Scandinavian Last Names

These Scandinavian last names are real family names from Sweden, Norway and Denmark, listed A to Z with meanings. Patronymics like Andersson and Hansen sit beside nature names such as Sundström and farm names such as Bakke.

300 real surnames with meanings, A to Z.

A

Aagaard

River or stream farm

Danish
Aamodt

River confluence, a farm name

Norwegian
Aas

Ridge, a farm name

Norwegian
Aasen

The ridge, a farm name

Norwegian
Åberg

River or stream and mountain

Swedish
Abrahamsen

Son of Abraham, biblical name

Norwegian
Abrahamsson

Son of Abraham, biblical name

Swedish
Adolfsson

Son of Adolf, meaning noble wolf

Swedish
Ahlberg

Alder tree and mountain

Swedish
Ahlgren

Alder tree and branch

Swedish
Ahlström

Alder tree and stream

Swedish
Åkerlund

Farm field and grove

Swedish
Åkerman

Field man, a farmer

Swedish
Åkerström

Farm field and stream

Swedish
Åkesson

Son of Åke, an Old Norse name

Swedish
Albertsen

Son of Albert, noble and bright

Danish
Alfredsson

Son of Alfred, meaning elf counsel

Swedish
Almqvist

Elm tree and twig

Swedish
Amundsen

Son of Amund, possibly awe and protection

Norwegian
Andersen

Son of Anders, form of Andrew

Norwegian
Andersson

Son of Anders, Swedish form of Andrew

Swedish
Andreasen

Son of Andreas, form of Andrew

Danish
Andreassen

Son of Andreas, form of Andrew

Norwegian
Andreasson

Son of Andreas, form of Andrew

Swedish
Andresen

Son of Andreas, contracted form

Norwegian
Antonsen

Son of Anton, form of Anthony

Norwegian
Antonsson

Son of Anton, form of Anthony

Swedish
Arnesen

Son of Arne, meaning eagle

Norwegian
Arvidsson

Son of Arvid, meaning eagle tree

Swedish
Aslaksen

Son of Aslak, god's play

Norwegian
Asmussen

Son of Asmus, from Erasmus

Danish
Åström

River and stream

Swedish
Aune

Deserted farm, a farm name

Norwegian
Axelsson

Son of Axel, Scandinavian form of Absalom

Swedish

B

Bach

Brook or stream, a nature name

Danish
Bäckman

Brook man, dweller by a brook

Swedish
Bäckström

Brook and stream

Swedish
Bak

Hill or ridge, a nature name

Danish
Bakke

Hill or slope, farm name

Norwegian
Bakken

The hill or slope

Norwegian
Bang

Possibly loud or boisterous, byname

Danish
Bech

Brook or stream, variant of Bach

Danish
Bendtsen

Son of Bendt, form of Benedict

Danish
Bengtsson

Son of Bengt, Swedish form of Benedict

Swedish
Berg

Mountain or hill

Swedish
Berge

Mountain or rocky ground, farm name

Norwegian
Berggren

Mountain and branch

Swedish
Bergkvist

Mountain and twig, variant spelling

Swedish
Berglund

Mountain and grove

Swedish
Bergman

Mountain man, miner or hill dweller

Swedish
Bergqvist

Mountain and twig

Swedish
Bergström

Mountain and stream

Swedish
Berntsen

Son of Bernt, form of Bernhard

Norwegian
Bertelsen

Son of Bertel, form of Bartholomew

Danish
Bertilsson

Son of Bertil, meaning bright

Swedish
Birgersson

Son of Birger, meaning helper

Swedish
Birkeland

Birch land, a farm name

Norwegian
Bisgaard

Possibly bishop's farm, farm name

Danish
Bjerke

Birch wood, a farm name

Norwegian
Bjerre

Hill or mountain, place name

Danish
Björk

Birch tree, a nature name

Swedish
Björklund

Birch tree and grove

Swedish
Björkman

Birch man, dweller by birches

Swedish
Bjørnstad

Bear farmstead, a farm name

Norwegian
Blom

Flower or bloom, a nature name

Swedish
Blomberg

Flower and mountain

Swedish
Blomgren

Flower and branch

Swedish
Blomqvist

Flower and twig

Swedish
Bøe

Farm or homestead, farm name

Norwegian
Boesen

Son of Bo, meaning dweller

Danish
Börjesson

Son of Börje, from Birger

Swedish
Boström

Possibly from bo, dwelling, and stream

Swedish
Brandt

Burnt clearing or fire, German origin

