Codes

This is a 32-character string variable.

Description

NAMEFRST is an alphabetic variable giving a person's full first name. It will primarily be of use to researchers linking the historical census data to other sources of demographic data, or researchers whose research topic involves naming patterns. Because of the length of this variable (32 columns), and the size of the dataset other researchers should not select this variable.

Comparability — Index

Comparability — General

The collection of names was substantially similar in all censuses. Canadian and United States instructions to enumerators indicated that the surname was to be written before the first name, whereas Norwegian and the Icelandic 1801 instructions gave no direction in this regard. The Icelandic 1901 instructions direct the enumerator to list the first and last names in separate columns.

Universe

Availability

• Canada: 1852, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901, 1911
• Denmark: 1787, 1801
• Germany: 1819
• Iceland: 1703, 1729, 1801, 1901, 1910
• Norway: 1801, 1865, 1875, 1900, 1910
• Sweden: 1880, 1890, 1900, 1910
• United Kingdom: 1851c
• United States: 1850a, 1850b, 1860, 1870, 1880a, 1880b, 1900, 1910