The Gyllenhaal family () is a Swedish noble family descended from cavalry officer Lieutenant Nils Gunnarsson Haal (died 1680 or 1681), ennobled in 1652 with a change of name to "Gyllenhaal".Entry for the Gyllenhaal family
in the ''

Nordisk Familjebok (, 'Nordic Family Book') is a Swedish language, Swedish encyclopedia that was published in print from between 1876 and 1993, and that is now fully available in digital form via Project Runeberg at Linköping University. The public domain edit ...

'' (in Swedish)Article on members of the Gyllenhaal family
in the ''

Svenskt biografiskt handlexikon ''Svenskt biografiskt handlexikon'' () is a compact Sweden, Swedish dictionary of biography first published in 1873–1876 by the physician and antiquarian Herman Hofberg (1823–1883). The second, updated edition was published in 1906, under th ...

'' ("Swedish Biographical Lexicon") (in

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

)

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 Västergötland (), also known as West Gothland or the Latinized version Westrogothia in older literature, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden (''landskap'' in Swedish), situated in the southwest of Sweden. Vä ...

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 (''Riddarhuset'') 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'' ("Golden") was the one most used when ennobling someone since the 16th century.Similarly for the naming of the former head of car manufacturer

Volvo The Volvo Group (; legally Aktiebolaget Volvo, shortened to AB Volvo, stylized as VOLVO) is a Swedish multinational manufacturing corporation headquartered in Gothenburg. While its core activity is the production, distribution and sale of truck ...

Pehr Gustaf Gyllenhammar Pehr Gustaf Gyllenhammar (28 April 1935 – 21 November 2024) was a Swedish businessman. He is mainly known for his 24 years as CEO and chairman of Volvo between 1970 and 1994. In the early 1980s he took the initiative for the European Round Ta ...

and

Sofia Johansdotter Gyllenhielm Sofia Johansdotter Gyllenhielm (1556/59 – June 1583) was a Swedish nobleman, the illegitimate daughter of King John III of Sweden and Karin Hansdotter. Life She spent her early childhood with her mother in Turku Castle in the Duchy of Finlan ...

De la Gardie The De la Gardie family (; ; also de la Gardie) is the name of a distinguished Swedish nobility, Swedish noble family of French people, French origin, whose members held significant political and military positions throughout the history of the Ki ...

. Actor

Jake Gyllenhaal Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal ( , ; born December 19, 1980) is an American actor who has worked on screen and stage for over thirty years. Born into the Gyllenhaal family, he is the son of film director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi ...

, great-great grandson of the below-mentioned Anders Leonard Gyllenhaal, quipped during an interview before the British premiere of ''

Prince of Persia ''Prince of Persia'' is a video game franchise created by Jordan Mechner. It is centered around a series of action-adventure games focused on various incarnations of the eponymous Prince, set in ancient and medieval Persia. The first two ga ...

'' that his last name was pronounced "Yil-en-hoo-luh-hay", parodying Americans' difficulties with Swedish pronunciation.In Danish, a double "aa" as in Gyllenhaal has for centuries normally been pronounced with an "o" sound as in English "for". In older

, 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").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

near-close near-front rounded vowel The near-close front rounded vowel, or near-high front rounded vowel, is a type of vowel sound, used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is , a small capital version of the ...

, comparable to the short German vowel "ü".

Family history

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 The Battle of Helsingborg was the last major engagement of the Great Northern War to take place on Swedish soil. It resulted in a decisive victory of a Swedish force of 14,000 men under the command of Magnus Stenbock against a Danish force of e ...

as a cavalry captain. The members of the older branch descending from Lars still live in

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

. The most notable member of that branch was the

Minister for Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...

Lars Herman Gyllenhaal Baron Lars Herman Gyllenhaal (1790–1858) was a Swedish civil servant, politician, ''Baron'' and a Lord of the Realm. Early life Born into the Swedish noble Gyllenhaal family, as the fourth child and only son of Lorentz Herman Gyllenhaal (1 ...

. In 1851, he was created Knight and Commander of the

Royal Order of the Seraphim The Royal Order of the Seraphim (; '' Seraphim'' being a category of angels) is the highest order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Sweden. It was created by King Frederick I on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Ord ...

. His great-great grandson, Baron Herman Gyllenhaal of Härlingstorp (born 1934), 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 (1842–1905) and his wife Amanda (née Nelson, 1859–1948). Anders Leonard Gyllenhaal emigrated to the United States in 1865. A prominent member of this younger branch thitherto was

Leonard Gyllenhaal Leonard Gyllenhaal (3 December 1752 – 13 May 1840) was a Swedish nobleman, military officer and entomologist. Early life and ancestry Born on the Ribbingsberg manor in Västergötland in west Sweden, Leonard Gyllenhaal was son of Hans ...

