=== Getting started with genealogy in Iceland === Do you have family in Iceland and want to delve into Icelandic genealogy? It’s quite easy since the records are very good and accessible online. So it’s mostly a question of knowing where to start. There are just a few things you must know before you start. === Naming convention: === In Iceland we still use patronymic names. The naming laws do not permit you to start a Family (Sur) Name. Only immigrants and families that already have Family Names are permitted to use Family (Sur) Names.
Patronymic and Matronymic names are simply the first name of the father or mother (you can pick either or both) with the ending of son, dóttir or bur. Examples:
* A son of Jón would have the last name of Jónsson and his daughter would be Jónsdóttir. * A son of Eva would be Evuson and her daughter would be Evudóttir. *A son of Eva and Jón could be Evu Jónsson or Jóns Evuson. Some Icelandic names change quite a bit in genitive form. *A son of Anna would be Önnuson and her daughter would be Önnudóttir. * A son of Sigurður could be either Sigurðsson or Sigurðarson. * A son of Guðmundur could be either Guðmundsson or Guðmundarson. * A son of Björn could be either Bjarnarson or Björnsson. * A son of Bjarni would be Bjarnason. But you don’t have to worry about that, just be aware of it and remember that a person’s last name is the first name of his or her father. There are only a few cases of matronymic names before 1950. === The alphabet: === We have a few letters that are unique to Iceland and the Faroe Islands and a few more that we also share with other Nordic countries. To compensate, we threw out some letters we don't use, including C, Q, W and Z. The Icelandic alphabet has 32 letters because we count the letters with an accent over as letters. [https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Project:Iceland#Icelandic_alphabet Icelandic alphabet] It's best if you use the Icelandic alphabet when writing Icelandic names. One thing you cannot do is substitute '''Þ''' with a '''P'''. Not ever. If you can’t write '''Þ''' then use '''Th''' instead. The same applies to '''ð''', it should be substituded with a '''d'''. We can forgive anything else. === The geography: === Iceland is now divided into 64 Municipalities. But, until the 1990’s it was divided into [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counties_of_Iceland 23 counties and 23 independent towns]. Most historical sources are sorted by which county or ‘sýsla’ they belonged to, so that is what we mostly use in genealogy. The 1920 census is organized by county / municipality (sýsla / [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hreppur hreppur]). Every other census is organized by county / parish (sýsla / sókn). Parishes are grouped into Provsti ([https://is.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pr%C3%B3fastsd%C3%A6mi Prófastdæmi]), but most of the prófastdæmi follow the same geographical areas as the sýsla so it’s easier to just use the sýsla, and that is what you'll see on most genealogical sites. So that is what we will do as well. There were 23 sýslur that were grouped into 5 quarters (Yes, there are 5 quarters in Iceland. We can’t count). Here is the Wikipedia page for [https://is.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%BDslur_%C3%8Dslands Sýslur Íslands] with a link to each sýsla. {|border="1" | '''Suðurland''' || '''Austurland''' || '''Norðurland''' || '''Vestfirðir''' || '''Vesturland''' |- | Árnessýsla || Austur-Skaftafellssýsla || Austur-Húnavatnssýsla || Austur-Barðastrandarsýsla || Borgarfjarðarsýsla |- | Rangárvallasýsla || Norður-Múlasýsla || Eyjafjarðarsýsla || Norður-Ísafjarðarsýsla || Dalasýsla |- | Vestur-Skaftafellssýsla || Suður-Múlasýsla || Norður-Þingeyjarsýsla || Strandasýsla || Gullbringusýsla |- | || || Skagafjarðarsýsla || Vestur-Barðastrandarsýsla || Kjósarsýsla |- | || || Suður-Þingeyjarsýsla || Vestur-Ísafjarðarsýsla || Mýrasýsla |- | || || Vestur-Húnavatnssýsla || || Snæfells- og Hnappadalssýsla |- |} Each county in divided into multiple parishes. When you have figured out in which parish in which county your family lived, they are easy to find. === Let’s get cracking with some genealogy: === We’ll have to start with [https://www.islendingabok.is/ Íslendingabók]. ''„The database Íslendingabók contains genealogical information about the inhabitants of Iceland, dating more than 1,200 years back. Íslendingabók is a collaboration project between deCODE genetics, a research company in the field of medical genetics, and Friðrik Skúlason, an anti-virus software entrepreneur. The project's goal is to trace all known family connections between Icelanders from the time of the settlement of Iceland to present times and register the genealogical information in a database. “'' Sadly, only citizens of Iceland have access to this, so you will have to do without. But if you get stuck, then ask in G2G, tag Iceland. Somebody will look it up for you. There are two main sources for Icelandic genealogy, census records and church books. Only two sites to keep track of. There are other sites to use if those don’t answer your question. But 90% of your work will be on those two sites. === The census records: === [http://manntal.is/?lang=en The National Archives of Iceland Census Database] has most of the censuses indexed and searchable. It contains the following censuses: * 1703 * 1816 * 1835 * 1840 * 1845 * 1850 * 1855 * 1860 * 1870 * 1880 * 1890 * 1901 * 1910 * 1920 These are the majority of censuses that cover the whole country. The only one missing is the 1801 census. There are some other, earlier, censuses, but those cover only parts of the country.