Danish
Bråten

Burnt clearing, a farm name

Norwegian
Brekke

Steep slope, a farm name

Norwegian
Brenna

Burnt clearing, a farm name

Norwegian
Bruun

Brown, a Danish byname

Danish
Bundgaard

Possibly peasant farmer's farm

Danish
Byström

Village and stream

Swedish

C

Carlsen

Son of Carl, form of Karl

Norwegian
Carlsson

Son of Carl, variant of Karlsson

Swedish
Christensen

Son of Christen, form of Christian

Norwegian
Christiansen

Son of Christian, meaning follower of Christ

Norwegian
Christoffersen

Son of Christoffer, form of Christopher

Danish
Claesson

Son of Claes, short for Nicholas

Swedish

D

Dahl

Valley, a nature name

Swedish
Dahlberg

Valley and mountain

Swedish
Dahle

Valley, variant farm name

Norwegian
Dahlgren

Valley and branch

Swedish
Dahlin

From dal, valley, with Latin-style suffix

Swedish
Dahlström

Valley and stream

Swedish
Dale

Valley, a farm name

Norwegian
Dalen

The valley, a farm name

Norwegian
Dalgaard

Valley farm, variant spelling

Danish
Dalsgaard

Valley farm, a farm name

Danish
Dam

Pond or dam, place name

Danish
Damgaard

Pond farm, a farm name

Danish
Danielsen

Son of Daniel, biblical name

Norwegian
Danielsson

Son of Daniel, biblical name

Swedish
Davidsson

Son of David, biblical name

Swedish
Ditlevsen

Son of Ditlev, form of Detlef

Danish

E

Ebbesen

Son of Ebbe, meaning boar

Danish
Edvardsen

Son of Edvard, form of Edward

Norwegian
Edvardsson

Son of Edvard, form of Edward

Swedish
Eide

Isthmus or portage, farm name

Norwegian
Ek

Oak tree, a nature name

Swedish
Ekberg

Oak tree and mountain

Swedish
Ekdahl

Oak tree and valley

Swedish
Ekholm

Oak tree and islet

Swedish
Eklund

Oak tree and grove

Swedish
Ekman

Oak man, dweller by oaks

Swedish
Ekström

Oak tree and stream

Swedish
Ekvall

Oak tree and grassy field

Swedish
Eliassen

Son of Elias, biblical name

Norwegian
Eliasson

Son of Elias, biblical name

Swedish
Ellingsen

Son of Elling, a Norse name

Norwegian
Emanuelsson

Son of Emanuel, meaning God with us

Swedish
Enevoldsen

Son of Enevold, sole ruler

Danish
Engberg

Meadow and mountain

Swedish
Engdahl

Meadow and valley

Swedish
Engebretsen

Son of Engebret, form of Ingebrigt

Norwegian
Engen

The meadow, a farm name

Norwegian
Engström

Meadow and stream

Swedish
Eriksen

Son of Erik, meaning ever ruler

Norwegian
Eriksson

Son of Erik, meaning ever ruler

Swedish
Erlandsson

Son of Erland, a Norse name

Swedish
Eskildsen

Son of Eskild, god's cauldron

Danish
Evensen

Son of Even, form of Øyvind

Norwegian

F

Falk

Falcon, a soldier or nature name

Swedish
Flaten

The flat plain, farm name

Norwegian
Forsberg

Rapids and mountain

Swedish
Forsgren

Rapids and branch

Swedish
Forslund

Rapids and grove

Swedish
Forsman

Rapids man, dweller by rapids

Swedish
Foss

Waterfall, a farm name

Norwegian
Fossum

By the waterfalls, farm name

Norwegian
Frandsen

Son of Frands, form of Francis

Danish
Fransson

Son of Frans, form of Francis

Swedish
Frederiksen

Son of Frederik, peaceful ruler

Danish
Fredriksen

Son of Fredrik, meaning peaceful ruler

Norwegian
Fredriksson

Son of Fredrik, meaning peaceful ruler

Swedish
Friis

Frisian, person from Frisia

Danish

G

Gjerde

Fence or enclosure, farm name

Norwegian
Gregersen

Son of Gregers, form of Gregory

Danish
Gulbrandsen

Son of Gulbrand, god's sword

Norwegian
Gundersen

Son of Gunder, a Norse battle name

Norwegian
Gunnarsson

Son of Gunnar, meaning battle warrior

Swedish
Gustafsson

Son of Gustaf, a royal Swedish name

Swedish
Gustavsson

Son of Gustav, variant spelling of Gustafsson

Swedish

H

Hagen

The enclosed pasture or garden

Norwegian
Håkansson

Son of Håkan, meaning high son

