Nikaner A Bernelius

[Fisherman]

Dr John Watson writes:

"In Sweden, Nikanor (Nicanor; Nikaner) is a very common first name."

With respect, doc, it´s nothing of the sort. It is in fact so unusual a name that I had never come across it until an author, previously mentioned on this thread, wrote a book under the pseudonym Nikanor Teratologen.
As I stated before, the name Nikanor was more common during Jack´s days, but more common does not mean common - only that it was very, very uncommon then as opposed to extremely uncommon nowadays.

The best,
Fisherman

[Dr. John Watson]

Dr John Watson writes:

"In Sweden, Nikanor (Nicanor; Nikaner) is a very common first name."

With respect, doc, it´s nothing of the sort. It is in fact so unusual a name that I had never come across it until an author, previously mentioned on this thread, wrote a book under the pseudonym Nikanor Teratologen.
As I stated before, the name Nikanor was more common during Jack´s days, but more common does not mean common - only that it was very, very uncommon then as opposed to extremely uncommon nowadays.

The best,
Fisherman

Hi Fish

There are several data bases I subscribe to - I only checked one, and here's the result - and these are only for those born between 1845-1855:

. Nicanor Herman GUNDBERG - Vital Records Index
Gender: M Birth/Christening: 24 Oct 1845 Onsala, Halland, Sweden

2. Nicanor ANDERSSON - Vital Records Index
Gender: M Birth/Christening: 18 Feb 1847 Onsala, Halland, Sweden

3. Nicanor Patrik A...SSON - Vital Records Index
Gender: M Birth/Christening: 18 May 1847 Onsala, Halland, Sweden

4. Nikanor NIKANORSSON MARKSTROM - Vital Records Index
Gender: M Birth/Christening: 04 Aug 1869 Skelleftea, Vasterbotten, Sweden

5. Nikanor PEHRSSON NORMARK - Vital Records Index
Gender: M Birth/Christening: 14 Jun 1868 Skelleftea, Vasterbotten, Sweden

6. Nikanor OLOFSSON HEDSTROM - Vital Records Index
Gender: M Birth/Christening: 27 Aug 1869 Skelleftea, Vasterbotten, Sweden

7. Nikanor NIKANORSSON - Vital Records Index
Gender: M Birth/Christening: 22 Aug 1866 Skelleftea, Vasterbotten, Sweden

8. Nikanor ANTONSSON FORSSLUND - Vital Records Index
Gender: M Birth/Christening: 28 Dec 1869 Skelleftea, Vasterbotten, Sweden

9. Nikanor ANDERSSON - Vital Records Index
Gender: M Birth/Christening: 18 Oct 1866 Skelleftea, Vasterbotten, Sweden

10. Nikanor MICHAELSSON SANDBERG - Vital Records Index
Gender: M Birth/Christening: 08 Nov 1868 Skelleftea, Vasterbotten, Sweden

11. Nikanor JOHANSSON - Vital Records Index
Gender: M Birth/Christening: 03 Jan 1866 Skelleftea, Vasterbotten, Sweden

12. Nikanor OLOFSSON - Vital Records Index
Gender: M Birth/Christening: 10 Jan 1866 Skelleftea, Vasterbotten, Sweden

13. Nikanor OLOFSSON BRANNSTROM - Vital Records Index
Gender: M Birth/Christening: 05 Mar 1869 Skelleftea, Vasterbotten, Sweden

14. Nikanor JOHANSSON - Vital Records Index
Gender: M Birth/Christening: 04 May 1868 Skelleftea, Vasterbotten, Sweden

15. Nikanor P...SSON ENROTH - Vital Records Index
Gender: M Birth/Christening: 05 Aug 1866 Umea, Vasterbotten, Sweden

16. Nikanor NILSSON LINDGREN - Vital Records Index
Gender: M Birth/Christening: 08 Sep 1866 Umea, Vasterbotten, Sweden

17. Nikanor August JONASSON - Vital Records Index
Gender: M Birth/Christening: 09 Feb 1866 Burtrask, Vasterbotten, Sweden

18. Nikanor ANDERSSON MARKLUND - Vital Records Index
Gender: M Birth/Christening: 23 Jul 1866 Norsjo, Vasterbotten, Sweden

19. Nikanor NILSSON NYGREN - Vital Records Index
Gender: M Birth/Christening: 03 Mar 1866 Lovanger, Vasterbotten, Sweden

20. Nikanor HANSSON - Vital Records Index
Gender: M Birth/Christening: 14 Sep 1869 Jorn, Vasterbotten, Sweden

21. Nikanor JOHANSSON - Vital Records Index
Gender: M Birth/Christening: 12 Jan 1866 Jorn, Vasterbotten, Sweden

22. Nicanor JOHANNESSON - Vital Records Index
Gender: M Birth/Christening: 29 Nov 1842 Kungalv, Goteborg och Bohus, Sweden