Consequently, it’s easy to trace an ancestor up to 1816 and that is the period we will concentrate on. When you are ready to jump into earlier records, you will have to dive into other sources. To search for someone on the census site, you’ll have to pick a census or two, and write their name in the search field. Be aware that you must spell the name exactly as it’s spelled in the record. You may have to try a few different variations before you find the record you are looking for. If your search results in too many records then mark the Advanced search and narrow the search down to County. Just press the first letter of the county and you will see a prompt with a list of Counties beginning with that letter. Another method is to narrow the search by age. You'll need to enter the person's age, not their birth year. Consequently you can't search for a range of birth dates and will have to do several searches, one for each age you want to search. For example, let's search for Jón Jónsson born about 1855 in the 1880 census. That would make him about 25 when he died. You can write 25 in the Age field. You can also write 23-27. In the case of the 1910 and 1920 censuses, the records are listed by date of birth. But you will still use the age (and not an age range) for your search. So for our example, Jón would be around 65 in the 1920 census, so you write 65. If that search doesn’t result in the records you want, then try 64 and 66. The 1910 and 1920 census also have Reykjavík, and some of the bigger towns, as its own county, but it doesn’t show in the county field as a possibility, so you’ll just have to write that in the field. Starting with the 1816 and 1845 census, place of birth is included in the record. This is helpful when searching church parishes and helps to separate people who may have same or similar names and ages. === Church records: === The National Archives of Iceland has a ‘[http://vefsja.skjalasafn.is/geoserver/www/vefsja/index.html Vefsjá]’, a site where you can find every church book that has been scanned. The site is only in Icelandic.
It’s organized by ‘Prestaköll’ which is a group of parishes with the same priest, and often the same church book. This is very logical, when you think of the sources, but can make finding the correct parish challenging.
When you click on any Prestakall you will get a list of all the parishes within that Prestakall and a date when they were a part of that Prestakall (singular). Some parishes can sometimes be found in one Prestakall and other times in another. So you may have to try a few Prestaköll (plural) before finding the one you want. But, to make it easier to find the area, I often start with another site, the Icelandic online telephone book. [https://ja.is/ Ja.is]. They have the best [https://ja.is/kort/?q= map of Iceland]. Google maps hasn’t caught up yet. So back to our example. You've found your Jón Jónsson in the 1880 census and it says that he was born in Kálfholtssókn S. A. (S.A. stands for South quarter). The parish is usually named after the location of the parish church as in this case Kálfholt, Kálfholt-s-sókn (''place name''+''possessive'' s+sókn (meaning parish)
We type in Kálfholt in the search field of the map site, and it shows a few possibilities, among them is Kálfholtskirkja. Kirkja means Church. We pick that one and it shows us where the church is located.
You can even change the site to aerial photos and drop down on the road and look at the church. But right now, we just want to zoom out, way out, and see where the church is compared to the map on the Vefsjá. Using the map makes it much easier to find the correct Prestakall for that particular parish. When you open the Prestakall, you will see a brief history at the top and then a list of available sources. There are two categories. Prestþjónustubækur and Sóknarmannatöl. '''"Prestþjónustubækur”''' are the church books. They are listed chronologically and each state which parish they cover, if nothing is stated, then the book covers the whole Prestakall and all the parishes.
The older books have various methods of organization. Some are chronological while others are grouped into birth, deaths, confirmations, and marriages, one category per section. Some records are split into parishes, while others aren't, depending on what that particular priest chose to do. After 1816 the records are more uniform, mostly containing Birth, Confirmations, Marriages and Death. Men on the left-hand page and women on the right-hand page. '''“Sóknarmannatöl”''' are lists of all parishioners at the time. They are a great resource to find people that moved between censuses. They are also the best way to identify people in the church books, where it may otherwise not be clear. Often parents are only identified by name and the place they lived, no age. If the people were not living at the same place in the census before and after, then you can find them here. When you have worked out their age, it should be easier to find them in the census records.
