Norway Census, 1875 - FamilySearch Historical Records

Norway

What is in This Collection?
The census is handwritten on printed forms. It is arranged by county, clerical district, farm number, and residence. The original records are preserved in the regional archives throughout Norway. The records are in Norwegian.

The 1875 census was conducted beginning December 31, 1875, and all the information recorded should pertain to that date even though some information was gathered at a later date. This census includes 99% of the population and contains the persons name, sex, whether resident or temporary resident, those absent from the parish and their location at the time of the census, position in the family, occupation, marital status, year of birth, place of birth, religion if a person did not belong to the state church, and other miscellaneous information.

The Norwegian government created the census primarily as a source of statistical information on Norway’s population.

The 1875 census is fairly reliable, depending on the knowledge of the informant and the care of the census enumerator. Information may have been given to a census taker by any member of the family or by a neighbor. As a result, some information may have been incorrect.

This index is not complete. Localities that were previously indexed and are available online at Digitalarkivet are not included in this index at this time.

Reading the Records
These records are in Norwegian. For help reading these records see the following guides:
 * Norway Language and Languages
 * Norwegian Language Information
 * Norwegian Word List

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The census includes the following information:


 * Full name
 * Gender
 * Role in the household
 * Position in the family
 * Whether temporary or permanent resident
 * Those absent from the parish and their location at the time of the census
 * Marital status
 * Occupation
 * Year of birth
 * Place of birth
 * Citizenship
 * Religion
 * Crops and animals (if the residence is a farm)
 * Other miscellaneous information

Coverage Table
This collection is a partial index of records for the localities listed below as of April 2010. The table below shows the number of records by locality. Localities not listed may not have any records in this collection.

How Do I Search This Collection?
The 1875 census is a good source to quickly identify a family group since it lists who is in the household and how they are related.

To begin your search it is helpful to know:


 * Name of your ancestor
 * Birth date and residence

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * This index is not complete. Localities that were previously indexed and are available online at Digitalarkivet are not included in this index at this time
 * Continue to search the index and records to identify other relatives
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct. Be aware that many individuals have the same name
 * Individuals often go by nick names. Be sure to check for all variations of the names
 * You may need to compare the information of more than one family or person to make this determination
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, Now What?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor
 * There is also the possibility that a family was missed in the census

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Norway.
 * Norway Guided Research
 * Norway Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.