23. Nikanor NILSSON - Vital Records Index
Gender: M Marriage: 11 Nov 1869 Skelleftea, Vasterbotten, Sweden

24. Nicanor SANDSTROM - Vital Records Index
Gender: M Marriage: 10 Nov 1836 Skelleftea, Vasterbotten, Sweden

25. Nikanor ANDERSSON ASTROM - Vital Records Index
Gender: M Marriage: 12 Dec 1866 Burtrask, Vasterbotten, Sweden

26. Nicanor DANIELSSON - Vital Records Index
Gender: M Marriage: 24 Dec 1866 Skelleftea, Vasterbotten, Sweden

27. Nicanor STENLUND - Vital Records Index
Gender: M Marriage: 15 Mar 1868 Skelleftea, Vasterbotten, Sweden

28. Nikanor Gustaf HOLMGREN - Vital Records Index
Gender: M Marriage: 24 Oct 1868 Skelleftea, Vasterbotten, Sweden

29. Nikanor OLOFSSON MARKSTROM - Vital Records Index
Gender: M Marriage: 21 Dec 1868 Skelleftea, Vasterbotten, Sweden

30. Nikanor ANDERSSON ASTROM - Vital Records Index
Gender: M Marriage: 12 Dec 1869 Burtrask, Vasterbotten, Sweden

You stand corrected!

[Phil Carter]

Hello Fisherman, Dr. John Watson,

Thank you for your help. As you can see from the list that Dr. JW kindly posted above, the use of the name "Nicanor" in Vasterbotten, an area that "crosses over" with the Finnish community involves 22 christenings and 8 marraiges.
It would be interesting to see a list of every Nicanor and it's variations including our supposed "Nikaner" born 1861.

The same would also apply to a Bernelius (or Berelius) from the same time.

Could the "A" in Nikaner A.Bernelius stand for "Andersson" one wonders?

Re. Finland..The Finnish link could well be the answer to all this, especially with a place name of Bernelius, in Barnas.

A list of every Nicaner or Nicanor from Barnas, especially the placename Bernelius, from say 1845-1855 and one from 1855-1865 could narrow it down considerably, no?

best wishes, and many thanks

Phil

Thank you both for your imput.. much appreciated!

[Fisherman]

Dr John Watson writes:

"You stand corrected!"

Thanks for that, Doc - wouldn´t mind if I do, since I think getting the facts right are more important than tickling anybodys ego. The problem in this case, though, is that a list of a number of Nikanors will in no way prove that the name is a "very common first name". To begin with, when you write that it "is" a very common name, you place your claim in the world of today. And today, there are 126 Swedes carrying the name of Nikanor. Out of these, three (3) are actually called by that name. The other 123 only carry the name as a second or third, or perhaps even fourth name.
We are nine million Swedes. Out of these, around 4,5 million are men. That means that 0,00000067 of the Swedish men will answer to the name of Nikanor, and if that makes it very common, I´m Santa Claus. Many people today will react to hearing the name by asking if one really can be called Nikanor since they have never even heard it.

Back in 1888, the name was more common, just like I say. But it would not have made the list of the most popular 100 names, nor would it have ended up on a list of 200. Locally, though, it would have been more popular in some parts of the country, Västerbotten with it´s influence from Finland being such a part. My own guess is that out of the number of Nikanors living in Sweden in, say, 1888, close on 100 per cent of them would have been living in the northernmost parts of Sweden. And those parts have always been the most sparsely populated parts of our country. In the relatively crowded south, there would have been but a few Nikanors, if any. But no matter how you count, Nikanor has never been a very common Swedish name.

On this website:

http://hem.passagen.se/rodny/namn.htm

...one can browse through hundreds and hundreds of Swedish names, and find out about what they mean and so on. There are names on that list that I have never seen before, and some of them are pointed out as being only locally popular names or names that were used a long time ago, perhaps explaining that. Nikanor, however, is a name that is NOT represented on the list, and I think it should be pretty obvious why.

The best,
Fisherman

[The Good Michael]

What if Nikaner is a nickname for Lars?

Mike

[Fisherman]

That, admittedly, would complicate things further. Oh, and it is Nikanor with an o, not Nikaner with an e. See, Maik?

The best,
Fisherman

[The Good Michael]

One man's Nikanor is another man's Nikaner. I was using the original and not your suggested Nikanor. It isn't important as Lars works with all of them.

Mike

[Fisherman]

Ever seen the Japane version? Nikoner ...

The best,
Fisherman

[tnb]

Excuse my ignorance on most things Scandinavian (football and Dogma films notwithstanding ) but how does Nikaner/ Nikanor become Lars? You lot really must educate us some day.

[Fisherman]

It takes a cheeky poster, situated in Korea, to reach all that way, Trevor! Otherwise - nope.

The best,
Fisherman

[j.r-ahde]

Hello you all!

Tack till Fiskaren för att presentera Finland på svenska!

And if you ever visit Finland and wonder, which places Fisherman meant, here are some first in Finnish and then in brackets in Swedish:

Pori (Björneborg),

Pohjanmaa (Österbotten).

And that's it for geography for a moment.

So; indeed, there are people named Nikander in Finland.

But thinking about JtR being a Finn or a Swedish-speaking Finn isn't a nice thought!

All the best
Jukka