Swedish
Halvorsen

Son of Halvor, rock guardian

Norwegian
Hansen

Son of Hans, short for Johannes

Norwegian
Hanssen

Son of Hans, variant spelling

Norwegian
Hansson

Son of Hans, short for Johannes

Swedish
Haug

Hill or mound, farm name

Norwegian
Hauge

Hill or mound, farm name

Norwegian
Haugen

The hill or mound, farm name

Norwegian
Haugland

Hill land, a farm name

Norwegian
Hedlund

Heath and grove

Swedish
Helland

Flat rock land, farm name

Norwegian
Hellström

Flat rock and stream

Swedish
Henriksen

Son of Henrik, form of Henry

Norwegian
Henriksson

Son of Henrik, form of Henry

Swedish
Hermansson

Son of Herman, meaning army man

Swedish
Holm

Small island or islet

Swedish
Holmberg

Islet and mountain

Swedish
Holmgren

Islet and branch

Swedish
Holmqvist

Islet and twig

Swedish

I

Isaksen

Son of Isak, form of Isaac

Norwegian
Isaksson

Son of Isak, form of Isaac

Swedish
Iversen

Son of Iver, meaning bow warrior

Norwegian

J

Jacobsen

Son of Jacob, biblical name

Norwegian
Jakobsen

Son of Jakob, form of Jacob

Norwegian
Jakobsson

Son of Jakob, form of Jacob

Swedish
Jansson

Son of Jan, form of John

Swedish
Jensen

Son of Jens, form of John

Norwegian
Jenssen

Son of Jens, variant spelling

Norwegian
Jeppesen

Son of Jeppe, form of Jacob

Danish
Jepsen

Son of Jep, form of Jacob

Danish
Jespersen

Son of Jesper, form of Jasper

Danish
Johannessen

Son of Johannes, form of John

Norwegian
Johansen

Son of Johan, form of John

Norwegian
Johansson

Son of Johan, Swedish form of John

Swedish
Johnsen

Son of John, biblical name

Norwegian
Jonasson

Son of Jonas, biblical name

Swedish
Jonsson

Son of Jon, form of John

Swedish
Jönsson

Son of Jöns, southern Swedish form of John

Swedish
Jørgensen

Son of Jørgen, form of George

Norwegian

K

Karlsen

Son of Karl, meaning free man

Norwegian
Karlsson

Son of Karl, meaning free man

Swedish
Kjær

Marsh or wet meadow

Danish
Kjeldsen

Son of Kjeld, meaning cauldron

Danish
Knudsen

Son of Knud, form of Knut

Norwegian
Knutsen

Son of Knut, meaning knot

Norwegian
Kristensen

Son of Kristen, form of Christian

Norwegian
Kristiansen

Son of Kristian, meaning Christian

Norwegian
Kristoffersen

Son of Kristoffer, form of Christopher

Norwegian

L

Larsen

Son of Lars, form of Laurence

Norwegian
Larsson

Son of Lars, Swedish form of Laurence

Swedish
Lassen

Son of Lasse, form of Lars

Danish
Lauridsen

Son of Laurids, form of Laurence

Danish
Laursen

Son of Laurs, form of Laurence

Danish
Lie

Hillside, a farm name

Norwegian
Lien

The hillside, a farm name

Norwegian
Lind

Linden tree, a nature name

Swedish
Lindberg

Linden tree and mountain

Swedish
Lindgren

Linden tree and branch

Swedish
Lindholm

Linden tree and islet

Swedish
Lindqvist

Linden tree and twig

Swedish
Lindström

Linden tree and stream

Swedish
Löfgren

Leaf and branch

Swedish
Lund

Grove or small wood

Swedish
Lundberg

Grove and mountain

Swedish
Lunde

Grove, a farm name

Norwegian
Lundgren

Grove and branch

Swedish
Lundin

From lund, grove, with Latin-style suffix

Swedish
Lundqvist

Grove and twig

Swedish
Lundström

Grove and stream

Swedish

M

Madsen

Son of Mads, form of Matthew

Norwegian
Magnusson

Son of Magnus, meaning great

Swedish
Månsson

Son of Måns, form of Magnus

Swedish
Mårtensson

Son of Mårten, form of Martin

Swedish
Martinsen

Son of Martin, from Latin Martinus

Norwegian
Martinsson

Son of Martin, from Latin Martinus

Swedish
Mathiasen

Son of Mathias, form of Matthew

Danish
Mathisen

Son of Mathis, form of Matthew

Norwegian
Mattsson

Son of Matts, form of Matthew

Swedish
Mikkelsen

Son of Mikkel, form of Michael

Norwegian
Moe

