Diddú

Birth Name: Sigrún Hjálmtýsdóttir

Place of Birth: Reykjavik, Iceland

Date of Birth: 8 August, 1955

Ethnicity: Icelandic, 1/4 Danish

Diddú is an Icelandic opera singer. Her father, Hjálmtýr Edward Hjálmtýsson, was a bank clerk and comedian. Her mother, Margrét Matthíasdóttir, is a writer. She is married to musician Þorkell Jóelsson.

Diddú’s younger brother is singer and songwriter Paul Oscar. She is a second cousin of executive producer Ragnheiður Melsteð, and a second cousin, once removed, of Ragnheiður’s daughter, singer Sylvia Scheving. Her first cousin, twice removed, is singer Ari Ólafsson.

Diddú’s patrilieal ancestry can be traced back to her fifth great-grandfather, Snjólfur Finnsson.

Diddú’s paternal grandfather was Hjálmtýr Sigurðsson (the son of Sigurður Sigmundsson and Gyðríður Hjaltadóttir). Sigurður was the son of Sigmundur Sigurðsson and Ingibjörg Sigurðsdóttir. Gyðríður was the daughter of Hjalti Hjaltason and Guðfinna Árnadóttir.

Diddú’s paternal grandmother was Lucinde Fransiska Vilhelmine Hansen (the daughter of Ludvig Hansen and Marie Cathrine Bernhoft). Ludvig was a Danish emigrant, possibly from Copenhagen. Marie Cathrine was the daughter of Danish emigrants, Wilhelm Georg Theodor Bernhoft, of Copenhagen, and Johanne Louise Bertelsen, of Helsingør.

Diddú’s maternal grandfather was Matthías Október Sveinbjörnsson (the son of Sveinbjörn Erlendsson and Margrét Þorsteinsdóttir). Sveinbjörn was the son of Erlendur Sveinbjörnsson and Álfheiður Jónsdóttir. Margrét was the daughter of Þorsteinn Vigfússon and Margrét Eiríksdóttir.

Diddú’s maternal grandmother was Sigrún Bjarnadóttir Melsteð (the daughter of Bjarni Jónsson Melsteð and Þórunn Guðmundsdóttir). Bjarni was the son of Jóh Pálsson Melsteð and Steinunn Bjarnadóttir Thorarensen. Þórunn was the daughter of Guðmundur Sigurðsson and Ingibjörg Helgadóttir.

Sources: Genealogy of Diddú (focusing on her mother’s side) – https://www.geni.com

Obituary of Diddú’s father – http://www.mbl.is

Diddú’s paternal grandfather, Hjálmtýr Sigurðsson, on the 1880 Icelandic census – http://manntal.is

Baptismal record of Diddú’s paternal great-grandfather, Sigurður Sigmundsson – https://familysearch.org

Baptismal record of Diddú’s paternal great-grandmother, Gyðríður Hjaltadóttir – https://familysearch.org

Baptismal record of Diddú’s maternal great-grandfather, Sveinbjörn Erlendsson – https://familysearch.org

Diddú’s maternal grandmother, Sigrún Bjarnadóttir Melsteð, on the 1910 Icelandic census – http://manntal.is