Surnames
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Surnames in the Nordic Countries
Nordic Names focuses on first names, so this is just a short (and incomplete) summary of information about surnames in the Nordic countries:
Patronyms/Matronyms
The old Nordic tradition of patronymic/matronymic names is still in use in Iceland and by some people in the Faroe Islands. This means that surnames are not fixed and cannot be inherited from the preceding generation. To build a surname, one adds a suffix to the first name of one of the parents, usually the father. Surnames like these are called patronymic or matronymic names. Patronyms are names based on the first name of the father, matronyms are based on the first name of the mother.
New name laws introduced in Denmark in 1828, in Sweden in 1901 and in Norway in 1922 forced the citizens to have inheritable surnames, so real patronyms/matronyms were forbidden in those countries.
Example (Sweden)
Gunnar Eriksson and Elsa Magnusdotter have a son (Arne) and a daughter (Astrid).
Their children's surnames would have been Arne Gunnarsson (= Arne, son of Gunnar) and Astrid Gunnarsdotter (= Astrid, daughter of Gunnar) in patronymic times.
From 1901 onwards, this tradition has been forbidden and children have had to inherit their fathers' surnames. Our example children would become Arne Eriksson and Astrid Eriksson, even though Arne is not the son of Erik and even though Astrid is not a "son" at all.
Nowadays, it is possible again to use real patronyms/matronyms, as the name laws have changed again.
Patronymic/Matronymic suffixes
To create a Nordic patronymic or matronymic name, the following suffixes are usually added to the genitive form, sometimes (often in Danish) to the nominative form of the first name of the father or mother:
Danish:
-sen (= son) or -datter (= daughter)
Examples:
Patronyms: Ole -> Ol(e)sen / Oledatter
Matronyms: Karen -> Karensen / Karensdatter
Faroese:
-son (= son) or -dóttir (= daughter)
Examples:
Patronyms: Sigurd -> Sigurdarson / Sigurdardóttir
Matronyms: Sigrun -> Sigrunarson / Sigrunardóttir
Finnish:
-poika (= son) or -tytär (= daughter)
Examples:
Patronyms: Jukka -> Jukanpoika / Jukantytär
Matronyms: Satu -> Sadunpoika / Saduntytär
Icelandic:
-son (= son) or -dóttir (= daughter)
Examples:
Patronyms: Arni -> Arnason / Arnadóttir
Matronyms: Anna -> Önnuson / Önnudóttir
Norwegian:
-sen / -son / -søn (= son) or -datter / -dotter (= daughter)
Examples:
Patronyms: Anders -> Andersen/Andersson / Andersdatter/Andersdotter
Matronyms: Ingeborg -> Ingeborgsen/Ingeborgson / Ingeborgdatter/Ingeborgsdotter
Swedish:
-son (= son) or -dotter (= daughter)
Examples:
Patronyms: Erik -> Eriksson / Eriksdotter
Matronyms: Ida -> Idasson / Idasdotter
Place Names
Many people in Sweden, Norway and Denmark decided not to freeze their patronymic names and chose to use the names of their farms or other place names in the area instead. In Norway and Denmark "real" place names are used, which means a man named Eirik from a place named Kjærstad could use Kjærstad as a surname: Eirik Kjærstad. In Sweden people created ornamental names instead, with only one part from the farm or place name they came from. Erik from Ekby would pick a surname like Eklund, Ekman, Ekdahl, but not Ekby. In Finland, the suffixes -la/-lä or -nen could be added to a place name or to a personal name to create a surname.
Soldier Names
In Sweden, soldiers used special soldier names, which some of them decided to keep as a surname when they left the army. These names were usually made from words describing the personality or the appearance of the person, e. g. Rask (= quick, fast), Stål (= steel).
