{"id":10952,"date":"2026-04-10T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/?p=10952"},"modified":"2026-04-10T12:44:35","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T11:44:35","slug":"parents-names-in-illegitimate-childrens-baptism-records","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/parents-names-in-illegitimate-childrens-baptism-records\/","title":{"rendered":"Parents names in illegitimate children’s baptism records"},"content":{"rendered":"

Anyone who has spent time in Norwegian parish registers knows that the layout of a baptism entry is not always as straightforward as we might wish. This becomes particularly evident in records of children born outside marriage.<\/p>\n

The problems occur mainly in the church books, which have no preprinted forms (mainly pre 1812). For example, when looking for parents’ names in illegitimate children’s baptism records, the minister was pretty much free to record the information he saw fit.<\/p>\n

We are used to seeing the mother’s name clearly, and sometimes the father’s as well, at the beginning<\/strong> of the record.<\/p>\n

We see an example in the record at the top of this page:<\/p>\n

F\u00f8rde sokneprestembete, AV\/SAB-A-79901\/H\/Haa\/Haaa\/L0001: Parish register (official) no. A 1, 1720-1727, p. 156 Quick link: https:\/\/www.digitalarkivet.no\/kb20070227240487<\/a><\/p>\n

April 21. 1722 an u\u00e6gte barn – “illegitimate child” called Brithe is born to “pater” – father Rognal Larsen Furevigen and “Matr” – mother Ane Siursdatter. Then the witnesses are listed.<\/p>\n

\n

In some entries, we find the mother’s name and the child’s name first<\/strong>, then the names of the witnesses. At the end, the father’s name is listed. We see an example here at the top left page:<\/p>\n

Sigdal kirkeb\u00f8ker, AV\/SAKO-A-245\/F\/Fa\/L0002: Parish register (official) no. I 2, 1778-1792, p. 181-182
\nQuick link: https:\/\/www.digitalarkivet.no\/kb20070312630254<\/a><\/p>\n

March 20. (1778) Baptised Dorthe Zacariasdatter’s illegitimate child Anne. Then the witnesses are listed. At the end we find the father Ole Rejersen Watnaas.<\/p>\n

In several entries, the structure takes a different turn. The child\u2019s name is written first,<\/strong> then the sponsors are listed in careful order. Only after the witnesses\u2014sometimes at the very end, we find the names of the parents.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The clerk may record the sponsors and then quietly add the parents\u2019 names afterward, marking the child as \u201cu\u00e6gte.\u201d The placement can feel like an afterthought, but may reflects how the matter was treated socially: acknowledged, yet not given the same formal prominence as a legitimate birth. We see an example of this here when the boy Finkl (Finkel) is born to unmarried parents Ingebor Stephansdatter Br\u00e6kken and Finkel Knudsen Gryte.<\/p>\n

\n
Kirkebok for Vang prestegjeld 1809 – 1831\u00a0 <\/strong>https:\/\/goto.digitalarkivet.no\/kb20070621000328<\/a> (Found in the middle of the left page clearly marked “U\u00e6gte”)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Then there are the entries where the parents are not mentioned at all. No explanatory note. No named father. For the genealogist, this can be frustrating. But even silence tells us something. It may point to uncertainty, dispute, local discretion, or simply the clerk\u2019s own habits.<\/p>\n

Tysnes sokneprestembete, AV\/SAB-A-78601\/H\/Haa: Parish register (official) no. A 1, 1723-1731, p. 80
\nQuick link: https:\/\/www.digitalarkivet.no\/kb20070521650172<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

While we’re talking about illegitimate children’s baptism, there are also several records that does not list any witnesses.<\/p>\n