The Sóknarmannatöl are organized by year followed by geography. Following a priests visitation trail from farm to farm. A citation for this source could be something like: [https://skjalasafn.is Þjóðskjalasafn Íslands] [http://vefsja.skjalasafn.is/ Vefsjá] - [http://manntal.is/myndir/geymsluskrar_stafraen_afrit/Kalfholt_i_Holtum/IS_THI_0496_0000_152_B_BA_0003_01_001/2781_152_B_BA_0003_030.jpg Kálfholt - Prestþjónustubók 1817-1865 - glæra 29] This is the code: [https://skjalasafn.is Þjóðskjalasafn Íslands] [http://vefsja.skjalasafn.is/ Vefsjá] - [url Church book - glæra 29] You need to press the 'download page' and link to that page to get a link to the correct page. The link to the church books just returns the first page. === That's it === So in summary, there are Just two sites you must learn to use. Using Icelandic names with the correct alphabet will greatly help your search as will knowing a bit about Icelandic geography. After you've mastered these two sites, you move up to some of the other resources, including: * The [https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Project:Iceland Iceland Project] is a WikiTree project for all things Icelandic. Please [https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Project:Iceland#How_to_Join join] us there. * We have collected a list of sources here: [https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Project:Iceland#Resources Resources] * There is a specific page dedicated to emigrants from Iceland: [https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Iceland_Project_-_Icelandic_Emigration Icelandic Emigration] If there is anything that is unclear or you need help with, please ask in G2G, tag Iceland.

== Emigration from Iceland == A great many Icelanders emigrated to Brazil, Canada and America in the latter part of the 18th century and into the 19th century, mostly though between 1870 to 1914. It is estimated that some 15 thousond Icelanders emigrated, or around 20% of the nation. The largest Icelandic settlement was in Gimli in Manitoba, Canada. === General information: === * In Iceland we call the Emigrants [https://is.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesturfarar Vesturfarar], which simply means went West. * [http://hofsos.is/en/front-page/ Vesturfarasetrið] is a museum specifically covering Emigration from Iceland. === Sources:=== * [https://www.icelandicroots.com Icelandic Roots] is an online community of immigrants of Icelandic origin. They have been very active in collecting and preserving the history of the Icelandic immigrants. They have an extensive genealogical database. While it is mainly a subscription site, there are some free information that might be of interest to descendants of Icelandic migrants here. * [http://haskolautgafan.hi.is/vesturfaraskra_1870_1940 Vesturfaraskrá 1870-1940] by Júníus H. Kristinsson is a printet Record of Emigrants from Iceland to America 1870-1914 * The church books have records of people moving in and out of the parish. There is often mention of them moving West. [https://skjalasafn.is/national_archives_of_iceland National Archives of Iceland] has a map of Icelandic parishes with links to all the church books. [http://vefsja.skjalasafn.is/ Vefsjá] The [https://skjalasafn.is/national_archives_of_iceland National Archives of Iceland] has a collection of contracts for passages from Iceland to America/Canada. This collection is online and accessible through their [http://skjalaskrar.skjalasafn.is/ search site] under the term Vesturfararskrár. The page is only in Icelandic. Since this is rather difficult to find here is a list of the content of the collection: * Sýslumaðurinn í Norður-Múlasýslu og bæjarfógetinn á Seyðisfirði ** [http://skjalaskrar.skjalasafn.is/r/NjUwMTg4 Norður-Múlasýsla vesturfaraskrár 1876-1876] *** page 1 - Vesturfarasamningar - Með Verona frá Seyðisfirði 1876 (nr. 301-330) *** page 32 - Vesturfarasamningar - Með Verona frá Seyðisfirði 1876 (nr. 331-365) *** page 65 - Vesturfarasamningar - Með Verona frá Seyðisfirði 1876 (nr. 367-400) ** [http://skjalaskrar.skjalasafn.is/r/NjUwMTkw Norður-Múlasýsla vesturfaraskrár 1876-1893] *** page 1 - Vesturfarasamningar - Skrá yfir farþega, er fóru með Copeland frá Seyðisfirði 1888. *** page 5 - Vesturfarasamningar - Skrá yfir farþega, er fóru með Snowdoun frá Seyðisfirði 1. ágúst 1877. *** page 9 - Vesturfarasamningar - Skrá yfir farþega, er fóru með Craigforth frá Seyðisfirði 15. júlí 1883. *** page 15 - Vesturfarasamningar - Skrá yfir farþega, er fóru með Craigforth frá Seyðisfirði 15. júlí 1883. *** page 21 - Vesturfarasamningar - Skrá yfir farþega, er fóru með Verona frá Seyðisfirði 15. júlí 1876. *** page 29 - Vesturfarasamningar - Skrá yfir farþega, er fóru með Lake Huron frá Seyðisfirði 2. ágúst 1893. *** page 37 - Vesturfarasamningar - Skrá yfir farþega, er fóru með Camoens frá Seyðisfirði 14. ágúst 1882. ** [http://skjalaskrar.skjalasafn.is/r/NjgwOTUy Norður-Múlasýsla vesturfaraskrár 1876-1893] *** Ýmis skjöl varðandi Vesturheimsferðir - Læknisvottorð, leiðbeiningar um skýrslugerð o.fl. ** [http://skjalaskrar.skjalasafn.is/r/MTM1MjQzMg== Norður-Múlasýsla vesturfaraskrár 1877-1877] *** Vesturfarasamningar - Með Snowdoun frá Seyðisfirði 1877 ** [http://skjalaskrar.skjalasafn.is/r/NzAwNzk2 Norður-Múlasýsla vesturfaraskrár 1878-1878] *** Vesturfarasamningar - Með Queen frá Seyðisf. og Vopnaf. 