Combination Surnames
Besides patronymic names, the second most common form of surnames in Sweden are combination names, always consisting out of elements (see list below). Often the terms used in names resemble nature elements such as hills, mountains, different sorts of trees, lakes, etc. Even newly created surnames - many people in Sweden change their common patronymic name into a more individual surname - often follow this scheme
The most commom Swedish combination surnames are:
- Lindberg
- Lindström
- Lindgren
- Lundberg
- Bergström
- Lundgren
- Berglund
- Sandberg
- Sjöberg
- Forsberg
- Lindqvist
- Engström
- Eklund
- Holmberg
- Nyström
- Lundqvist
Common Surname Elements
A B D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T V/W Å/Aa Ä/Æ; Ø/Ö
| ager | see åker |
| ahl | see al |
| al (ahl, al, or, aar, år) | alder tree |
| alm | elm tree |
| apel | see appel |
| appel (apel, appel) | apple |
| arn | see örn |
| ask (ask, asken) | ash tree |
| asp | aspen tree |
| back (back, bakke bakken) | hillside, slope |
| bakke (bakke, bakken) | see back |
| bech | see bäck |
| beck | see bäck |
| bek | see bäck |
| berg (berg, bergh, berge, bergen, bjerge, bjerre, bjærg) | mountain |
| birch | see björk |
| birk (birk, birke) | see björk |
| bjerge (bjerge, bjerre) | see berg |
| bjuv | curved, bend |
| bjærg | see berg |
| björk (birch, birk, birke, björk, bjørk) | birch tree |
| blad (blad, bladt) | leaf |
| blom | flower, blossom |
| blå (blå, blaa) | blue |
| bo (bo, boe, bø) | estate, property |
| boe | see bo |
| bonde (bonde, bund, bunde) | farmer |
| borg (borg, borgh) | castle |
| bred | broad |
| bro | bridge |
| brun (brun, bruun) | brown |
| bunde (bund, bunde) | see bonde |
| by (by, bye) | village, town |
| bäck (bech, beck, bek, bæk, bäck) | brook |
| bæk | see bäck |
| bø | see bo |
| cron | see kron |
| dahl | see dal |
| dal (dahl, dal) | valley |
| dam (dam, damm) | dam, pond |
| drup (drup, rup, trup) | village |
| eg (eg, ege) | see ek |
| ek (eg, ege, ek, eke) | oak tree |
| eng | see äng |
| ey | see ö |
| falk (falck, falk, falken) | falcon |
| feld (feld, feldt, felt) | see fält |
| fjord | fjord |
| flod | river |
| fogel | see fågel |
| fors (fors, foss, voss) | rapids, waterfall |
| foss | see fors or voss |
| fri | free |
| fris (friis, fris, frisen, frises) | Frisian |
| fågel (fogel, fugle, fågel) | bird |
| fält (feld, feldt, felt, fält) | field |
| gade (gad, gade) | street |
| gamle | see gammel |
| gammel (gamle, gammel) | old |
| gard | see gård |
| gran | spruce |
| grav (grav, graw, graven, graver, graving, gravning, gravningen) | ditch, fosse |
| gren (green, gren) | branch |
| grön (grön, grøn) | green |
| guld | gold |
| gyllen | golden |
| gård (gard, gård, gaard) | yard |
| hall | see häll |
| hassel | hazel |
| haug (haug, hauge) | see hög |
| hed (hed, hede heden) | moor, heath |
| hegg (heg, hæg, hægg, hägg) | bird cherry (tree) |
| heim | see hem |
| hell | see häll |
| hem (heim, hem, hjem) | home |
| hiort | see hjort |
| hjort (hiort, hjort, hjorth) | deer |
| holm (holm, holme) | small island |
| holt (holt, holte, hult, hulte) | forrest |
| hult (hult, hulte) | see holt |
| hus (hus, huus) | house |
| hägg, hæg, hægg | see hegg |
| häll (hall, hell, häll) | flat rock |
| høeg | see hög |
| hög (haug, hauge, høeg, hög, høg, høj, høy) | high |
| høj (høj, høy) | see hög |
| is | ice |
| jern (jern, järn) | iron |
