swedish surnames LINN and LINNAEUS
Especially Linnaeushas has become very famous around the world because of Carl Linnaeus or von Linné one of the greatest botanists of the world.
Could anyone explain these surnames.
Linnaeus is now very rare in Sweden

Thanks
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Replies

Carl Linnaeus took his surname from a farm owned by his family. It was called Linne, or Linnegard. Linne is an old form of the modern Swedish Lind. The Latin ending shows that he was an educated man, like Copernicus, Erasmus, etc. Most Swedes did not have surnames before 1800, but a student entering university would have to have a latinised second name. I think the Swedes call this a "priest name."
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