Sandy heath, a farm name

Norwegian
Moen

The sandy heath or plain

Norwegian
Mogensen

Son of Mogens, form of Magnus

Danish
Møller

Miller, an occupational name

Danish
Myhre

Bog or marsh, farm name

Norwegian
Myklebust

Large farmstead, a farm name

Norwegian

N

Næss

Headland, a farm name

Norwegian
Nielsen

Son of Niels, form of Nicholas

Norwegian
Nilsen

Son of Nils, form of Nicholas

Norwegian
Nilsson

Son of Nils, Swedish form of Nicholas

Swedish
Nissen

Son of Nis, form of Nicholas

Danish
Norberg

North and mountain, variant form

Swedish
Nordin

From nord, north, with Latin-style suffix

Swedish
Nordqvist

North and twig

Swedish
Nordström

North and stream

Swedish
Nørgaard

Northern farm, a farm name

Danish
Nyberg

New mountain, a nature name

Swedish
Nygård

New farm, a farm name

Norwegian
Nyström

New stream, a nature name

Swedish

O

Öberg

Island and mountain

Swedish
Ødegård

Deserted farm, a farm name

Norwegian
Olesen

Son of Ole, form of Olaf

Danish
Olofsson

Son of Olof, meaning ancestor's heir

Swedish
Olsen

Son of Ole or Olav

Norwegian
Olsson

Son of Ola or Olof

Swedish
Østergaard

Eastern farm, a farm name

Danish

P

Pålsson

Son of Pål, form of Paul

Swedish
Paulsen

Son of Paul, from Latin Paulus

Norwegian
Pedersen

Son of Peder, form of Peter

Norwegian
Persson

Son of Per, Swedish form of Peter

Swedish
Petersen

Son of Peter, biblical name

Danish
Petersson

Son of Peter, variant of Pettersson

Swedish
Pettersen

Son of Petter, form of Peter

Norwegian
Pettersson

Son of Petter, form of Peter

Swedish
Poulsen

Son of Poul, form of Paul

Danish

R

Rasmussen

Son of Rasmus, from Erasmus

Norwegian
Rønning

Clearing, a farm name

Norwegian
Ruud

Clearing, a farm name

Norwegian

S

Sæther

Summer farm or mountain pasture

Norwegian
Samuelsson

Son of Samuel, biblical name

Swedish
Sandberg

Sand and mountain

Swedish
Sandström

Sand and stream

Swedish
Sandvik

Sandy bay, a farm name

Norwegian
Schmidt

Smith, of German origin

Danish
Simonsen

Son of Simon, biblical name

Norwegian
Sivertsen

Son of Sivert, victory guardian

Norwegian
Sjöberg

Lake and mountain

Swedish
Sjögren

Lake and branch

Swedish
Söderberg

South and mountain

Swedish
Solberg

Sunny hill, farm name

Norwegian
Solheim

Sunny home, a farm name

Norwegian
Søndergaard

Southern farm, a farm name

Danish
Sørensen

Son of Søren, form of Severin

Norwegian
Strand

Shore or beach, a nature name

Swedish
Ström

Stream or current, a nature name

Swedish
Strøm

Stream or current, farm name

Norwegian
Sundberg

Strait or sound and mountain

Swedish
Sundström

Strait or sound and stream

Swedish
Svendsen

Son of Svend, meaning young man

Norwegian
Svensson

Son of Sven, meaning young man

Swedish

T

Tangen

The spit of land

Norwegian
Thomassen

Son of Thomas, biblical name

Norwegian
Thomsen

Son of Thomas, biblical name

Danish
Thorsen

Son of Thor, the thunder god

Norwegian
Thygesen

Son of Thyge, a Danish name

Danish
Tveit

Clearing or small meadow

Norwegian

V

Vestergaard

Western farm, a farm name

Danish
Vik

Bay or inlet, farm name

Norwegian
Viklund

Bay or inlet and grove, modern spelling

Swedish

W

Wallin

From vall, grassy bank or field

Swedish
Wikström

Bay or inlet and stream

Swedish

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Flaten

The flat plain, farm name

Norwegian
Wold

Field, older spelling of Voll

Norwegian
Øien

The island or river meadow

Norwegian
Berge

Mountain or rocky ground, farm name

Norwegian
Byström

Village and stream

Swedish
Berglund

Mountain and grove

Swedish

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The most frequent Scandinavian last names by country

