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:
- Strømbotten 1641
- Botneenget 1647
- Strøm Bottenn 1661
- Strømbotten 1723
- 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 to 1748) from Forsbakken Farm. He had no children by her.
Children:
Kirsten [ Kirsti ], (1700 d. 26.9.1772) (from his first marriage) 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
- Google Map Location for Straumbotn
- Wiki Map Location 66.29651 N, 13.717431 E
- Strømbotn Farm is referenced as #89
- Ugland Norwegian Tourist Map