the etymology and history of surnames
|
the etymology and history of surnames
|
| Abel |
|
Usage: English, French, Danish, Norwegian, Dutch, Spanish, German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Abel. |
| Abrahamsen |
|
Usage: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Abrahamson. |
| Abrahamssen |
|
Usage: Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
|
| Variant of Abrahamson. |
| Abramsen |
|
Usage: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish
|
| Variant of Abramson. |
| Abramssen |
|
Usage: Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
|
| Variant of Abramson. |
| Adamsen |
|
Usage: Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Adamson. |
| Adamssen |
|
Usage: Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
|
| Variant of Adamson. |
| Akselsen |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Means "son of Aksel". |
| Albertsen |
|
Usage: Danish, Norwegian
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Albertsson. Means "son of Albert". |
| Alexandersen |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Means "son of Alexander". |
| Amundsen (1) |
|
Usage: Norwegian, Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Amund". Amund is derived from the Old Scandinavian given name Aghmund from the Germanic elements agi "awe" or ag "point" and mund "protection". |
| Amundsen (2) |
|
Usage: Norwegian, Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Ámundr". Ámundr is derived from the Germanic elements á meaning "great-grandfather, ancestor" and mund "protection". |
| Andersen |
|
Usage: Danish, Norwegian
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Anders". |
| Andreasen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Andreas". |
| Anthonsen |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Means "son of Anthon", Anthon being a variant of Anton. |
| Antonsen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Anton". |
| Arthursen |
|
Usage: Danish, Norwegian
|
| Means "son of Arthur". |
| Arthurssen |
|
Usage: Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
|
| Variant of Arthurson. |
| Axelsen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Axel". |
| Bager |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Means "baker" in Danish. |
| Bendtsen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Bendt". |
| Bentsen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Bent". |
| Bjarnesen |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Means "son of Bjarne". |
| Bodilsen |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Means "son of Bodil". |
| Carlsen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Carl". |
| Carstensen |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Means "son of Carsten" and is another variant of Karstensen. |
| Christensen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Christen", Christen being a variant of Kristen. |
| Christiansen |
|
Usage: Danish, Norwegian
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Christian". |
| Christoffersen |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Means "son of Christoffer". Another variant of this is Kristoffersen. |
| Clausen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Claus". |
| Clemensen |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Means "son of Clemens". |
| Dahl |
|
Usage: Dutch, German, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Middle Low German dal and Old Norse dalr = "valley". A famous of this surname was author Roald Dahl; mostly remembered for children's stories such as 'Matilda' and 'Henry Sugar'. |
| Dam |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| This means "pond" in Danish. |
| Danielsen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Daniel". |
| Davidsen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of David". |
| Doctor |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Undoubtedly derives from an ancestor that was a doctor. It is the name of Danish Shakespeare critic Jens-Aage Doctor. |
| Elmersen |
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Usage: Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
|
| Variant of Elmerson. |
| Elmerssen |
|
Usage: Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
|
| Variant of Elmerson. |
| Eriksen |
|
Usage: Danish, Scandinavian
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Erik". |
| Falk |
|
Usage: Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, German
Extra: Statistics |
| Old Norse falker and Middle High German valke = "falcon". |
| Fisker |
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Usage: Danish
|
| Means "fisherman" in Danish. |
| Frederiksen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Frederik". |
| Giese |
|
Usage: German, Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from a short form of the personal name Giselbert, or any other Germanic name with the first element gisil. |
| Guldbrandsen |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Means "son of Guldbrand". Guldbrand is possibly composed of gauja- "district" and -brand "flaming sword", or the first component guld- means "gold". |
| Gunnarsen |
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Usage: Danish, Scandinavian
|
| Means "son of Gunnar". |
| Hall |
|
Usage: Danish, English, German, Norwegian, Swedish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means simply "hall", given to one who either lived in or worked in a hall (the house of a medieval noble). |
| Hansen (2) |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Means "son of Hans". |
| Henningsen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Henning". |
| Henriksen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| "son of Henrik". |
| Herbertsen |
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Usage: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish
|
| Variant of Herbertson. |
| Herbertssen |
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Usage: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish
|
| Variant of Herbertson. |
| Hermansen |
|
Usage: Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Hermanson. |
| Hermanssen |
|
Usage: Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
|
| Variant of Hermanson. |
| Hjort |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means deer, and have been used since the middleage, when it was spelled as Hiort. |
| Holgersen |
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Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Holger". |
| Holst |
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Usage: Low German, Dutch, Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Referred originally to a person from the region of Holstein (between Germany and Denmark). Bearers of this name include Gustav Holst, famous English composer. |
| Holt |
|
Usage: Dutch, Danish, English, Norwegian
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "a wood" or "grove" in Old English or German. |
| Horn (1) |
|
Usage: English, German, Norwegian, Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Occupational name for one who carved objects out of horn. |
| Horn (2) |
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Usage: English, German, Norwegian, Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Occupational name for one who played a horn. |
| Horn (3) |
|
Usage: English, German, Norwegian, Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Originally given to a person who lived near a horned-shaped geographical feature, such as a mountain or a bend in a river. |
| Hummel (1) |
|
Usage: German, Danish, Dutch, Norwegian
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the first name Humbert. |
| Hummel (2) |
|
Usage: German, Danish, Dutch, Norwegian
|
| Nickname for a busy person (from the Germanic word hommel meaning "bee"). |
| Ibsen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Ib". |
| Jacobsen |
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Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Jacob". |
| Jakobsen |
|
Usage: Danish, Norwegian
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Jakob". |
| Jensen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Jens". Jensen being the Danish form of Johnson in some way. |
| Jespersen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Jesper". |
| Johansen |
