The picture shows the 1860 census for my gg-grandparents, Christian Benson and his wife Betsy. Their actual Norwegian names were Christen and Brita Bendikson Nistad (or Nissestad). Many Norwegians after arriving in America would change/Americanize their names. As you can see in the census not only did they change they last name (Bendikson) to Benson but they changed their first names also. Brita became Betsy and their two daughters Ingeborg and Gjertrud became Emily and Jane. Norwegians having two last names (their surname and the name of the farm they lived on) had a choice of what they wished their last name to be. My g-grandfather Sjur Markusson Dyrdal changed his name to Sivert (Syvert) Markusson when he arrived in the United States. His nephews who were born on the same farm as he was used the farm name Dyrdal but with a slight spelling change (Dyrdahl) for their last names.  ¶ 9:35 AM