How far can you trace your surname back?

[Thor_MN]

10. 1880, but I can trace my paternal line back farther than that...

My great grandfather and his brothers changed the family name from Olson as it was too common. There are tons of stories about this happening, but mine is verified. In fact what got me interested in genealogy in the first place was an early internet search turning up a page in Swedish in which I recognized my grandfather name. It was the story of how his father and uncles changed their name. My grandfather had corresponded with a relative in Sweden and the story was written up. 1880 was when the brothers came to the US, so my surname was "Invented" (they took the patronymic form of their grandfather's name and dropped the s of -sen) in 1880. Everyone with my last name in the US is a cousin or closer.

Oddly enough a great grandfather on my mother's side was also an Olson, but kept his military name after service in the Swedish military.

That said, I'm more Norwegian than Swedish and the oldest ancestor I can trace was born around 1490.