I'm researching the Norwegian family surname THORSVIG. I don't know where they came from in Norway which is a huge problem. Where do you recommend I begin my research using Norwegian records (I've exhausted records after they came to the United States...) Thank you...

Thorsvig will not be a traditional "surname" in Norway. It will have been the name of a farm or residence - and chosen by persons from or with family history with that farm.
There was more than one farm called "Thorsvig" in Norway so more information would be required to find the correct location. We also have to consider expected spelling variations.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~wgnorway/good-queries.htm

There's a pretty good explanation of Norwegian naming practices in this collection of articles -
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~norway/articles.html

I appreciate knowing that the name is associated with a place - that's a big help. Thank you for the suggestions - I will followup on them!

Give us the names and vital dates for your "Thorsvig"s that came from Norway. There are a good number of people who have a great deal of experience in searching the many online resources for Norway and we enjoy getting someone started.

If we can find the WHERE in Norway you'll be off to a really good start.

Here is a summary of what I know...

Wilhelm Thorsvig Jr. (my brother-in-law) born in Minnesota in 1947

His parents were Wilhelm Thorsvig Sr. (1902-1978) and Irene Mae Brown(1908-1997)

Wilhelm Thorsvig Sr.'s parents were Nils Christian Thorsvig (1862- )and Ingeborg ---- (1860-1946); Nils was more popularly known by his middle name, Christian...

All I know is that Christian was one of four brothers that emigrated from Norway some time in the late 1800's or early 1900's. I don't know where from in Norway. I also don't know where they first landed in USA, or how they became separated or why, and what happened to the rest of the brothers. I do know that two of the three ended up settling in Washington state, and the other one ended up getting sent back to Norway due to his accidently burning down a family warehouse due to drunkeness! I don't know their names unfortunately.

Any help would be much appreciated!! THANK YOU...

We need the info for those that came from Norway. We need to know WHEN they were born and WHEN they emigrated.

1900 US census Christian Thorsvig is 38 yrs old, lives in Clay Co. Minn. and lists immigration year as 1888.

1910 US census Christian Thorsvig is 48 yrs old, lives in Snohomish Co. Wash. and lists immigration year as 1888.

1920 US census Christian Thorsvig is 58 yrs old, lives in Clay Co. Minn. and lists immigration year as 1888.

So - we expect Christian Thorsvig to be born in Norway about 1862, to be present for the 1865 Norwegian census and to show up in Norwegian emigration records leaving in 1888.

I'll post this information and play with the Norwegian online resources for awhile. I want the basic data to be here and available for all others interested in searching also.

Have you proven the sibling relationship between Christian and the younger Norway born K(nute?). O. Thorsvig who lived in Everett?

If yes, then we CAN track him back to Norway.
The US censuses list him as born about 1872 and immigrating in 1895. The emigration records for the northern port of Trondheim, Norway show the following entry -
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbas...

That indicates that he is coming from 'Aafjorden' and heading to Everett, Wash. 'Aafjorden' would be Åfjord district of Sør-Trøndelag, Norway.
His birth/baptismal record shows he was born on 'Thorsvik' -
http://www.arkivverket.no/URN:kb_read?idx_kildeid=2386&i...

The same parents have an earlier child in 1862 -
http://www.arkivverket.no/URN:kb_read?idx_kildeid=2386&i...
(They do not yet list a residence of Thorsvik... so moved there later?)

1865 Norwegian census shows that couple -
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbas...

So - research in Åfjord district of Sør-Trøndelag, Norway.
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~norway/articles.html

Yes, we can prove Knute's relationship to the family. Thank you SO much for these leads. Greatly appreciated. *hugs*

Trish

I tried the links you provided but they don't come up to the
information referenced. Is there any way you could provide the
information that the links were to...?

Thank you for this further help; the bits of information they provide
will go a long way for me to go further. THANK YOU!

Nevermind. I tried links later and they finally worked. Database must have been temporarily down...Thanks!

Good. That website goes 'down' from time to time, usually when they are adding more and more great information or just need to perform maintenance. It is a HUGE website and has lots of free data.

In the collection of articles that I gave you URL link to earlier in this thread there is also a good article on reading and using the Norwegian church records. John wrote that article several years before the online scanned versions were made available.

The Digitalarkivet web site - http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/WebFront.exe?slag=vis&a...
An English option is available by clicking on that word from either the left hand column or the blue link bar along the bottom of the homepage.
The scanned images are available from the homepage link "Skanna kyrkjebøker" [Norwegian version]/"Digitised parish records" [English version] which is listed along the left hand column and from the blue banner of links along the top section of the homepage.
After you've clicked on that link and a new main page has presented on the screen be sure and read the instructions that are available from the Digitalarkivet for navigating the scanned records. The instructions are available in Bokmål (official Norwegian), Nyorsk (Norwegian), Davvisámegiella (Saami), and English.
Recommended basic reading are the "Startsiden" [Norwegian version]/"Main page" [English version], "Brukerveiledning" [Norwegian version]/"User's guide" [English version] and "Om tjenesten" [Norwegian version]/"About this service" [English version].

Good information about translating the formats of Norwegian parish church records during various time periods, many of the basic terms used and understanding how to use the information should be studied at this web site -
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~norway/na20.html

More info about using other Digitalarkivet databases from another writer -
http://www.rootsweb.com/~norway/DigitalArchives.html

The LDS Family History Library catalog indicates that there is a 2 volume "bygdebøk" for Åfjord area of Sør-Trøndelag. They have included the following notes: "A genealogy of the people and the farms they lived on in Åfjord and Jøssund in Sør-Trøndelag county. Volume 1 covers the years 1500-1800 and volume 2 covers 1801-1875."
The LDS library does NOT have those two books copied to microfilm but if they have copies there are probably other US libraries who also have copies - and might be participants in the Inter-Library Loan program.

Need background on what a bygdebøk is? Again, check John Follesdal's articles - he has a couple of good explanations and a discussion of how to borrow them by Inter-Library Loan.

Hint: Have a good Norwegian-English dictionary before trying to use a bygdebøk.

I have found that to be true after trying to find a good Norwegian-English dictionary online - it's almost impossible to do. So I will definitely take your advice and invest in one. I am also well-acquainted with interlibrary loans, having used them often for many years for various research projects. Thank you so much for the information concerning these particular volumes. Bless you!

Follesdal has included a decent list of translated words in his collection of articles.
But this other website is probably the best available to date -
http://home.online.no/~otjoerge/files/word.htm

An actual Norwegian-English dictionary is still advised. At the beginning of Follesdal's list of translated words he recommends a particular one that I agree with. (I bought my copy from a "large online bookstore".) I still haunt used-book stores wishing and hoping to find an unloved very OLD Norwegian and/or Danish-English dictionary. The search is fun - even if not successful yet.

Hi.
Thorsvig is a last name from Faroe Islands.
Im searching for informations abouth Sámal Thorsvig, born 30.apr 1923 and died 19. nov 1976. He and his danish wife Ebba got a daughter, Súsanna. Maby they changed first name.

He wore sailing with some swedish ships

Trish Lewis ... are you still doing research on the name Thorsvig? .... I may be able to help ... Hal Thorsvig