Hello!
i have an interesting and really intriguing issue in my family line in about the 1750's where a family took the name from the maiden name of the wife. Stephan Jensen Koedal married Bodil christensen Beck and all of the kids became Becks forevermore. Does anyone know why this would happen?
Thanks.

Just a guess Zack. Perhaps the wife's family was much more prominent than the husband's.

Paul

Thanks...ive heard that theory before. Sounds credible to me.

It's also possible that the name was taken from a farm or location. I have family from both Denmark and Norway. In rural areas of Norway, it seemed more common for families to use a farm name as their last name. If the husband moved to the farm where his wife lived, then the children would have that name. Most of my Danish ancestry has people that just use the patronymic system, with no other surname, but there are some who seem to be using a farm name or a physical description.

Thanks for the information! Im constantly trying to narrow this down, dont know if i will ever know for sure but i hope so. Thanks!