What's in a name

[LARSSON at VAX1.Mankato.MSUS.EDU]

Dale Larson comments:
"A little digging established that my "Larson" is Norwegian. Explains my
red beard, I guess (despite the light brown hair). So I proudly call
myself a viking (though a vegetarian one at that).  I make sure to remind
anyone with an Irish temper of the history of what vikings like to do with
the Irish..."


Spellings can be touchy.  "Larsson" is the third most-common name in Sweden
but hard to find over here.  (Last time I looked, there were only five listings
in all the Twin Cities area, where you'd expect to find more.)

A lot of Larssons must have dropped the second s to blend in with the Norwegians.
(When it's spelled "Larsen" it's probably Danish--but there are exceptions to
all three, probably complicated by the fact that all three countries belonged to
one or two of the others at some point in history!)

Don "No, it's not 'Larrson,' you twit!" Larsson, Mankato State U (MN)