(1752–1840). In 1807, he was created a Knight of the Royal

Order of Vasa The Royal Order of Vasa () is a Swedish order of chivalry founded on 29 May 1772 by Gustav III, King Gustav III. It is awarded to Swedish citizens for service to state and society especially in the fields of agriculture, mining and commerce. His ...

for his scientific work as an

entomologist Entomology (from Ancient Greek ἔντομον (''éntomon''), meaning "insect", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study") is the branch of zoology that focuses on insects. Those who study entomology are known as entomologists. In ...

, including his monograph on Swedish insects, ''Insecta Suecia descripta''.

Notable members

* Johan Abraham Gyllenhaal (1750–1788), geologist and mineralogist. *

(1752–1840), military officer and gentleman farmer, known as an

and a leading

Swedenborgian The New Church (or Swedenborgianism) can refer to any of several historically related Christian denominations that developed under the influence of the theology of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772). The Swedenborgian tradition is considered to ...

. His best-known work was his monograph on Swedish beetles, ''Insecta suecica. Coleoptera'' in 4 parts, published between 1808 and 1827. * Carl Henrik Gyllenhaal (1788–1857), a military officer who participated in the

Finnish war The Finnish War (; ; ) was fought between the Gustavian era, Kingdom of Sweden and the Russian Empire from 21 February 1808 to 17 September 1809 as part of the Napoleonic Wars. As a result of the war, the eastern third of Sweden was established a ...

of 1808–1809, was later Governor of

Blekinge County Blekinge County () is a county or '' län'' in the south of Sweden. It borders the Counties of Skåne Scania ( ), also known by its native name of Skåne (), is the southernmost of the historical provinces of Sweden, provinces () of Sweden ...

and

Skaraborg County Skaraborg County ( ) was a Counties of Sweden, county of Sweden from 1634 until 1997. It was disestablished at the end of 1997 when it was merged with the counties of Gothenburg and Bohus County, Gothenburg and Bohus and Älvsborg County, Älvs ...

, Privy Councilor, and finally Director General of the Swedish customs. Created a

baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than ...

in 1837. *

(1790–1858), Swedish Prime Minister for Justice 1843–1844. Created a

in 1843. * Mathilda d'Orozco (1796–1863), singer, composer and socialite; married in her third marriage to cavalry lieutenant Baron Carl Alexander Fredrik Gyllenhaal, son of Carl Henrik Gyllenhaal and his wife, Hedvig Charlotta Rudbeck (1789-1826). Matilda was a Spanish countess, born in Milan, Italy. She was first married to the stablemaster of

Napoleon I Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

's sister; in 1817, widowed, she married J. Montgomery-Cederhjelm in Vienna and became a leading figure and "trendsetter" in Stockholm society. In 1825 she was widowed again; she married a third time in 1839 to Carl Gyllenhaal. She was the subject of a poem by the leading Swedish poet

Esaias Tegnér Esaias Tegnér (; – ) was a Swedish writer, professor of Greek, and bishop. During the 19th century, he was regarded as the father of modern poetry in Sweden, mainly through the national romantic epic '' Frithjof's Saga''. He has been called ...

, and a song by

Erik Gustaf Geijer Erik Gustaf Geijer (12 January 1783 – 23 April 1847) was a Swedish writer, historian, poet, romantic critic of political economy, philosopher, and composer. His writings served to promote Swedish National Romanticism. He was an influentia ...

; she herself wrote songs and set Tegnér's ''Rings Drapa'' to music. * Anders Leonard Gyllenhaal (1842–1905), grandson of Leonard G., editor-in-chief of the Swedish-American newspaper ''

Svenska Amerikanaren Tribunen is a Swedish-American weekly newspaper which was published in Chicago and read by Swedish immigrants. Two competing newspapers have held the name , both with roots in the 1870s, but the two newspapers merged in 1936 under the title (). The iss ...

'' in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. Ancestor of the American branch.Anders Leonard Gyllenhaal: Obituary
translated from an obituary in ''Nya Svenska Amerikanaren'' ("The New Swedish-American"), published in 1905. *

Stephen Gyllenhaal Stephen Roark Gyllenhaal ( , ; born October 4, 1949) is an American film director and poet. He is the father of actors Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Early life Stephen Roark Gyllenhaal was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Virginia Lowrie (née Childs ...

(born 1949), film director and poet, great grandson of Anders Leonard G., was married to producer and screenwriter

Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal ( Achs; born March 4, 1946) is an American screenwriter and director. She is the mother of actors Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal. Early life and education Foner was born in Brooklyn, New York City, the daughter of doctors Rut ...

. *

Maggie Gyllenhaal Margalit Ruth "Maggie" Gyllenhaal ( , ; born November 16, 1977) is an American actress and filmmaker. Part of the Gyllenhaal family, she is the daughter of filmmakers Stephen Gyllenhaal and Naomi Achs, and the older sister of actor Jake Gylle ...