The lesson is an old and reliable one: read every line, all the way to the end\u2014and notice what is missing as carefully as what is present. In these old books, placement matters. So does omission.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Anyone who has spent time in Norwegian parish registers knows that the layout of a baptism entry is not always<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11315,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":null,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"default","_threads_share_type":"default","_bluesky_share_type":"","_mastodon_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10952","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-norwegian-sources"],"yoast_head":"\nParent's Names in Illegitimate Children's Records - 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You sit down to look for one ancestor and, an hour later, you have opened fifteen browser tabs, followed three unrelated leads and found an interesting record that has nothing to do with the person you started with. Sometimes those detours lead to useful discoveries.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Planning & research logs"","block_context":{"text":"Planning & research logs","link":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/category\/research-workflow-the-practical-side-of-genealogy\/planning-research-logs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"genealogy research plan","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Slektsforskningsplan-i-norsk-bygdemiljo-kopi.jpg?fit=558%2C372&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Slektsforskningsplan-i-norsk-bygdemiljo-kopi.jpg?fit=558%2C372&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Slektsforskningsplan-i-norsk-bygdemiljo-kopi.jpg?fit=558%2C372&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10880,"url":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/a-simple-norwegian-genealogy-proof-checklist\/","url_meta":{"origin":10952,"position":1},"title":"A simple Norwegian genealogy proof checklist","author":"Martin Roe Eidhammer","date":"May 21, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"What must be true before you attach parents? If you're looking for guidance, a-simple-norwegian-genealogy-proof-checklist can help ensure you cover all the essentials. One of the quickest ways to derail an otherwise good Norwegian family tree is to attach parents too early\u2014especially in communities where patronymics repeat, farm names are used\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Planning & research logs"","block_context":{"text":"Planning & research logs","link":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/category\/research-workflow-the-practical-side-of-genealogy\/planning-research-logs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Before-you-add-parents.jpg?fit=685%2C457&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Before-you-add-parents.jpg?fit=685%2C457&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Before-you-add-parents.jpg?fit=685%2C457&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11826,"url":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/using-ai-to-build-a-norwegian-genealogy-research-strategy\/","url_meta":{"origin":10952,"position":2},"title":"Using AI to Build a Norwegian Genealogy Research Strategy","author":"Martin Roe Eidhammer","date":"September 18, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Here is what ChatGPT tells me when I ask for a research strategy for a named individual in Norway. This is a follow-up to my article Using AI in Norwegian Genealogy Research. Imagine you are researching a Norwegian ancestor and have only a few starting facts: Name: Ole Rasmussen Skavnes\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Genealogy (general)"","block_context":{"text":"Genealogy (general)","link":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/category\/genealogy-general\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/AI-search-strategy.jpg?fit=600%2C400&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/AI-search-strategy.jpg?fit=600%2C400&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/AI-search-strategy.jpg?fit=600%2C400&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12065,"url":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/when-everything-else-fails-drop-back-and-punt-a-lesson-in-genealogy-research\/","url_meta":{"origin":10952,"position":3},"title":"When Everything Else Fails, Drop Back and Punt: A Lesson in Genealogy Research","author":"Martin Roe Eidhammer","date":"October 20, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"I am not all that interested in football. However, during my exchange year in Kansas, I played in the marching band and sat through enough football games to learn a few expressions. One of them has stayed with me: \u201cWhen everything else fails, drop back and punt.\u201d This experience reminded\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Genealogy (general)"","block_context":{"text":"Genealogy (general)","link":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/category\/genealogy-general\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Marching-Band-at-Sunset-Game-kopi.jpg?fit=558%2C372&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Marching-Band-at-Sunset-Game-kopi.jpg?fit=558%2C372&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Marching-Band-at-Sunset-Game-kopi.jpg?fit=558%2C372&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":285,"url":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/the-norwegian-church-books\/","url_meta":{"origin":10952,"position":4},"title":"The Norwegian Church books","author":"Martin Roe Eidhammer","date":"February 2, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"The most important source genealogists use, are the church books. These records usually satisfy the demands of a trustworthy source. They are written by a person who was present at the event (the minister), and they were recorded at, or very close to, the time of the event. In this\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Norwegian Sources"","block_context":{"text":"Norwegian Sources","link":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/category\/norwegian-genealogy\/norwegian-sources\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Old Church book","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/kirkebok-3.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/kirkebok-3.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/kirkebok-3.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10455,"url":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/norwegian-church-books\/","url_meta":{"origin":10952,"position":5},"title":"Norwegian church books: a practical, traditional guide for genealogists","author":"Martin Roe Eidhammer","date":"January 29, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"If you research Norwegian ancestors, Norwegian church books are where most solid proof begins\u2014and where many good family stories become verifiable history. These registers were created as working records for the parish, written close to the events they describe, and they still function as the backbone of Norwegian historical \u201cvital\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Norwegian Sources"","block_context":{"text":"Norwegian Sources","link":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/category\/norwegian-genealogy\/norwegian-sources\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Norwegian church books","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Norwegian-church-books.jpg?fit=457%2C685&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Uekte-barn-kirkebok.jpg?fit=600%2C400&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10952","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10952"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10952\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11435,"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10952\/revisions\/11435"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11315"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10952"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10952"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10952"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}