or Pedersen Nordam, because you are not allowed to have your
spouse´s surname as a second name (?!)

There are names which are "protected". F.in. I can not erase my surname
"Nordam" and make my second name "Sterner" as my surname. The
Sterner-family will not allow that to happen, so their name as many other
names are "protected".

You are not allowed to create a name which is so close to a protected one,
that it can be misunderstood as so: f.in. "Steerner" og "Sternar"

You may not use a name which can be or is offensive for other people.

Historical names are also protected.

The surname may not conflict with normal danish language in spelling or
pronunciation,

and a first name may never be used as a surname.

When a child is born it will automatically get the parents surname, if they
have the same surname. f.in. "Nordam" or "Pedersen"

If the parents have different surnames, they can decide that the child will
have
a) the fathers OR the mothers surname, "Nordam" or "Pedersen"
b) a combination of the parents different surnames "Nordam Pedersen" or
"Pedersen Nordam" or
c) within the first 6 month of the childs life it´s also free to have the
combination with the hyphen: "Nordam-Pedersen" or "Pedersen-Nordam". But if
not registered as so it will after 6 month have to apply and pay to get
such a surname.

A name will have to be registered by the authorities not later than 6
months after the birth else the authorities will automatically register the
child with the surname of the mother the day she gave birth to the child

I´m Asbjørn Herluf Juul Sterner Nordam, but I only use Asbjørn Nordam.
"Asbjørn" is ancient nordic, "Herluf" is my grandfathers (my mothers
father) first name, "Juul" is second name in my mothers family (she was
Tove Agnete Juul Segalt, but took my fathers surname when they married),
"Sterner" is second name in my fathers family (he was Egon Sterner Nordam),
and both my parents surname was "Nordam" the day I was born.

Regards from Asbjørn Nordam

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