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Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Johannes or Johan". |
| Jokumsen |
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Usage: Danish
|
| Means "son of Jokum". |
| Jonasen |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Means "son of Jonas". |
| Jørgensen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Jørgen". |
| Karlsen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Karl". |
| Karstensen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Karsten" and is another variant of Carstensen. |
| Kaspersen |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Means "son of Kasper". |
| Kjeldsen |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Means "son of Kjeld". |
| Klassen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Klas", a derivative of Nicholas. |
| Klausen |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Means "son of Klaus". Another spelling variant of Clausen. |
| Knudsen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Knud". |
| Kristensen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Comes from the male first name Kristen, a variant of Kristian. |
| Kristiansen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Kristian". |
| Kristoffersen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Another spelling of Christoffersen. Meaning "Son of Kristoffer". |
| Lang |
|
Usage: Danish, Norwegian, German, Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| From Scandinavian lang, Middle High German lanc and Middle Low German lank all meaning "long". Originally a nickname for a tall person or family. |
| Lange |
|
Usage: Danish, Norwegian, German, Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Lang. |
| Larsen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Lars". |
| Lauritsen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Laurits". |
| Leonardsen |
|
Usage: Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
|
| Variant of Leonardson. |
| Leonardssen |
|
Usage: Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
|
| Variant of Leonardson. |
| Ludvigsen |
|
Usage: Danish, Scandinavian
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Ludvig". |
| Lund |
|
Usage: Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, English
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "grove of trees", from Old Norse lundr. There are towns in Sweden and Britain called Lund. |
| Lykke |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Means simply "happy". |
| Madsen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Mads". |
| Mathiasen |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Means "son of Mathias" and this is another variant of Matthiasen. |
| Matthiasen |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Means "son of Matthias" and this is a varient of Mathiasen. |
| Mikkelsen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Mikkel". |
| Møller |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Danish form of Möller. |
| Mortensen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Morten". |
| Nicolajsen |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Means "son of Nicolaj", Nicolaj being a variant of Nikolaj. |
| Nielsen |
|
Usage: Danish, Norwegian
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Nelson. |
| Nikolajsen |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Means "son of Nikolaj". |
| Nordskov |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Means "north woods". |
| Normansen |
|
Usage: Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
|
| Variant of Normanson. |
| Normanssen |
|
Usage: Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
|
| Variant of Normanson. |
| Nørup |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Derived from the name of at least two different Danish villages. |
| Norup |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Variant of Nørup. |
| Olesen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Ole". |
| Oliversen |
|
Usage: Danish, Norwegian
|
| Variant of Oliverson. |
| Oliverssen |
|
Usage: Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
|
| Variant of Oliverson. |
| Olsen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Ole". |
| Øster |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "(dweller in the) eastern (side of a place)" from the Danish øster meaning "eastern". |
| Østergaard |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Variant of Østergård. |
| Østergård |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "(dweller by or at the) eastern farm, enclosure" from the Danish øster "eastern" and gård "enclosure, farm". |
| Ottosen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Otto". |
| Pallesen |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Means "son of Palle". |
| Pedersen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Peder". |
| Petersen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Peter". |
| Poulsen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Poul". |
| Prebensen |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Means "son of Preben". |
| Randrup |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Of Danish origin, although you may find some Randrup's connected to Germany or Shleswig Holstein due to the changes in borders and land ownership. Once found in the variation Frandrup which was of German origin. Most likely derived from geographical location or possibly from homestead/farm of Randrup. |
| Rask |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "healthy", "energetic", "speedy" in Danish. |
| Raske |
|
Usage: Danish, Dutch, German, Norwegian
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Rask, used in Germany and the Netherlands. |
| Rasmussen |
|
Usage: Danish, Norwegian
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Rasmus". |
| Reenberg |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Composed / Derived by the surname Renior. |
| Riber |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Name for someone who came from the county or town of Ribe in southwestern Denmark. |
| Robertsen |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Means "son of Robert". |
| Salomon |
|
Usage: English, French, Venetian, German, Danish, Norwegian, Polish, Jewish, Hungarian
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the first name Salomon. |
| Simonsen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Simon". |
| Skovgaard |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Means "dweller in a farm near the woods" from the Danish skov "wood" and gård "farm". |
| Solberg |
|
Usage: Danish, German, Norwegian, Swedish
Extra: Statistics |
| From the Germanic elements sol "sun" combined with berg "mountain". |
| Sørensen |
|
Usage: Danish, Norwegian
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Søren". |
| Steensen |
|
Usage: Danish, Norwegian
|
| Means "son of Steen". |
| Stefansen |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Means "son of Stefan". |
| Steffensen |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Means "son of Steffen". |
| Stenberg |
|
Usage: Danish, Swedish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from Swedish sten = "stone" and berg = "mountain". |
| Stenger |
|
Usage: Danish, German
Extra: Statistics |
| Name for a post maker, from German stange "pole". |
| Strand |
|
Usage: Danish, German, Norwegian
Extra: Statistics |
| From the Middle Low German word strand meaning "sea shore". Originally given to someone who lived on or near the sea. |
| Svendsen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Svend". |
| Thorn |
|
Usage: English, Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Originally applied to a person who lived in or near a thorn bush. |
| Thorsen |
|
Usage: Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Thor". |
| Troelsen |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Means "son of Troels". |
| Vernersen |
|
Usage: Danish
|
| Means "son of Verner". |
| Victorsen |
|
Usage: Danish, Norwegian
|
| Means "son of Victor". |
| Vinter |
|
Usage: Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
|
| Scandinavian variant of Winter. |
| Waltersen |
|
Usage: Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
|
| Variant of Walterson. |
| Walterssen |
|
Usage: Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
|
| Variant of Walterson. |
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