Does your last name connect you to a group of people once noted for their fierceness, bravery, and connection to the unearthly and spiritual realm? If so, you may share a last name with the Vikings. Viking last names are often found in parts of Scandinavia, where this group of people once roamed hundreds of years prior. These surnames stemmed from personal characteristics, patronymic influence, parts of settlement, and even nature. What does your Viking surname say about you?
Where Did the Vikings Originate?
The Vikings were a group of seafaring, pillaging people who lived in areas now known as modern-day Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. Even hundreds of years later, the Viking lineage lives on in millions of people around the world. How do you know you have Viking blood running through your veins? Research your last name for clues.
Popular Patronymic Viking Names
A common practice for the people in the Scandinavian region was to gift a surname based on the father's name. For example, if someone was the son of a person named Baard, then that person's last name would be Baardsen or the son of Baard. Last names ending in -son or -sen often signify a Viking in the family lineage.
- Albertsen - Means "son of Albert"
- Alfson - Means "son of Alf"
- Bengtsson - Means "son of Bengt"
- Berntsen - Means "son of Bernt"
- Ellingboe - Means "son of Earl"
- Evensen - Norwegian name means "son of Even"
- Gulbrandsen - Means "son of Gudbrandr"
- Gunvaldsen - Norwegian name meaning "son of Gunvald"
- Halvorsen - Norwegian name meaning "son of Halvor"
- Hansen - Means son of "Hans"
- Haraldsen - Norweigian name meaning "son of Harald"
- Holgersen - Danish and Norwegian name meaning "son of Holger"
- Iverson - Norwegian or Danish name meaning "son of Iverson"
- Jacobsen - Means "son of Jacob"
- Knutsen - Norweigian name meaning "son of Knut"
- Larrsen - Means "son of Lars"
- Leifsson - Icelandic or Swedish name meaning "son of Leif"
- Ohlson - Means "son of Olaf"
- Oliversen - Norwegian name meaning "son of Oliver"
- Ovesen - Norwegian name meaning "son of Ove"
- Peerson - Means "son of Per"
- Salverson - Means "son of Salve"
- Svensen - Norwegian name meaning "son of Svend"
Last Names Based on Personal Traits
Many cultures around the world have created last names based on physical or personality characteristics and traits. These Norseman names reflect the qualities of ancestors who lived long ago.
- Asulf - Scandinavian name meaning "warrior"
- Hávarðr - Old Norse name meaning "guardian or defender"
- Helvig - Means "luck in war"
- Lykke - Danish name meaning "happiness"
- Trygg - Old Norse name meaning "faithful"
- Unfrid - Scandinavian name that means "one who gives peace"
- Vilulf - Means "warrior's will"
Toponymic Surnames of Viking Descendants
Toponymic surnames reflect the space in which a person lived, or the features observed to be close to a person's home. Many cultures around the world used places, spaces, and landmarks to create surnames, Vikings included.
- Austr - Old Norse name meaning "east"
- Dahl - Old Norse name referring to someone who lived "near a valley"
- Flett - Referred to a person from the parish of Delting, Shetland
- Halcro - Referred to someone born in South Ronaldsay
- Haugen - Old Norse name derived from the word "haugr," which means "tiny hill"
- Heddle - Given to a person who lived near a stream or a lake
- Holgata - Scandinavian name meaning "hollow path"
- Krog - Means "someone from Krog" in Scandinavia
- Landvik - From a town meaning "land inlet"
- Linklater - Habitational name of someone who was from South Ronaldsay or North Sandwick
- Lund - Old Norse name meaning "someone who lived near a grove"
- Toft - Old Norse named meaning "homestead"
- Voll - Indicated a person who resided "near a meadow"
- Westergaard - Means "western farm"
Viking Last Names Based on Occupations
Many last names are derived from the jobs that people did for a living hundreds of years ago. Some Viking last names stemmed from common occupations Norseman engaged in to support their families.
- Bonde - Old Norse name meaning "farmer"
- Havard - Scandinavian name meaning "the high warden"
- Hvalman - Scandinavian name meaning "whaler"
- Pihl - Scandinavian name meaning "archer"
- Varangr - Scandinavian nickname for "sailor"
Viking Last Names With Roots in Nature
Several cultures have special connections to nature, and those connections are reflected in their last names. These Nordic last names all have a nod to nature.
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Arnulf - Scandinavian name meaning "wolf eagle"
- Årud - "Å" is a Norweigian reference to "river or stream" and "rud" meanings clearing
- Bakke - Norweigian name meaning "slope, hillside"
- Berg - Means "mountain"
- Bjerke - Old Norse name meaning "birch"
- Dalgaard - Derived from the Old Norse words for "valley" and "farmstead"
- Gunnulf - Scandinavian name meaning "fighting wolf"
- Falk - Old Norse meaning "falcon"
- Hagen - Old Norse meaning "enclosure" or "pasture"
- Kjarr - Old Norse name meaning "thicket"
- Kolbeck - Old Norse name meaning "cold stream"
- Lind - Norwegian, Swedish, Danish name meaning "linden tree"
- Skógr - Old Norse name meaning "forest"
- Strand - Derived from Old Norse word "strong" which means "seashore"
Scandinavian Last Names That Signify Strength
The Vikings were well known for their fearsome manners, pillaging ways, and big-time brawn. These Scandinavian last names refer to the qualities of strength so often associated with the Vikings.
- Asgeir - means "Aesir's javelin"
- Brynjolf - Means "hardened with a breastplate"
- Ingolf - Means "God Ing's wolf"
- Ragnulf - Means "advisor wolf" or "warrior"
- Thorgard - Scandinavian name meaning "under Thor's protection"
- Thorvald - Means "powerful by Thor"
- Thorstein - Means "Thor's stone"
- Thorketill - Means "Thor's cauldron"
Common Last Names With Viking Origins
Some common last names that we hear every day might have been derived from the fearsome Vikings who plummaged the planet hundreds of years ago. Experts claim these surnames might point to a Viking or two being in your family tree.
- Good
- Long
- Love
- Short
- Rendall
- Rodgers
- Wise
What Does Your Last Name Say About You?
Your last name serves as a gateway to who you are and where you came from. Surnames can direct people toward their ancestry, shedding light on where distant family members came from, what occupation they held, and where they lived long ago. Learn about your past and your family heritage by looking into the origins of your last name.
