Farm Names

Farm names were somewhat different than locality names. Farms usually received their names from one of their earlier owners. Once the name was established, however, it usually remained regardless of whether the farm changed owners. The problem resulting from this was that when a person moved onto a farm, he would change his name to that of the farm. Also, if a man was married and if his wife inherited a farm, he would change his name to her maiden name. This often resulted in some of their children being born under his surname and some under her maiden name or even some under the name of a farm that they were living on. Fig. 13A is an example where the child, Johann Friedrich Konrad, was born under his mother's name “Adolf (Herm)” and not his father's name which was “Brand.”

Fig. 13B is a death entry for Catharina Maria Elsabein, who at the time of her death was going by her mother' s name “Borgmann” and not her fathers name “Schromeyer.”

If a researcher does not understand the problems associated with farm names, he may end up searching neighboring parishes for his ancestor when his ancestor is actually in the same parish but has a different name.

There are several types of church records that could be used to bridge the gap between the different surnames in a family. One of these is the confirmation record. If a child was born under one surname and then prior to his confirmation the family name changed, the confirmation record may give both names as shown in Fig. 13C.

Sept15, 19

Johann Friedrich Konrad

Adols (Herm) Johann Konrad Franz Nr. 24 born Brand, owner of the palce Nr. 18 in Varenholz and An na Katharine Elisabet. born Herm- Adolfs Nr. 24 at Bentorf. married (allegedly) at Varenholz 2 Oct. 1828 5th Child 4th born 13 Dec. 1837.

Fig. 13A

Catharina Maria Elsabein Borgmann

Daughter of the deceased parents Johann Hein- rich Borgmann born Schromeyer and Anna Margaretha Borgmann, farm owner at Osterbeck.

Fig. 13 B

Fig. 13C

Further problems may result when the farm is inherited from a grandmother’s side of the family. This is illustrated in the pedigree chart in Fig. 13D.

Click here to see Fig. 13D

In this situation the son, Johann Friedrich Conrad Adolfs (Herm), whose birth appears in Fig. 13A, was the son of Johann Franz Konrad Brand and Anna Katherine Elisabeth Herm Adolfs. Fig. 13E is a copy of Anna's birth record showing her mother's name as Marie Adolpfs. In situations like this it is necessary to extend the line back several generations before it can be determined where the farm name originated.

Fig. 13E

Farm names should not be confused with double surnames. They may resemble each other in form and appearance, but they are completely different. Double surnames were often created when a particular male line died out, in order to preserve the name, the male marrying into this line would either use both his surname and the maiden name of his wife or he would go by his wife‘s maiden name only, thus preserving the one name. This was not usually a sacrifice at all to the young man who usually gained by the arrangement. Due to the law of “Primogeniture,” (where the eldest son received the inheritance) other sons in the family sometimes married into families not having any male heirs and by legally changing their names they were able to receive the inheritance, which they could never have done under their own surname.

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Copyright 1996, by Larry O. Jensen. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be translated or reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, including photocopying, without permission in writing from the author. Printed in the U.S.A.
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