Gyllenhaal family


The Gyllenhaal family is a Swedish noble family descended from cavalry officer Lieutenant Nils Gunnarsson Haal, ennobled in 1652 with a change of name to "Gyllenhaal".

Family name

The name "Gyllenhaal" originated from Nils Gunnarsson Gyllenhaal's father Gunne Olofsson Haal, who was from Hahlegården, a crown homestead in Södra Härene parish in the province of Västergötland in southwestern 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 in Stockholm, it is spelled "Gyllenhahl". Such ambiguities are typical of the time; it would be several generations before Swedish spelling was more strictly regulated. The prefix Gyllen was the one most used when ennobling someone since the 16th century.
Actor Jake Gyllenhaal, great-great grandson of the below-mentioned Anders Leonard Gyllenhaal, quipped during an interview before the British premiere of Prince of Persia that his last name was pronounced "Yil-en-hoo-luh-hay", parodying Americans' difficulties with Swedish pronunciation.

Family history

Nils Gunnarsson Gyllenhaal's descendants today stem from two of his sons: Lars Gyllenhaal, Lieutenant of the Vestgotha cavalry regiment; and his younger brother Hans Gyllenhaal. Hans was killed in action at the Battle of Helsingborg as a cavalry captain.
The members of the older branch descending from Lars still live in Sweden. The most notable member of that branch was 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, Baron Herman Gyllenhaal of Härlingstorp, is now the head of both branches of the noble family Gyllenhaal. He has a son, Lars.
All the members of the family in the United States are descended from Hans Gyllenhaal through his great great-great grandson Anders Leonard and his wife Amanda. Anders Leonard Gyllenhaal emigrated to the United States in 1865. A prominent member of this younger branch was Leonard Gyllenhaal. In 1807, he was created a Knight of the Royal Order of Vasa for his scientific work as an entomologist, including his monograph on Swedish insects, Insecta Suecia descripta.

Notable members

Family tree