1878 ** [http://skjalaskrar.skjalasafn.is/r/NzAwNzk2 Norður-Múlasýsla vesturfaraskrár 1878-1878] *** Vesturfarasamningar - Skrá yfir farþega, er fóru með Queen frá Seyðisfirði og Vopnafirði 15. og 17. júlí 1878. ** [http://skjalaskrar.skjalasafn.is/r/ODc0ODU1 Norður-Múlasýsla vesturfaraskrár 1879-1880] *** page 2 - Vesturfarasamningar - Með Camoens frá Vopnafirði 1880 *** page 17 - Vesturfarasamningar - Með Camoens frá Vopnafirði 1879 ** [http://skjalaskrar.skjalasafn.is/r/NjUwMTg5 Norður-Múlasýsla vesturfaraskrár 1879-1893] *** page 1 - Vesturfaraskrár - Skrá yfir farþega, er fóru á vegum Allan-línunnar frá Vopnafirði 13. júlí 1883. *** page 5 - Vesturfaraskrár - Skrá yfir vesturfara frá Vopnafirði 8. júlí 1888. *** page 9 - Vesturfaraskrár - Skrá yfir farþega, er fóru með Camoens frá Vopnafirði 15. ágúst 1882. *** page 13 - Vesturfaraskrár - Skrá yfir farþega, er fóru með Camoens frá Vopnafirði 1. júlí 1879. ** [http://skjalaskrar.skjalasafn.is/r/OTM0NDg5 Norður-Múlasýsla vesturfaraskrár 1882-1882] *** Vesturfarasamningar - Með Camoens frá Seyðisf. og Vopnaf. 1882 ** [http://skjalaskrar.skjalasafn.is/r/NjUwMTg5 Norður-Múlasýsla vesturfaraskrár 1883-1883] *** Vesturfarasamningar - Með Camoens frá Vopnaf. 1883 ** [http://skjalaskrar.skjalasafn.is/r/NjczMjAw Norður-Múlasýsla vesturfaraskrár 1883-1883] *** Vesturfarasamningar - Með Craigforth frá Seyðisf. 1883 ** [http://skjalaskrar.skjalasafn.is/r/OTA4OTMy Norður-Múlasýsla vesturfaraskrár 1883-1883] *** Vesturfaraskrár - Skrá yfir það fólk, sem skrifaði sig til Vesturheims-ferðar hjá Benedikt Rafnssyni veturinn 1883. ** [http://skjalaskrar.skjalasafn.is/r/NzE5NzM2 Norður-Múlasýsla vesturfaraskrár 1886-1886] *** Vesturfarasamningar - Með Camoens frá Vopnaf. 1886 - Með Camoens frá Seyðisf. 1886 ** [http://skjalaskrar.skjalasafn.is/r/NjQ1MTMw Norður-Múlasýsla vesturfaraskrár 1887-1887] *** Vesturfarasamningar - Með Allan-línunni frá Seyðisf. 1887 ** [http://skjalaskrar.skjalasafn.is/r/MTg0OTQwMQ== Norður-Múlasýsla vesturfaraskrár 1888-1888] *** Vesturfarasamningar - Copeland frá Vopnafirði 8. júlí 1888. Nr. A 114-A 800 (29 samningar). ** [http://skjalaskrar.skjalasafn.is/r/OTM0NTE1 Norður-Múlasýsla vesturfaraskrár 1888-1888] *** Vesturfarasamningar - Thyra frá Akureyri 9. júní 1888. Ónúmeraðir (4 samningar). ** [http://skjalaskrar.skjalasafn.is/r/MTg5Njc0Mg== Norður-Múlasýsla vesturfaraskrár 1888-1888] *** Vesturfarasamningar - Með Allan-línunni frá Seyðisfirði 25. ágúst 1888. Nr. 1-27 (27 samningar). ** [http://skjalaskrar.skjalasafn.is/r/MTMyNDYwNA== Norður-Múlasýsla vesturfaraskrár 1889-1889] *** page 1 - Vesturfarasamningar - Magnetic frá Húsavík 22. júní 1889. Nr. 89/66-79 (14. samningar). *** page 16 - Vesturfarasamningar - Magnetic frá Reykjavík 18. júní 1889. Nr. 89/125 (1 samningur). *** page 18 - Vesturfarasamningar - Magnetic frá Stykkishólmi 19. júní 1889. Nr. 89/1-16 (16 samningar). *** page 36 - Vesturfarasamningar - Magnetic frá Ísafirði 20. júní 1889. Nr. 89/17-41 (25 samningar). *** page 62 - Vesturfarasamningar - Magnetic frá Sauðárkróki 22. júní 1889. Nr. 89/113-118 (6 samningar). *** page 69 - Vesturfarasamningar - Magnetic frá Akureyri 21. júní 1889. Nr. 89/42-65 (24 samningar). *** page 94 - Vesturfarasamningar - Með Magnetic 24. júní 1889. Nr. 89/80-129 (43 samningar). *** page 139 - Vesturfarasamningar - Magnetic frá Seyðisfirði 7. júlí 1889. Nr. 89/151-178 (28 samningar). ** [http://skjalaskrar.skjalasafn.is/r/MTIxOTE4Nw== Norður-Múlasýsla vesturfaraskrár 1890-1890] *** page 1 - Vesturfarasamningar - Magnetic frá Reykjavík 18. júní 1890. Nr. 201-257 (14 samningar). *** page 16 - Vesturfarasamningar - Magnetic frá Stykkishólmi 19. júní 1890. Nr. 211-213 (3 samningar). *** page 20 - Vesturfarasamningar - Magnetic frá Ísafirði 20. júní 1890. Nr. 214-218 (5 samningar). *** page 26 - Vesturfarasamningar - Magnetic frá Sauðárkróki 20. júní 1890. Nr. 248-250 (3 samningar). *** page 30 - Vesturfarasamningar - Magnetic frá Akureyri 21. júní 1890. Nr. 237-245 (9 samningar). *** page 40 - Vesturfarasamningar - Magnetic frá Húsavík 22. júní 1890. Nr. 219-236 (18 samningar). *** page 59 - Vesturfarasamningar - Magnetic frá Vopnafirði 23. júní 1890. Nr. 251 (1 samningur). *** page 61 - Vesturfarasamningar - Magnetic frá Seyðisfirði 23. júní 1890. Nr. 253-258 (5 samningar). ** [http://skjalaskrar.skjalasafn.is/r/NjQ1MTMw