#52Ancestors52Weeks....Week 21 Theme...Nicknames....Harald (Harold) Hansen Was 'Almost Universally Known as "Heine"....'

   1928 Stray Leaves Senior Class 

Grass Valley Highschool

Grass Valley, California

My grandfather's given name was Harald (note the Norwegian spelling of his first name).  Harald was misspelled on his birth certificate and he went by Harold in adulthood.  He was nearly named Salvador; Grandpa was born while his father John Hansen was working as a mine foreman in La Union, Republic of Salvador in 1910.  John's cable-gram with his wish to name his third son Salvador luckily did not come in time and the name Harald Lloyd was already chosen by his mother Vere.  Did you know Grandpa also had a Norwegian nickname? 

  Pictured above is  Grandpa's senior picture and accompanying  caption found in his 1928 yearbook.  His  nickname "Hiny" was spelled wrong; his family nickname was "Heine",  a nod to his paternal Nordic heritage.  Grandpa used his nickname during his childhood, through high school,  and signed many of his 1930 letters written to his parents during his visit to Norway as Heine.  

 Undated photograph of L-R Grandpa (Heine) in his jaunty hat and bow tie, Alma Goins (Uncle Bob's wife), Vere and John Hansen.  Probably taken around the late 1920's or very early 1930's.  Alma and Bob were married in October of 1930.  From the Bob Hansen Family Album.

  We don't know the meaning of Heine or why it was chosen for Grandpa by his parents...in the Norwegian language it means "to be holy".  It also is used in the German language to mean the same thing. Maybe it was used to refer to Grandpa being at the tail end of the family as he was the youngest of three boys! Chuckle. 

  

  This is the closing section of  Grandpa's letter written from Oslo, Norway on October 8, 1930.  He signed off at the bottom....."So if you'll give my regards to all friends & relatives whom you meet I'll remain your soon to be 20 year old red haired brother who is almost universally known as "Heine". "  He signed his name  Harald L. Hansen.  His Norwegian relatives probably also called him Heine during his stay there. He celebrated his 20th birthday with his Norwegian extended family on October 11th, 1930.

 Grandpa "Heine" with an unknown Norwegian relative.  Taken in Norway, 1930. 

  I know that Grandpa's oldest brother Jack Hansen had a nickname.  He went by Gunnar, which means "bold warrior" in Norwegian.  I do not know if Grandpa's brother Robely (who went by Bob) had a Norwegian nickname.  I'd love to know if he did!

  Which reminds me...I really need to finish transcribing Grandpa's letters from Norway! 

Relationship Reference: 

Me->Margaret Hansen Boothby->Harald/Harold "Heine"Hansen->John Hansen and Vere Burrows Hansen