(born 1977),

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

-nominated American actress and filmmaker, daughter of Stephen G. *

(born 1980),

-nominated American actor, son of Stephen G. * Sam Gyllenhaal, musician, videographer, son of Anders G."Sam Gyllenhaal (No 1,018)"
by Paul Lester, ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'', 9 May 2011

Family tree

* Nils Gunnesson Gyllenhaal (1600-1680) ∞ Märta Hierta (1610-1697) ** Gudmund Gyllenhaal (1643–1701) ∞ Beata Rosendufva (1643-1725) ** Lars Gyllenhaal (1645–1710) ∞ Anna Maria Rytterström (1667-1712) *** Lars Gyllenhaal (1690–1756) ∞ Anna Beata of Wrangel-Lindeberg (1695-1728) **** Lorentz Herman Gyllenhaal (1723–1786) ∞ Fredrika Eleonora Frölich (1721-1772) ***** Lars Herman Gyllenhaal (1757–1830) ∞ Baroness Hedvig Margareta Leuhusen (1763-1857) ******

(1790–1858), Swedish Prime Minister for Justice ∞ (1) Henrika Lovisa Ulrika Tham (1791-1816) ∞ (2) Elisabet Sofia

Palm Palm most commonly refers to: * Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand * Palm plants, of family Arecaceae ** List of Arecaceae genera **Palm oil * Several other plants known as "palm" Palm or Palms may also refer to: Music ...

(1795-1865); had issue ** Hans Gyllenhaal (1655–1710) ∞ Barbro Bengtsdotter Lilliestielke (1663-1729) *** Abraham Rudolph Gyllenhaal (1694–1743) ∞ Maria Christina Lybecker (1700-1739) **** Georg Rudolf Gyllenhaal (1721–1780) ∞ (1) Catharina Helena Bjerman (1721-1768) ∞ (2) Anna Helena Åkerhielm af Blombacka (1731-1797) ***** Carl Jonas Gyllenhaal (1749–1808) ∞ (1) Florentina Gustava Strömbom (1765-1795) ∞ (2) Baroness Gustafva Eleonora Rudbeck (1767-1828) ****** Carl Henrik Gyllenhaal (1788–1857) ∞ ∞ (1) Baroness Hedvig Charlotta Rudbeck (1789-1826) ∞ (2) Baroness Beata Aurora af Nordin (1803-1884) ******* Carl Alexander Fredrik Gyllenhaal (1814–1910) ∞ (1) Mathilda Valeria Beatrix d'Orozco, Singer, composer and socialite ∞ (2) Ulla

Lagercrantz The Lagercrantz family is an influential Swedish nobility, Swedish noble family, whose members held various positions in Sweden and Grand Duchy of Finland, Finland. History On 13 February 1682 he family was ennobled with the name Lagercrantz. On ...

∞ (3) Alma Ahlstedt **** Hans Reinhold Gyllenhaal (1724–1796) ∞ Anna Catharina Wahlfelt (1723-1799) *****

(1752–1840), Swedish military officer and entomologist ∞ Anna Hård af Torestorp (1763-1845) ****** Fredrik Leonard Gyllenhaal (1802–1873) ∞ Christina Lovisa Gustava

Westling Westling is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Dominica Westling (born 1984), Swedish actress and model *Daniel Westling (1973), Prince of Sweden, Duke of Västergötland, husband of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden Victo ...

(1811-1846) ******* Anders Leonard Gyllenhaal (1842–1905) ∞ Selma Amanda

Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

(1861-1948) ******** Leonard Efraim Gyllenhaal (1881–1934) ∞ Virginia Phileah Pendleton (1887-1960) ********* Hugh Anders Gyllenhaal (1921–1979) ∞ Virginia Lowrie Childs (1924-2008) **********

(born 1949), American film director and poet ∞ (1) Naomi Achs (b. 1946) ∞ (2) Kathleen Kwai Ching Man (b. 1974) ***********

(born 1977), American actress and filmmaker ∞

Peter Sarsgaard John Peter Sarsgaard (; born March 7, 1971) is an American actor. He studied at the Actors Studio, before rising to prominence playing atypical and sometimes villainous roles in film and television. He made his film debut with '' Dead Man W ...

(b. 1971) ************ Ramona Sarsgaard (born 2006) ***********

(born 1980), American actor and producer ************ Luke Gyllenhaal (born 2014)

Notes

References

Bibliography

Nordisk familjebok (, 'Nordic Family Book') is a Swedish language, Swedish encyclopedia that was published in print from between 1876 and 1993, and that is now fully available in digital form via Project Runeberg at Linköping University. The public domain edit ...

, 2nd edition, Volume 10, 1909. (on

Projekt Runeberg Project Runeberg () is a digital cultural archive initiative that publishes free electronic versions of books significant to the culture and history of the Nordic countries. Patterned after Project Gutenberg, it was founded by Lars Aronsson and ...

) (in

) * ''

'', Volume 1, 1906 (in

)

External links

{{Commons category, Gyllenhaal family
Gyllenhaal family tree official website

Noble family Gyllenhaal No. 814
at the Swedish genealogy website ''Adelsvapen'' (in

) Surnames Swedish-language surnames Swedish noble families