Norður-Múlasýsla vesturfaraskrár 1891-1891] *** page 1 - Vesturfarasamningar - Magnetic frá Reykjavík 13. júní 1891. Nr. A 5 - A 91 (21 samningur). *** page 23 - Vesturfarasamningar - Magnetic frá Stykkishólmi 14. júní 1891. Nr. A 67 - A 80 (14 samningar). *** page 38 - Vesturfarasamningar - Magnetic frá Ísafirði 15. júní 1891. Nr. A81 - A90 (7 samningar). *** page 46 - Vesturfarasamningar - Magnetic frá Sauðárkróki 16. júní 1891. Nr. A 92 - A 95 (4 samningar). *** page 51 - Vesturfarasamningar - Magnetic frá Akureyri 16. júní 1891. Nr. A 96 - A 101 (6 samningar). *** page 58 - Vesturfarasamningar - Magnetic frá Seyðisfirði 18. júní 1891. Nr. A 102 - A 112 (11 samningar). ** [http://skjalaskrar.skjalasafn.is/r/NzY3NzM2 Norður-Múlasýsla vesturfaraskrár 1892-1892] *** page 1 - Vesturfarasamningar - Thyra frá Vopnafirði 6. ágúst 1892. Nr. 1 - 19 (19 samningar). *** page 21 - Vesturfarasamningar - Thyra frá Seyðisfirði 15. júní, 7. ágúst og 17. okt. 1892. Nr. 1 - 114 (17 samningar). ** [http://skjalaskrar.skjalasafn.is/r/MTg0OTQwMw== Norður-Múlasýsla vesturfaraskrár 1893-1893] *** page 1 - Vesturfarasamningar - Wiltshire frá Akureyri 29. júlí 1893 (til Seyðisfjarðar í veg fyrir Lake Huron). Nr. 60 - 84 (24 samningar). *** page 26 - Vesturfarasamningar - Wiltshire frá Vopnafirði 31. júlí 1893 (til Seyðisfjarðar í veg fyrir Lake Huron). Nr. 85 - 144 (60 samningar). *** page 87 - Vesturfarasamningar - Wiltshire frá Reykjavík 27. júlí 1893 (til Seyðisfjarðar í veg fyrir Lake Huron). Nr. 40 - 306 (22 samningar). *** page 110 - Vesturfarasamningar - Wiltshire frá Sauðárkróki 29. júlí 1893 (til Seyðisfjarðar í veg fyrir Lake Huron). Nr. 39 (1 samningur). *** page 112 - Vesturfarasamningar - Lake Huron frá Seyðisfirði 2. ágúst 1893 (með sama skipi fóru einnig farþegar af Wiltshire, komnir frá ýmsum höfnum) Nr. 1 - 38 (38 samningar). *** page 151 - Vesturfarasamningar - Thyra frá Seyðisfirði 13. júní og 20. okt. 1893. Nr. 1 - 127 (8 samningar). * Sýslumaðurinn í Strandasýslu ** [http://skjalaskrar.skjalasafn.is/r/MjAxODE2OQ== Strandasýsla vesturfaraskrár 1876-1876] ** [http://skjalaskrar.skjalasafn.is/r/MTk4MDA3NA== Strandasýsla vesturfaraskrár 1876-1876] ** [http://skjalaskrar.skjalasafn.is/r/OTIwNDYw Strandasýsla vesturfaraskrár 1876-1876] *** Vesturfaraskrár - Skrá yfir farþega, er fóru með Verona frá Borðeyri 28. júní 1876. ** [http://skjalaskrar.skjalasafn.is/r/MjAxODIwNg== Strandasýsla vesturfaraskrár 1876-1876] *** Vesturfaraskrár - Skrá yfir farþega, er fóru með Osborne frá Borðeyri 11. júlí 1878 (2 eint.). ** [http://skjalaskrar.skjalasafn.is/r/NzY3NzM2 Strandasýsla vesturfaraskrár 1878-1878] *** Vesturfarasamingar - Osborne frá Borðeyri 11. júlí 1878. Nr. 19-80 (26 samningar). ** [http://skjalaskrar.skjalasafn.is/r/MjAxODIyOA== Strandasýsla vesturfaraskrár 1881-1881] *** Vesturfarasamingar - Camoens frá Borðeyri 6. ágúst 1881. Nr. 802-830 (14 samningar). ** [http://skjalaskrar.skjalasafn.is/r/MjAxODI1NQ== Strandasýsla vesturfaraskrár 1882-1882] *** Vesturfarasamingar - Camoens frá Borðeyri 29. sept. 1882. 1 ónúmeraður samningur. ** [http://skjalaskrar.skjalasafn.is/r/OTIwNDYy Strandasýsla vesturfaraskrár 1887-1887] *** Vesturfaraskrár - Skrá yfir vesturfara, er fóru frá Borðeyri 1887. === Stickers === {{Migrating Ancestor |origin= Iceland |destination= Canada |origin-flag= European_Flags-10.png |destination-flag= Flags-1.png}} '''Migrating Ancestor''' The migrating sticker can be used on the profiles of Icelandic emigrants (or immigrants). It will not add the profile to any category. It can be used on a profile by adding: For Canada: {{Migrating Ancestor
|origin= Iceland
|destination= Canada
|origin-flag= European_Flags-10.png
|destination-flag= Flags-1.png}}
For America: {{Migrating Ancestor
|origin= Iceland
|destination= United States of America
|origin-flag= European_Flags-10.png
|destination-flag= 50star.gif}}
For Brazil: {{Migrating Ancestor
|origin= Iceland
|destination= Brazil
|origin-flag= European_Flags-10.png
|destination-flag= Flags-9.png}}
It should always be added '''below''' the == Biography == heading and '''above''' the == Sources == heading. Be sure to not leave out {{ and }} in the beginning and end. For more [https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Template:Migrating_Ancestor info on the template and where to find flag images].

