Nordic Birth and Christening Records

Terms for birth, christening, home christening - Language
fødte, døpte, hjemmedåb — Danish født, døbt, Hjemmedåp — Norwegian födda, döpta, Hemdop — Swedish faddir, skirn,, — Icelandic syntyneet, kastetut,, — Finnish

Only the date of christening may have been recorded and not the actual birth date. If there is only one date given, it is the christening date rather than the birth date.

In 1814 the format for church records was standardized in Denmark and Norway. The new form asked for both the birth date and the christening date. Iceland was under Danish rule until 1944, so their church records will be similar in format to the records found in Denmark. No nationwide printed format existed for Swedish or Finnish church records until the later 1800s. However, from the beginning of records they seemed more inclined to record both birth date and christening date than ministers in Denmark and Norway.

Home Christening
A "home christening" might have taken place if it looked like the newborn might not live. If the minister could get there in time, that was best. If not, another person attending the birth could perform the duty. In most instances, a person of standing and esteem in the parish was sought out to perform such an emergency christening. If a "home christening" took place and the child lived, the home christening would need to be confirmed at the next feasible church service to which the child could physically be brought. The names of those who witnessed the actual home christening could become a part of the record at this point, as well as the names of those who witnessed the official church christening/pronouncement.

The date of that home christening (hjemme daab, hjemmedøbt, hjdøbt, etc.) may be recorded, as well as the date that event was publicized in the church. If both the home christening date and the church christening date are given, record both since these dates act as identifiers for your ancestor.

Witnesses
List the names of christening witnesses. Our ancestors were no different from us in that they also invited family and friends to help celebrate their life events. Relatives could have come from near and far away, sometimes surprisingly far. Many research problems are solved because of christening witnesses and their residences being listed in the record.

The minister may have known that a given farm, listed as the residence for a christening witness of your third great-grandmother, was in a parish in the nearby county, but he may not have recorded the name of the parish the farm belonged to. By listing out the names and finding the residences of christening witnesses you can solve tough Scandinavian research problems.

The christening could have taken place the same day or up to two years following the birth. When only the christening date is given, use the standard abbreviation of "chr." to indicate it is that date. It is important to note the type of event it is because there may have been some time that passed between the actual event of birth and the christening. For example, you might find the christening of a child of "Lauritz Lauritzen Tomsgaard" on April 20, 1725, and another christening for a child of "Lauritz Lauritzen Tomsgaard" on December 25, 1725. The second child is probably not an eighth-month birth. It just so happened it was a extremely harsh winter the year before and though the first child was actually born in November 1724, both mother and child were ill and they couldn't get to the church until April. By noting that these were christening (chr.) dates rather than birth dates, false conclusions will not be drawn. Do keep in mind though, a child could be born in January and another born in November or December of the same year to the same parents. It does happen!