In Norway the name is spelled Straumbotn or Strømbotn or Strømbotne. It is a place location.

Literally translated: Strøm means stream and botn means bottom, however botn in this context means bottom deep into the fjord. Natively it is pronounced —

Strømbotn was a long standing name for the farm where my ancestors were born, lived, and died.

Older spelling variations of the farm name from the Oluf Rygh Norwegian Farm Names documentation project:

1. Strømbotten         1641
2. Botneenget          1647
3. Strøm Bottenn     1661
4. Strømbotten         1723
5. Strømbotn            1838 and 1891

Aron, Aren or Arne (all 3 names were used) was a farmer at Straumbotn from 1641 to 1667

Arne or Aren Anderssøn  was a farmer at Straumbotn from 1668 to 1700

Mons Pedersøn was a farmer at Straumbotn,  beginning in 1701 and is the oldest known relative. In 1710 he re-married. His second wife was  Siselle Pedersdatter (1664 1748) from Forsbakken Farm. He had no children by her.

   Children: (from his first marriage)

   Kirsten [ Kirsti ], (1700 d. 26.9.1772) daughter and heir

          Beritte (1704 – ?) married Christen Iversøn, from Bjerklia Farm and lived on Bnr.1 (276a) Straumbotn from 1735. They had 7 children and no heirs.

There is an article that describes the patronymic naming system observed in the following tables but simplified: A child’s surname came from the father’s first name. If you had a daughter you would add – datter to the end of the father’s firstname, if you had a son you would append  – sen or –son, – søn, the meaning is the same) to the father’s first name. Sometimes the name of the farm was used as a 3rd name not so much as a surname but as an address identifier. The following table is translated from parish census records : Hemnes Church in Nordland, Norway and from Carl-Anders Olsson online and the Digitalarkivet at the University of Bergen online. The tabular presentation that follows is a simplification of statistical information contained in the book of farms: Hemnes Gård og Slekt. You can inspect a copy of pages 567 to 572 (Straumbotn) from that book. Keep in mind that the contents of the book of farms is itself a transcribed version of original handwritten ledgers for farm number 89 in the book. Note: The Leilending (leaseholder) didn’t own the land but was granted it’s use through a lifetime lease contract.  The Strombotne relatives were leilending (tenant) farmers. See background information on Norwegian farms. The leaseholder was generally a couple and the lease was good for his, or her lifetime.  The biggest threat was the death of either the husband or the wife, since there had to be a “couple” on the farm; consequently, remarriages were very common in the leilending system.  In most cases a leilending couple could let offspring inherit the land, but a new lease contract had to be registered. 

As families grew, Strømbotten farm would be divided to accommodate. A secondary numbering unit (‘bruksnummer’ with the abbreviation ‘bnr.’) with a name commonly appended was utilized for such property. As such Mons Pedersøn allowed for his two daughters and their families by dividing the farm into 2 units Bnr. 1 Straumbotn and Bnr. 2 Straumbotn in 1726. Eventually there would be additional units added:  Bnr. 3 NYGAARD in 1892, a new parcel from Bnr. 1 Bnr. 4 ØVRINGMO in 1899, a new parcel also from Bnr. 1 Bnr. 5 NYMOEN in 1911, a new parcel from Bnr. 2 Bnr. 6 BJERKE in 1948,  a new parcel also from Bnr. 2 and Bnr. 7 SJELMO from Bnr.5 in 1951

Anders Jacobsøn (1697 – 1754) from Straumfors lived on Bnr. 2 (276b) Straumbotn from 1726. He married Kirsti [ Kirsten ] Monsdatter.  in 1725

    Children:

    Guru, (1726) moved to Brattland bnr. 3

    Ole, (1728, d. 29.1. 1785)  unmarried

   Jacob, (1733 – 1797) son and heir

 Jacob Anderssøn (1733 – 1797), worked on Bnr. 2 Straumbotn all his life. In 1763 he married Else Jonsdatter (1736 1815) from Medstraum Farm

    Children:

    Anders, (16.9.1765, d.  1785) died on a trip to Lofoten

    Jon, (9.6. 1767)  moved to ______  bnr. 9

    Ole, (1769, d. 2.5. 1772) smallpox

    Mogens [ Mons ], (1770 – 1839)  farmed here with his father until his father’s death after which he left for Tybekken Farmand married there.

    Kiersten [ Kjersten ],  (1773 -1814) daughter and heir

Johannes Johansen (8.1. 1771 d. 9.12.1859) born in Drevvatn married in 1796 Kjersten [ Kiersten ] Jacobsdatter. (1773 – 1814) and so on…

The 1900 Census for Strømbotten  Farm lists Units 2 and also Unit 1, 3 . In the 1900 Census, Kristoffer Olai and his daughter Pernille have adopted the farm name for their last name as per custom trend. The change to a fixed family surname  began in the early 1800’s and was widespread by about 1900. The use of a fixed family name was made compulsory by law in Norway in 1923. As a result of this change, many began using their patronymic name as their fixed family name; others chose their farm name as their permanent family name and thus the name — Strømbotne or Strombotne.

Straumbotn [Strømbotne] Gård [Farm]

In Norway the name is spelled Straumbotn and here is the farm as it appears today: Straumbotn Gård at Nesnaveien 832, N-8725 UTSKARPEN