The top of the Swedish rankings is almost entirely -son names: Andersson, Johansson, Karlsson, Nilsson, Eriksson, Larsson, Olsson and Persson. Each meant son of a man with a common first name, and the first names carry their own meanings. Anders is the Swedish Andrew, Nils comes from Nicholas, Lars from Laurence and Per from Peter. Karl means free man, and Erik is usually explained as ever ruler. The double s comes from a possessive s joined to son.

Denmark and Norway use -sen instead. Nielsen, Jensen, Hansen, Pedersen, Andersen, Christensen, Larsen and Sørensen lead in Denmark, while Norway's leaders include Hansen, Johansen, Olsen, Larsen and Andersen alongside farm names. Jens and Hans are both short forms of Johannes, John. Søren comes from the Latin saint's name Severinus, and Rasmussen from Rasmus, a form of Erasmus. Because a small set of first names was so popular, these few surnames became extremely common once families were required to keep them.

Nature names, farm names and soldier names

From the 1700s onward many Swedes chose a surname built from two nature words, especially when they moved to towns or entered a profession. Lind means linden, berg mountain, ström stream, holm islet, sjö lake and ek oak, so Ekholm is oak islet and Sundström is sound stream. Some added a Latin-style ending to sound learned, which gives Nordin, Dahlin and Sjödin. Swedish soldiers were also given short names like Rask (quick) and Modig (brave), some of which families kept.

Norwegian surnames often come from farms. Haugen means the hill, Hagen the enclosed pasture, Bakke the slope, Moen the flat plain and Lie the hillside. Nygård means new farm, and Solberg sunny hill. A family that moved kept the farm name even when they no longer lived there. Denmark has its own farm and place names, such as Østergaard (east farm), Vestergaard (west farm) and Kjær (marsh), which Danes were encouraged to adopt to reduce the number of Jensens and Nielsens.

Tips for letters, spelling and searching

Swedish uses å, ä and ö, while Danish and Norwegian use æ, ø and å. English records often replace them, so Jönsson becomes Jonsson, Søren becomes Soren and Østergaard becomes Ostergaard or Oestergaard. Emigrants to North America often changed spellings further. Andersson became Anderson, Johansson became Johnson and Olsen became Olson. If you are searching for an ancestor, check the single and double s forms and try both -son and -sen before deciding a name is missing.

For a character, match the name to the country and generation. A Stockholm office worker born in the 1980s might be a Lindqvist or a Nilsson, a farmer's son from western Norway a Haugen or Bakke, and a Copenhagen family a Jensen or Kjær. The list covers Sweden, Norway and Denmark only. Iceland still uses patronymics that change every generation, and Finland mainly uses Finnish names like Virtanen, so neither fits the patterns described here.

Frequently asked questions

Which Scandinavian last names are the most common?

In Sweden, Andersson, Johansson and Karlsson usually lead. In Denmark, Nielsen, Jensen and Hansen are at the top, and in Norway, Hansen, Johansen and Olsen. All are patronymics that became fixed family names in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Why do Swedish names have a double s?

The first s is a possessive ending on the father's name, and the second belongs to son. So Anders plus s plus son gives Andersson, son of Anders. Danish and Norwegian -sen names usually drop this doubling, which is why Danish Andersen has a single s.

What happened to these names in America?

Many immigrant families simplified their names. The double s was often dropped, so Andersson became Anderson, and Danish and Norwegian -sen names were often changed to -son. Some families took an English name altogether, while others kept a farm name such as Haugen or Lee.

Why is Iceland not included?

Most Icelanders do not have a fixed family name. A child's last name is formed from a parent's first name, so Jón Einarsson's son might be Ólafur Jónsson and his daughter Anna Jónsdóttir. Because the name changes each generation, it works differently from the family names in this list.