| järn | see jern |
| kierke | see kyrkje |
| kirch | see kyrkje |
| kirke (kirk, kirke) | see kyrkje |
| kjer | see kjær |
| kjær (kjer, kjær) | marsh |
| klit | dune |
| kobber | copper |
| kragh | see krok |
| krog (krog, krogh) | see krok |
| krok (kragh, krog, krog, krok) | bend turn |
| kron (cron, kron, krohn, kroon) | crown |
| kvist (kvist, quist qvist) | twig |
| kyrkje (kierke, kirch, kirk, kirke, kyrkje) | church |
| land | land |
| lang (lang, lange) | see lång |
| lille (lil, lill, lille) | little, small |
| lind (lind, linde, linden) | lime/linden tree |
| ljung (ljung, lyng, lynge) | heather |
| lund (lund, lunde) | grove |
| lykke | luck |
| lyng (lyng, lynge) | see ljung |
| lång (lang, lange, lång) | long |
| löf (löf, löv, løv) | leaf, leaves |
| löv (löv, løv) | see löf |
| malm | ore |
| man (man, mand, mann) | man |
| mark | land, territory |
| mo (mo, moe, moen) | sandy ground |
| moe (moe, moen) | see mo |
| mose (mos, mose, moss) | moss |
| munch (munch, munck) | see munk |
| munk (munch, munck, munk) | monk |
| myhr, myhre | see myr |
| myr, myra (myr, myhre) | bog |
| møl (møl, mølle) | mill |
| møller | miller |
| mørch | see mørk |
| mørk (mørch, mørk, mørke) | dark |
| neder (neder, neer, ner) | lower |
| ner (neer, ner) | see neder |
| ness | see näs |
| nord (nor, nord, norden, nør, nørre) | north, northern |
| ny | new |
| näs (ness, näs, næs, næss) | spit (of land) |
| nør (nør, nørre) | see nord |
| or (or, aar, år) | see år |
| over | see över |
| pil (pihl, pil, pile) | arrow |
| quist | see kvist |
| qvist | see kvist |
| rask | quick |
| ris (ries, riis, ris) | twigs, sprigs |
| rose (ros, rose, rosen) | rose |
| rud (rud, ruud) | see ryd |
| ruden | see ryd |
| rup | see drup |
| ryd (rud, ruud, ryd) | clearing |
| rød | red |
| sand (sand, sande) | sand |
| schov (schou, schov) | see skog |
| see | see sjö |
| silver (silver, sølv) | silver |
| sjö (see, sjö, sø, søe) | sea, lake |
| skog (schou, schov, skog, skou, skov) | forrest |
| skov (skou, skov) | see skog |
| skær (skær, skär) | clear, clean (water) |
| smed (smed, smede) | smith |
| sol | sun |
| stad | see sted |
| sted (stad, sted, stedt) | town |
| stein | see sten |
| sten (stein, steen, sten) | stone |
| stor | big |
| strand | beach |
| ström (ström, strøm) | swiftly-flowing water |
| stål (stål, staal) | steel |
| støl | milking-pen for cows |
| sund | sound |
| svärd | sword |
| sæter (sæter, säter, sæther) | meadow in a forrest |
| sø, søe | see sjö |
| sølv | see silver |
| sønder | south southern |
| toft | village |
| trup | see drup |
| tveit | clearing |
| vagn | wagon |
| vall (vall, wall) | bank / pasture |
| vand | water |
| vang | field |
| vass (vass, wass) | see wetter |
| vester (vester, wester) | west western |
| wetter (wetter, vass, wass) | water |
| vig | see vik |
| vik (vig, vik, wik) | bay |
| vind (vind, wind) | wind |
| vinter (vinter, winter) | winter |
| voss (foss, voss) | fox (see also fors) |
| å (å, aa, or, aar, år) | stream, small river |
| åker (ager, åker) | field, arable land |
| år (or, aar, år) | black grouse (see also örn and al and å) |
| ås (ås, aas) | ridge |
| äng (eng, äng) | meadow |
| ärn | see örn |
| ö (ey, ö, ø, øy) | island |
| øl (øl, ølle) | welling water |
| örn (arn, or, aar, år, ärn, örn, ørn) | eagle |
| øster | east eastern |
| över (over, öfwer, över) | upper |
| øy | see ö |