[PW] Icelandic Maiden Name?

[Deb Fuller]

On 9/17/07, Robert Sullivan <robert.g.sullivan at gmail.com> wrote:

> If Asta Gustavsdottir Orsini is the daughter of Gustaf Stefansson and
> Kristin Gudmundsdottir, is Gustavsdottir considered her maiden name?
> I realize patronymics are used in Iceland, so perhaps the concept of
> maiden name is not meaningful?

There are some family names in Iceland which are used but I don't
think women change their names to the family names if they get
married. Orsini isn't an Icelandic last name so Asta looks like she
kept her Icelandic last name Gustavsdottir and added Orsini when she
got married. So you could consider Gustavsdottir her "maiden name",
even though technically as an Icelander, she doesn't have a "maiden
name" since she wouldn't have changed it or added her hisband's last
name if she married another Icelander.

Deb