Norway Census, 1865 - FamilySearch Historical Records

Norway

What is in This Collection?
This census enumerates all persons in Norway on 31 December 1865. The census is arranged by county, clerical district, parish. In the cities the census is arranged by street name, and in rural areas by district and farm.

The census consists of several sections, the two most valuable for genealogists are the Hovedlist over Folketallet (Main list of the population) and Specialliste over Folketallet (Special list of the population). The Hovedliste is a summary which gives the enumeration district number (special listens nummer), the tax registration number (matrikulens løbe-nummer), the farm or place name (gaardens eller stedets navn), number of occupied houses (beboede huses antal), number of households (husholdningernes antal), and total population (samlet folketal) for that farm. The Specialliste contains the personal information on each person living on the farm; their name, occupation, marital status, age, and birthplace. Two additional fields asking about religious affiliation and any physical impediments are also included. The confession of faith (troesbekjendelse) is usually not completed unless the person was a member of a religion other than the state Lutheran church. Statistical fields asking about the number of livestock and crops are also included on the census form.

Forms varied slightly between rural areas and cities. The field containing the farm number is blank in forms used in cities. It is important to note that in the parish of Tana, Finnmark County, only the name of the head of household was recorded.

Reading These Records
These records are written in Norwegian. For help reading them see Norway Languages and Norwegian Word List.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records: • 2

Hovedliste (Main List)
This table gives the column headings for the Hovedliste (Main List) of the census.

Specialliste (Special List)
This table give the column headings for the enumeration of the population. As different forms were used in different parts of the country, this may not exactly match the form used in the parish you are searching. Translations for most of these words can be found on the Norwegian Genealogical Word List.

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Person's name
 * Approximate age
 * Name of the farm or parish where they may be living

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?

 * Add the new information to your records
 * Use the information to find the person in other records
 * Analyze the entry to see if it provides additional clues to find other records of the person or their family

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

 * The person may be recorded with an abbreviated or variant form of their name
 * Try searching by surname only

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

Related Family History Library Holdings

 * Norge. Rentekammeret. Folketellingen den 31ste desember 1865, Norge

Related FamilySearch Historical Records Collections

 * Norway Census, 1801
 * Norway Census, 1870
 * Norway Census, 1875
 * Norway Census, 1891
 * Norway Census, 1900
 * Norway Census, 1910

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.