The purpose of this page is to explain and present how person and location names are added correctly to the data fields for Icelandic profiles of "ordinary people." There have always been a few people in Iceland that have used Family Names. Those are exceptions. == How to add Icelandic Names and Locations into WT's Data Fields == First of all, it is never appropriate to use ALL CAPS in any data field so please don’t do that (not even to mark out a call name/preferred name). There is a comprehensive and detailed explanation of the WikiTree name fields which can be found here, [https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Name_Fields Name_Fields], but please note that different rules based on geography are also a reality because WT says '''we should use their convention instead of ours'''. That means, among other things, that when creating a profile, names (and locations) should be spelled correctly in the native language of the person/profile to avoid duplicates (spellings in Icelandic using á, ð, é, í, ó, ú, ý, þ, æ, ö for example). Another example, WikiTree calls the field for given names “Proper First Name” which can give the impression that only one name is allowed. Perhaps you have even experienced a warning text. However, '''multiple names are allowed''', and the message can be turned off in your settings. In fact, middle names are something that did not exist in many European countries until modern times. In the text explaining the [https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Help:Settings#Middle_Name_Warning Middle Name Warning] it actually says “Some cultures do not have middle names at all, and therefore certain members do not need to see the Middle Name Warning. If you select this setting, it will be turned off.” Therefore, multiple names can, and should, be added to “Proper First Name” when working on Icelandic profiles and finding more than one given name in the sources. If you have questions about Icelandic names not explained by this page you might want to ask in the Nordic Google Group and if you are not part of the Nordic Project you can ask questions in G2G, be sure to tag your question with country and also "Nordic". === Name fields for Icelandic profiles === When creating a profile, ensure that names are correctly spelled in the native language of the person/profile to avoid duplicates (spellings with á, ð, é, í, ó, ú, ý, þ, æ, ö for example). ==== Proper First Name ==== ALL given names should be added to this field. The names should be added in the same order mentioned in an official birth certificate or christening/baptismal record. Example: Sigríður Margrét. ==== Preferred Name ==== This field can unfortunately not be left empty and you should not assume that the first of two (or more) given names is the preferred name unless it is documented by sources. It would, for example, sometimes be just as wrong to separate Jón Páll as it would be to separate Hera Björk. First names are generally not spelled with a hyphen in Iceland, even today. Furthermore, it is not unusual to find that all the given names at birth are listed in the church books so they are normally not a good source to indicate the preferred name for someone with several given names. Sometimes the names could even be inconsistent, so when in doubt, please add all the names as entered in the Proper First Name Field. However, if you find any of the names underlined in a church book, that would usually indicate the call name of the person. Then the Preferred Name Field can be edited to show that name but please also remember to mention in the bio how you have come to that conclusion. If the person was alive and known by you personally it is fine to add a preferred name. ==== Other Nicknames ==== This field can include multiple names separated by commas. The field is for nicknames or other names which the person was known as. Examples; Bólu Hjálmar (poet), Stína (sometimes nickname for Kristín), Gamli Jón á Búá (Old Jon at Bua), Eiríkur skraddari (skraddari meaning tailor). Please, do not generally use the Nickname field for descriptive placeholders (such as an occupation or location) unless that person would have been well known by such a description and it is documented in a source. ==== Middle Name ==== Iceland did not really have middle names until modern times (with very few exceptions) and this field should not be used at all on most profiles of "common people." The button for "No Middle Name" should therefore be marked. Exceptions could be if a person emigrated and used a middle name in the new country (or if the use of an actual Icelandic middle name can be proved with a source). Please note that anything entered in this field will be handled as a first name in searches. This is the main reason that patronyms added as a supplement of a family name should go in the Other Last Name Field. This way we can avoid creating unnecessary duplicates and find proper matches when searching. ==== Last Name At Birth ==== In Icelandic genealogy research, very few parishes have a last name added to a child in the birth notice which sometimes can make it a bit difficult to be sure what the LNAB should be. Last names were usually not documented in church books until a youngster takes part in communion service the first time (konfirmation) or when he/she leaves home to start working or