Gyllenhaal family

Gyllenhaal is the surname of a Swedish noble family descended from cavalry Lieutenant Nils Gunnarsson Haal (died 1680 or 1681), ennobled in 1652 with a change of surname to "Gyllenhaal".[1][2]

Family name

The name "Gyllenhaal" originated from Nils Gunnarsson Gyllenhaal's father Gunne Olofsson Haal, who was from Hahlegården, a crown homestead in South Härene Parish in the county of Västergötland in West Sweden. Haal comes from the name of the farm estate "Hahlegården". In the Knighthood Letter, signed by Queen Christina, the family name was written in two different ways — first "Gyllenhahl" and then "Gyllenhaal". On the copperplate with his coat of arms now hanging in the House of Nobility (Riddarhuset) in Stockholm it is spelled "Gyllenhahl".[3] Such ambiguities are typical of the time; it would be several generations before Swedish spelling was more strictly regulated. The prefix Gyllen ("Golden") was the one most used when ennobling someone since the 16th century.[note 1]

Actor Jake Gyllenhaal, great-great grandson of the above-mentioned Anders Leonard Gyllenhaal, quipped during an interview prior to the British premiere of Prince of Persia that his last name was pronounced "Yil-en-hoo-luh-hay", parodying Americans' difficulties with Swedish pronunciation.[note 2][note 3]

Family history

Escutcheon of the Gyllenhaal family hanging in the House of Nobility

Nils Gunnarsson Gyllenhaal's descendants today stem from two of his sons: Lars Gyllenhaal (1645–1710), Lieutenant of the Vestgotha cavalry regiment; and his younger brother Hans Gyllenhaal (1655–1710). Hans was killed in action at the battle of Helsingborg as a cavalry captain.

The members of the older branch descending from Lars are still living in Sweden. The most notable member of that branch is the Minister for Justice Lars Herman Gyllenhaal. In 1851, he was created Knight and Commander of the Royal Order of the Seraphim. His great-great grandson, Herman Gyllenhaal till Härlingstorp (born 1934), is now the baron of the family and his son Lars Gyllenhaal is now the head of both branches of the noble family Gyllenhaal.

All the members of the family in the United States are descended from Hans Gyllenhaal and come from his great great-great grandson Anders Leonard (1842–1905) and his wife Amanda (née Nelson, 1859–1948). Anders Leonard Gyllenhaal immigrated to the United States in 1865.[4] The hitherto most memorable member of this younger branch was Leonard Gyllenhaal (1752–1840). In 1807, he was created a Knight of the Royal Order of Vasa for his scientific work as an entomologist, including his monograph of Swedish insects, Insecta Suecia descripta.

Members

Some notable members of this family are:

Notes

  1. ↑ Similarly for the naming of the former head of car manufacturer Volvo Pehr Gustaf Gyllenhammar and Sofia Johansdotter Gyllenhielm De la Gardie.
  2. ↑ In Danish, a double "aa" as in Gyllenhaal has for centuries normally been pronounced with an "o" sound as in English "for". In older Swedish, however, it was pronounced with a long "a" as in the English word "far"; the double "aa", as with the "ah" in the alternative "Gyllenhahl" (see above) only indicates a long vowel "a". The "o" sound corresponding to Danish "aa" was normally rendered by "å" ("åå", "åh").
  3. ↑ The second problem for English-speakers is how to pronounce the prefix "Gyllen", i.e. Golden. The USA branch of the family's solution is to pronounce it "Jill-EN-hall", but in Sweden "Gy" is pronounced as "Y" followed by a close front rounded vowel, similar to the German vowel "ü".

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Entry for the Gyllenhaal family in the Nordisk Familjebok (in Swedish)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Article on members of the Gyllenhaal family in the Svenskt biografiskt handlexikon ("Swedish Biographical Lexicon") (in Swedish)
  3. ↑ The Gyllenhaal Family Tree Project
  4. 1 2 Anders Leonard Gyllenhaal: Obituary, translated from an obituary in Nya Svenska Amerikanaren ("The New Swedish-American"), published in 1905.
  5. ↑ Entry for Johan Abraham Gyllenhaal, translated from Svenskt Biografiskt Lexikon, 1968, pages 556-558
  6. ↑ Entry for Carl Henrik Gyllenhaal translated from Svenskt Biografiskt Lexikon, Stockholm, 1968.
  7. ↑ Entry for Matilda Gyllenhaal in the Nordisk familjebok (in Swedish)
  8. ↑ "Sam Gyllenhaal (No 1,018)" by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 9 May 2011

External links

Bibliography

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