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Patronymics
Until about 1850-1870 most ordinary people used patronymics instead of surnames. Patronymics are made from the Christian name of a person´s father, followed by "sen" (=son) or "datter" (=daugther). So, e.g. Jens Nielsens daughter Maren´s full name would be "Maren Jensdatter". And his son Søren would be "Søren Jensen".
Actually, patronymics were abolished by law in 1826. The authorities wanted people to use family surnames instead. But it took several decades before patronymics disappeared. So, for a person born from about 1826-1870 you cannot know, if a persons last name is a patronymic or a family surname. Unless of course you already know the parents of the person in question!

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