get married and in most cases, at least before 1850, it would be a patronymic last name. Patronymic exceptions earlier than that time period can usually be found among descendants of immigrants. Sometimes also among men returning home from studying abroad. In Iceland patronymic names are still the norm and an Icelandic citizen that doesn't have a Family Name today, can not get one, except as a middle name. An Icelandic citizen can not take the last name of his/her spouse at marriage. If the LNAB can not be found you should perhaps consider adding the person later when more research has been done and the Last Name at Birth has been found. Meanwhile, research notes for the person can be made in the profile of a spouse or a child. An exception to this is, if you need to connect siblings, then you can use Unknown as a LNAB. Explain your reasoning in research notes. ==== Current Last Name ==== For non-living people, it should be the last name they were using at the time of their death. Please note that (most) Icelandic women would not take their husband's last name. Do not assume that a woman used her husband's last name unless documented in sources. Often you run into people that were born with a patronymic name, but later in life started using a Family Name. These could be emigrants, or men returning home after studying abroad. If you have sources to document this use of a Family Name, the Family Name can be added as th current last name. ==== Other Last Names ==== This field can include multiple names separated by commas. This field could be used for last name variations and alternative spellings of the last name in order to avoid duplicates being created. Examples; Björnsson and Bjarnason are two different spellings of the same name, as is Sigurðsson and Sigurðarson different spellings of the same name. So, if you encounter any different spellings of the last name in the church books, please add them to this field. It can also be used for patronymics in order to distinguish between several family members with the same first name and a family last name. It could also be wise to add a patronymic name as a complement for the first generation of a family using a family name. ---- === Location Fields === These instructions are for all three location fields (birth, marriage and death). Once again, WikiTree says '''we should use their convention instead of ours'''. Applied to locations, this means using place names in native languages and using the names that people at that time period used, even if the name of a location is no longer being used in modern times. That sometimes means using historical counties for example, not the modern-day regions. However, the modern spelling of locations is preferred. Always include the country in the location field. Most correct is of course to use Ísland but Iceland is also accepted. Do no use abbreviations like IS, that will cause an error in the database that needs to be edited. Only add one set of location name to a location field. Do not add a second "name alternative" (such as a different spelling) or a translated location name to a location field, things like that goes into the biography section. Please make sure that location names are correctly spelled in the native language of the person/profile (using á, ð, é, í, ó, ú, ý, þ, æ, ö for example). Place names should be added from the smallest entity to the largest, examples: * Village/þorp (or farm name/bær), parish/sókn, county/sýsla, country/land * Village/þorp, parish/sókn, province/landsfjórðungur, country/land * Parish/sókn, town/borg, county/sýsla, country/land Real location examples: * Skálholt, Suðurland, Ísland (parish/sókn, province/landsfjórðungur, country/land) * Skálholt, Árnes, Ísland (parish/sókn, county/sýsla, country/land) * Skálholtsókn, Árnessýsla, Ísland (parish/sókn, county/sýsla, country/land) * Hallgrímskirkja, Reykjavík, Ísland (parish/sókn, town/city/borg, country/land) Please note that the only separators allowed in a location field are: comma , dot . space, dash -, single quotation mark, ' pairs of parentheses ( ) or pairs of brackets [ ]. All other separators create an error in the database. For example, you can not write 1:st, S:t Paul or Kyrkbyn #94 without causing an error, you should write 1st, Sankt Paul and Kyrkbyn 94 instead. Do not include a street address, building name, church, hospital, etc., in the location field (unless it represents an administrative division, such as a hospital parish that kept birth and death books). This kind of information should be added to the biography. Please note that the suggested place names from FamilySearch's database may not always be correct for Sweden and you do not need to accept any of the place name suggestions. You can also turn these suggestions off. Check beneath the location field and you will see a small link