Sunnari to Sunnarborg

[Ashland]

Help with two questions, please? I apologize in advance for the length.

1. What does Sunnari mean?
2. How did Sunnari change to Sunnarborg?

My 4th G-grandfather 'last name' was Sunnari. I recently found a DNA cousin in Helsinki, named Jari Sunnari. Neither of us can figure out what Sunnari means. All I can find is a Sunnari island in Finland, south of Tornio, which was/is a big trading port. https://mapcarta.com/32531600 The island and town are very close to the Swedish border. So I starting looking for a root word. I took the "i" off and looked up translations of Sunnar. In Swedish, sunnar means "south" and it translates to etelään (southward) in Finnish. (Both sunnar and etelään mean “south” in English too.) The island was named for being south of something? (probably Tornio?) Tornio's History site doesn't say. https://www.tornio.fi/en/city-of-tornio ... o/history/ Jari says it's possible, but strange because things are usually named with something additional to denote south of what? ... south island? south bay? south shore?

4th G-grandfather's full name was Christer Christersson Sunnari
Born 19 Mar 1795
https://www.sukuhistoria.fi/sshy/kirjat ... 275/46.htm
He married Maria Olafsdr Matala 29 Nov 1818 in Kemi.

I'm pretty sure Christer's father (my 5th G-grandfather) was Risto Ristonpoika Pollo. (?)
Born 1761
This might be his birth record. I can't make out most of it. https://www.sukuhistoria.fi/sshy/kirjat ... 275/42.htm
He married Marg Sunnari 17 Jan 1783 in Kemi.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F8BD-3YB

So Marg Sunnari was already living on Sunnari land, and her husband came to live there too.

They had several children (of course). One was my 3rd G-grandfather Mickel Christersson Sunnari.
Born 30 Mar1835, Kemi.
He married Caisa Greta Henriksdotter Karvo/Karwo 02 Aug 1857 in Tervola
Caisa was born 26 Oct 1836

Here comes the name change ....

They moved to Tervola 22 July 1858. And somehow Mickel's name changed from Sunnari to Sunnarborg. Why? 99% of all his records spell the name with a "borg" at the end, not a "berg." Borg means "fort", "stronghold" or "castle." (berg means hill).

A couple of the translated parish records, showing the change:

Kemi parish records 1855-1864, page 350
Landless people, Letter S
Sunnari Mickel Christersson born 30 Mar 1835 – moved to Tervola in 1858
Wife Caisa Greta Henriksdotter born 26 Oct 1836 – moved from Tervola in 1857
Married on 2 Aug 1857 in Tervola

Tervola movers’ book
Moving into the parish in 1858
number 6, 22 July 1858
Married farm hand Mickel Kristoffersson Sunnarborg and wife Caisa Greta Henriksdotter Karwo
Moving in from Kemi

Please please don't point me at any GENi or My Heritage pages. I've been there. Too much misinformation and guessing, no actual sources.

Thanks for any and all help!
Ashland

[Kimpula]

1. What does Sunnari mean?
2. How did Sunnari change to Sunnarborg?

1. It means nothing. It seems to be a toponymic name. Why should it mean something?

2. See my answer to similar question

http://www3.sukuhistoria.fi/phpBB3/view ... =10&t=8028

[Ashland]

I asked a serious question. I didn't expect a dismissive, rather snarky answer.

Why should the name mean something? Because Finland didn't legally require surnames until 1920-21. Before then, surnames, particularly in Western Finland, were names of places (farms, landmarks) or occupations, describing where a person lived or what job they had. People had first names and patronyms. Their 'surname' changed when they moved, sometimes when they married. I sincerely doubt people would make up a nonsense surname that 'meant nothing.'

Finnish Genealogical Research - Methods and Procedures
http://www.genealogia.fi/emi/art/article91e.htm

Finnish Genealogy: The Finnish Naming System
http://www.genealogia.fi/emi/art/article216e.htm

GENEALOGY: Multiple influences found in Finnish surnames
https://www.tribstar.com/news/lifestyle ... dd1c3.html

GENEALOGY: Continuing the look into surnames of Finland
https://www.tribstar.com/news/lifestyle ... 067e9.html

Ashland

[Kimpula]

Why should the name mean something? I sincerely doubt people would make up a nonsense surname that 'meant nothing.'

In Finland we do not think 'what the name means?' All guestions about the meaning of names come from foreigners.

Besides, toponymic names are often so old that if they have ever meant something
the meaning have been forgotten a long time ago. (*) And when the name is written down for the first time it does not mean that the 'nonsense name' was inventend by the person who wrote it down.

(*) And the meaning of words can change...

As for borg, see here
https://www.saob.se/artikel/?seek=borg&pz=1