Good evening Linda;
The name ‘Areklett’ comes from the joining of two words: Are (orn)-Eagle, and an older translation of klett-rocky hill/nob/cliffside,rock/Your reference to the last name ‘Areklett’ pertains to a singular specific location and family farm named for a rocky cliffside where Eagles have been known to nest located in Masfjorden, Norway. ‘Arekletten’ is the actual name of the land mass. It is too small to be considered a mountain but its vantage as a high point on the island provides incredible strategic views of two fjords (NE, SE) and westward out to sea. On maps the island typically has the name Halsoya. ‘Arekletten’ is located on the Southeastern side of the island. Across the fjord is the town center of Masfjordnes, formerly better known as Sandnes (see Sandnes Church). People can cross over to Duesund via a small cable-run ferry.
The reference to ‘Eagle’s Nest’ is due to the Sea Eagles nesting on the cliff side of Arekletten. You can find a video on Vimeo titled Sea Eagles from Tom Lauritz Haaland dated April 23, 2010 when he was fishing off of Arekletten and the Sea Eagles were swooping down to take his fish. ‘Detta var STORT’ loosely translates into ‘That was Great!’ . The video is a little over 2 minutes long and ends with ‘Arekletten’ as the backdrop. There are two boathouses at the base of Arekletten and the fjord. The pathway leads up towards the present day and historically based original Areklett family farm.
The following information should correlate if your grandfather Erling Olson Areklett is the same person born on May 8, 1889 in Tune, Sarpsborg, Norway and passed away in Humboldt, California on January 4, 1978. He married Ingrid Areklett (Johanson). They had a son name Erling Glenn Areklett born May 23, 1921 in Humbold, CA who passed away November 12, 1993.
Erling Olson Areklett’s parents were Ole Erikson Areklett and Henrikka Bergesdtr Wergeland. Ole passed away in Sarpsborg, Ostfold, Norway in 1902 at the age of 45 and Henrikka passed away the following year on December 14, 1903 at the age of 44. Erling was born on May 8, 1889 so he would have been 14 years old after having both his parents pass away. He had (4) siblings: brother Berger Wergeland Areklett b. November 20, 1890, sister Sigrid E Olsdotter Gunheim b. December 21, 1892, Thoralf Olson Areklett born on March 3, 1897 and another brother Leif Areklett-no information. Given their young ages, it would have been understandable for additional family to come in to raise these children and take care of the farm. Your mentioning that Erling was part of a family of nine children may be due to he and his four siblings possibly continuing to be raised by family relatives (ie and Aunt or Uncle) who may have had four children (ie cousins) of their own. To provide a possible response to your question, if this information correlates to your family history, the farm you may be referring to may likely have been in Tune, Sarpsborg, Ostfold, Norway since that is where they were born and their parents passed away.
As mentioned above, Erling Olson Areklett’s father was Ole Erikson Areklett. Ole was born on August 30, 1857 in Areklett, Masfjorden. He was the second son of Erik Ivarson Areklett (born 1826, married to Elisabet Olsdtr. Duesund in 1854. Ole had an older brother-Ivar who was born in 1855. Given that Ivar was the first born for that generation-the Areklett farm passed on to Ivar. It would be interesting to find out why Ole and Henrikka-who was from Loveide, Masfjorden moved to Sarpsborg. The Areklett family farm in Masfjorden is about 35 miles North of Bergen whereas Sarpsorg, Ostfold is South/Southeast of Oslo and about the same distance west of the Swedish border.
If I am referring to the correct Earling Olson Areklett who emigrated to America, you can find his lineage in the geneological history books for Masfjorden. Digital reference can be found by going to ‘Masfjordsoga’, GNR 16-Arekletten , Bruk 1. This reference details the family histories from this part of Norway going back a few hundred years. Bruk 1 refers to the Areklett farm on the immediate South side of ‘Arekletten’. It has records going back to the early 1600’s. There may be other references under additional further iterations to this name or location being referenced back further into the 1500’s. Bruk 2 is another Areklett farm just further South on the island and probably was created from a splitting of family farm land in 1855. The other Bruks (books) involve other Arekletts settling on other parts of the island and/or marrying into other family farms on the island or buying farmland to start their own families, etc. Ole is identified in Bruk 1-group 10 for Arekletten as Ola, the second son of Erik Ivarson Areklett. The only description given for Ola is Sja utflytte-see migration.
Linda-I hope this information finds its way to you. All the Best to the Areklett family out in California.

My great grandparents came to the states in the late 1880s and my father told me our name change to Swanson. As far as I can tell it was originally Swendsen and my Mum’s maiden name was Lund also from Norway and emigrated to Canada in 1886 . My great great great grandfather was John Haaken Lund . I don’t know much beyond this I’m afraid .

How about the last name of Ness. My family lives in Kristiansund, Oslo, Lillehammer and Bergen. Also, I just learned that same last name is also Scottish too. According to a family tree book with the family crest on it, we date back or are directly related to Norwegian royalty. However, I haven’t seen that book in 25 years, and it only goes back to about 1643 and it is written in Norwegian. I don’t speak or write any Norwegian, but you can write back in Norwegian if you prefer over English as I can use google translate.

My grandmother’s maiden name was Winkjer, pronounced Wincher. Perhaps the name was changed to Walker when the family came to America.

Ancestry sites state that Ellis Island staff did not change the spelling of names. The forms were filled out in the country of origin and given to the Ellis Island staff.

Am trying to find the origin of the name “Kolstoe” (the umlaut exchanged for oe in English about 1889), a place and family name common In Karmoey Island.

“kol” appears to mean coal? while “stoe” appears to mean “landing place” (Gyldendals, 1969) and, indeed, there is a small “harbour” near Kolsto in mid eastern Karmoey. But oy= island too? Origina? Help, please D. Kolstoe

I was wondering about my maternal grandfather’s surname: Enslen. He wasn’t sure, but he thought the name either Norwegian or Danish. He was born in the American State of Mississippi in 1900.
By the way, I thought you might be interested to know that there is a small town in northeastern Texas called Brownsboro, that was settled by a large number of Norwegians. They settled there apparently because the place put them in mind of Norway. The town is in northeastern Henderson County.
Larry Gillreath, Princeton Texas