that says "hide place name suggestions." If you click this, the automatic suggestions will not appear. As a general rule, entering almost any location better than no location. So if you only know the province/landskap or the country/land, please add it to the location field. For those of you who have uploaded a gedcom file, please make sure that the country is added to the locations fields of your profiles. It is a very common problem with genealogy software programs that they leave out the country when creating gedcoms. Also make sure that your location fields does not have any abbreviations, SWE instead of Sweden for example. Related WikiTree help pages; Help:Location_Fields See also; Space:Sweden, Category:Sweden, Geographical_Regions Sweden Project - Correct Location Names - Please note, this page is still a "work in progress", however, what is already there might still be helpful. It was mainly set up as a help for Nordic Data Doctors working on place name suggestions.

[[Category:Iceland Projects]] [[Category:Iceland Project]] == Templates and stickers used on Icelandic profiles == === Templates === Templates go '''above''' the == Biography == headline on a profile's edit page.
Read more about Templates here: [[Help:Templates|Help:Templates]] ---- The '''Iceland project box''', as can be seen below, is a template that '''should only be used on profiles that have Iceland Project as manager'''. {{Iceland}} ---- '''Unsourced Iceland''' {{Unsourced|Iceland}} The Unsourced template, shown above, can be used for Icelandic profiles to be added automatically to the [https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:Iceland%2C_Unsourced_Profiles Category: Iceland, Unsourced Profiles]. Please add {{Unsourced|Iceland}} to the profile, '''above''' the == Biography == heading. ----
=== Stickers === Stickers are used for honoring a person or otherwise highlighting something that's deemed to be important about them. Stickers go '''below''' the == Biography == headline on a profile's edit page.
They are usually placed directly below the Biography headline, but they can be placed anywhere in the biography section, such as near where the information being highlighted is discussed. They are usually grouped together but they can be spread out.
Read more about Sickers here: [[Help:Stickers|Help:Stickers]] ---- {{Iceland Sticker}} '''Country Sticker''' This is a sticker that can be used for people who was either born or living in Iceland.
It can be used on a profile by adding {{Iceland Sticker}} anywhere in the Biography section of a profile. ---- {{Icelandic Roots}} '''Roots Sticker''' The Roots sticker may be used for any non-resident of Iceland who has been identified as having ancestry from that country, including active WikiTree members.
It can be used on a profile by adding {{Icelandic Roots}} anywhere in the Biography section of a profile. ---- {{Notables Sticker|Iceland, Notables}} '''Icelandic Notables''' The Notables sticker can be used with the country added to it. The country will not be seen in the sticker text but it will add the profile to the [https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:Iceland%2C_Notables Category: Iceland, Notables].
It can be used on a profile by adding {{Notables Sticker|Iceland, Notables}} It should always be added '''below''' the == Biography == heading and '''above''' the == Sources == heading. ---- {{Migrating Ancestor |origin= Iceland |destination= Canada |origin-flag= European_Flags-10.png |destination-flag= Flags-1.png}} '''Migrating Ancestor''' The migrating sticker can be used on the profiles of Icelandic emigrants (or immigrants). It will not add the profile to any category. It can be used on a profile by adding {{Migrating Ancestor
|origin= Iceland
|destination= Canada
|origin-flag= European_Flags-10.png
|destination-flag= Flags-1.png}}
It should always be added '''below''' the == Biography == heading and '''above''' the == Sources == heading. Be sure to not leave out {{ and }} in the beginning and end. For more [https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Template:Migrating_Ancestor info on the template and where to find flag images]. ----

[[Category:Iceland Genealogy Resources]] [[Category:Newspaper and Media Archives]] A list of the searchable newspaper article indexes online. Please report any dead links. Please suggest other links, contact [[Bech-2|Paul Bech]] *(free) [http://timarit.is/?lang=en timarit.is Digital Library] *:Text search available (English interface available). Timarit.is is a digital library where millions of pages in digital format are made available on the Internet. This gives access to the printed cultural heritage that is preserved in newspapers and periodicals of the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Iceland. Also see [[International Newspaper and Media Archives]].