Four generations our Swedish family appear to sometimes use the name Molin and others Modin. Is thi

LegacyUser

Four generations our Swedish family appear to sometimes use the name Molin and others Modin. Is this a case of handwriting differences or do they have different meanings.

All are Sweden, Gävleborg, Alfta Parish. Abbreviations: HH=Household Examinations

1) Pehr Jonsson Modin born 1767 lives on a “Soldater” in Gundbo (HH 1794-1802 A page 306)

(HH 1803-1810 A page 260) (HH 1811-1817 B page 36)

Per Jonsson Modin died Jan 17 1818 in Gundbo (Deaths 1807-1851)

2) Olof born Oct 3 1797 son of Per Jonsson is clearly Olof Molin (HH1841-1846 A page 88

Olof Molin born Oct 3 1797 went with most of his family with the Bishop Hill Colony in 1846 to Western Illinois in the United States. Most of his children are buried in the Bishop Hill Cemetery in Henry County. They all used the Surname Molin. 

3) Nils Olsson Modin born Apr 17 1827, son of Olof Molin’s is clearly Nils Olsson Modin (HH 1846-1850 A page 100, and HH 1856-1860 A page 98) He did not go to America with his father and siblings. His death Sept 9 1895 clearly shows Nils Olsson Modin (Deaths 1895 page 4)

4) Jonas Nilsson born Aug 30 1857, son of Nils Olsson Modin, did not use the Modin/Molin surname (HH1876-1880 A page 120) 

 

Modin is likely a military name, but is it a location, physical characteristic, occupation or other?

Heidi Kuosmanen

In the first (HH 1794-1802 A page 306) Pehr Jonsson (no Modin/Molin) born 1767 lives in Gundbo as a torpare (crofter). There is no notes him being a military people. On top of the page it says "Soldater och Husfolk" which means that on that page there are soldiers and house people but actually there are none of soldiers, only one turner and two crofter families. Later Pehr Jonsson Modin became a Bond, farmer, house owner.

 

I don't know why his son Olof used name Molin. Currently Molin is more common family name than Modin. Molin is a Swedish surname but it is also used in many other countries. First time Modin is mentioned in 1800 in Margreta's birth record, daughter of Pehr Jonsson.

 

Both of the names Modin and Molin are soldier names, but Molin was more common.

Svenska Akademiens Ordbok don't give any meanings to ether names.