Tracing Your Norwegian Roots  by Andy Likins | Sep 6, 2011  With
the exception of Ireland, no other European country in the 19th
century lost a larger percentage of its population to emigration
than Norway. Today the number of Americans and Canadians who can
claim Norwegian ancestry is greater than the population of
Norway itself. If you're one of these lucky folks, you have a
great number of excellent and often free resources at your
disposal for researching your ancestry.  The Name Game  Before
jumping into your Norwegian research, it is vital that you
understand Norwegian naming practices. Give up any
preconceptions you have about how names are passed from
generation to generation. Up to the late 1800s, Norwegians used
a patronymic naming system meaning that your surname was based
on your father's given name. If you were Peter the son of Hans,
you were Peter Hansen. In turn, Peter's son Ole would be Ole
Petersen. If you were Dorthea the daughter of Hans, you were
Dorthea Hansdatter. Traditionally, women di