Sogn og Fjordane County, Norway Genealogy

Guide to Sogn og Fjordane ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and military records.

Sogn og Fjordane (help·info) is a county in Norway, bordering Møre og Romsdal, Oppland, Buskerud, and Hordaland. It is mainly a rural area with a scattered population. Sogn og Fjordane includes the largest glacier in mainland Norway, Jostedalsbreen, in the Breheimen mountain range, and the deepest lake, Hornindalsvatnet. There are also many famous waterfalls located in the area. Ramnefjellsfossen (previously called Utigardfossen) is the tallest in Norway and third tallest in the world and Vettisfossen is one of Norway's highest waterfalls (with a vertical drop of 275 meters). Both are located in the Jotunheim mountains. Cruise ships visit Sogn og Fjordane all summer because of the unique vistas of high mountains and deep blue fjords.

Family History Resources
County Archives database search page for Sogn og Fjordane County

Government Offices and Sites

 * Sogn og Fjordane fylke

Church Records/Civil Registration

 * These are the most important records you will use, and a majority of your research will be found in them. All civil registration was kept by the church parishes until 2012.
 * 1812-1938 Norway, Church Records, 1812-1938 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1815-1930 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1815-1938 Norway Church Records, 1815-1938 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * Digitalarkivet: Digitized parish registers of Sogn og Fjordane
 * Norway Indexed parish register transcriptions
 * The FamilySearch Library has microfilms for all Sogn og Fjordane parish registers up to about 1920. These can be viewed at the library or at a Family Histor Center near you.
 * By clicking on the parish links above, you may find direct links to all the records for that parish.
 * You do not have to be fluent in Norwegian. These records use a very limited, specialized vocabulary that is easy to learn. For help reading and interpreting theses records, see:
 * Norwegian Genealogical Word List
 * Norway Handwriting
 * Scandinavian Handwriting
 * Scandinavian Handwriting, part 3 - No part 2 available


 * [[Media:Parish_Register_Headings_for_Norway.pdf|Parish Register Headings for Norway]]: This pdf gives the translation of headings for the records in different time periods.  When a record is written with labeled columns it is much easier to search. Much of the material you read in each column will just be names and dates, since the meaning of those names (child, parents, godparents, minister) only has to be read once, in the column heading.


 * For more detail on the contents of these records and how to use them, see Norway Church Records and Norway Civil Registration.

Census

 * 1801 Census
 * 1865 Census; also at - How to Use this Collection
 * 1875 Census partial; also at - How to Use this Collection
 * 1885 Census (cities only)
 * 1891 Census
 * 1900 Census
 * 1910 Census

(Scanned)


 * Sogn prosti, Manntall 23, 1664 - 1666
 * Sunnfjord prosti, Manntall 24, 1664 - 1666
 * Nordfjord prosti, Prestemanntall 25, 1664 - 1666
 * Hardanger len, Indre Sogn fogderi, Ytre Sogn fogderi, Fogdemanntall 14, 1664 - 1665 (Parishes in Hardanger len belongs to Hordaland county)
 * Sunnfjord fogderi, Nordfjord fogderi., Fogdemanntall 15, 1664
 * Ytre og Indre Sogn fogderi, Manntall 8, 1701
 * Sunnfjord og Nordfjord fogderi, Svanø birk, Manntall 9, 1701

Court Records
Tingbok for sorenskrivaren i Indre Sogn 1703

Land Records
1886 and 1838 land registers are found at The Norwegian Historical Data Centre. These are Excel files, which can be downloaded. The give the name of the farm, the farm owner, and the amount of tax. Both farms and sub-farms are included.

Military Records

 * Militærrulle 1714 over mannskap i Nærøy skipreide

Probate Records

 * Digitised probate records for Sogn og Fjordane county
 * 1640-1903 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1680-1720 - which includes these districts and counties:

Records include probates of priests, parish clerks, schoolteachers and their widows.

Taxation

 * Nordfjord prosti, Manntall 25, 1664 - 1666
 * Manntallet 1701
 * Koppskatten for Nordfjord frå 1645

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