Gransherad is a former municipality in Telemark

Telemark

is a county in Norway, bordering Vestfold, Buskerud, Hordaland, Rogaland and Aust-Agder. The county administration is in Skien. Until 1919 the county was known as Bratsberg amt.-Location:...

 county, Norway, located north-west of the city Notodden

Notodden

is a town and municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Øst-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Notodden....

.

Grandsherred was created in 1860 by the merger of the parishes Hovin

Hovin, Telemark

Hovin is a former municipality in Telemark county, Norway.It was created on 1 January 1886 by a split from Gransherad. Gransherad, which consisted of the parishes Hovin and Gransherad, had already been formed as a border adjustment between Tinn and Hjartdal in 1860. Hovin parish had 815 inhabitants...

 in Tinn

Tinn

Tinn is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Øst-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Rjukan....

 and Gransherad in Hjartdal

Hjartdal

Hjartdal is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Øst-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Sauland....

. On January 1, 1886 Hovin was separated from Gransherad to form a municipality of its own. The split left Gransherad with a population of 1,393.

On 1 January 1964 the district of Øvre Jondalen with 132 inhabitants was moved to Kongsberg

Kongsberg

is a town and municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is located at the southern end of the traditional region of Numedal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kongsberg....

 in Buskerud

Buskerud

is a county in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Oppland, Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland, Telemark, and Vestfold. The county administration is located in Drammen.-Geography:...

 county. The rest of Gransherad, then with 1,115 inhabitants, became a part of Notodden.

Composer Klaus Egge

Klaus Egge

Klaus Egge was a Norwegian composer and music critic. His music, often called a stream of will, is characterized by polyphony and a strong rhythmical energy.-Music:...

 was born in Gransherad.

The name

The Old Norse

Old Norse

Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....

 form of the name was Grandalsherað. The first element is the genitive case of a name Grandalr, the last element is herað n 'rural district'. The name Grandalr is a compound of gran f 'spruce

Spruce

A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...

', and dalr m 'dale, valley'.

Until 1867 the name was written "Gransherred", in the period 1867-1888 "Grandsherred", in the period 1889-1917 (again) "Gransherred", from 1918 on "Gransherad".