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Arctander (family)

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Cabinet minister Sofus Arctander.
Drawer: Hans Christian Olsen

Arctander is the name of two Norwegian families: one from Trondheim and a Nordland family.

History

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The family Arctander in Trondheim descends from Niels Lauritzen the elder (b. ca. 1490), Mayor of Trondheim. His grandchildren, among them Niels Lauritzen the younger, who was a bishop in Viborg, Denmark, adopted the name Arctander.[1]

The Nordland family Arctander begins with Peder Pedersen (b. ca. 1626), a farmer near Lødingen, Nordland. His grandson, Aron Pedersen, adopted the name Arctander when attending the University in Copenhagen, whereafter he returned to Norway and became a priest in Ofoten.[1] Many prominent people belong to this family, among them cabinet minister Sofus Arctander, [2] Signy Arctander,[3] and Evan Arctander.[4]

Name

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The name is in Latinised Greek and means "Norwegian". The first part means arctic, and the second part derives from the word andros (man), i.e. "north man".[1]

References

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