349+ Scandinavian Last Names (BEST Origins & Meanings)
Scandinavian last names hold a rich history, reflecting the culture and heritage of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. These surnames can give you an insight into your ancestors’ lives, occupations, or even where they lived. Split into several categories, these names have evolved over time and continue to be an essential aspect of Scandinavian identity.
In exploring the origins of Scandinavian surnames, you’ll come across patronymic names, where the last name is derived from a male ancestor’s first name. For example, names like Andersson, Olsen, or Eriksson all indicate a connection to a father named Anders, Olav, or Erik. Interestingly, many Swedish surnames also end in “-son,” signifying the same patronymic lineage.
You will also find last names related to geographic locations, occupations, or other descriptive terms. Some common Scandinavian names connected to geography include Berg, Nygaard, and Møller, while examples of occupational surnames are Sjöberg, Skoglund, and Kjær. Embrace your connection to Scandinavia and begin discovering the stories that your last name carries within it.
Table of Contents
Best Names
In this section, we will explore the top 100 Scandinavian last names, divided into four smaller subsections. These surnames have origins from Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, and many of them share common elements.
1-25 Best Names
- Aaberg
- Aland
- Andersson
- Arthursson
- Arvidsson
- Årud
- Åström
- Bach
- Bergdahl
- Björk
- Blomqvist
- Borg
- Carlsson
- Dahl
- Eriksson
- Falk
- Gunnarsson
- Gustafsson
- Hansen
- Hansson
- Hellström
- Holm
- Jakobsen
- Johansson
- Jørgensen
26-50 Best Names
- Kjær
- Knudsen
- Larsson
- Lindgren
- Lindh
- Lund
- Lundgren
- Madsen
- Magnusson
- Mattsson
- Mogensen
- Mortensen
- Nielsen
- Nilsson
- Nordström
- Nygaard
- Olsen
- Ottosen
- Persson
- Pettersson
- Rasmussen
- Sandberg
- Ström
- Svensson
- Thomsen
51-75 Best Names
- Torp
- Vestergaard
- Vik
- Wallin
- Walther
- Wikström
- Winther
- Wåhlin
- Andersen
- Berge
- Billing
- Braaten
- Broman
- Dahlberg
- Edvardsson
- Engström
- Eskildsen
- Fischer
- Forsberg
- Frandsen
- Granlund
- Høegh
- Holmberg
- Ingemarsson
- Ingvarsson
76-100 Best Names
- Isaksson
- Iversen
- Ivarsson
- Jensen
- Karlsson
- Kjaer
- Koch
- Krogh
- Kronberg
- Lindquist
- Lindqvist
- Lindstrom
- Löfgren
- Lyngstad
- Möller
- Nilsen
- Nordahl
- Nordin
- Novak
- Odin
- Petersen
- Poulsen
- Rogge
- Sjöberg
- Thuresson
As you can see, many of these common Scandinavian surnames contain elements such as “berg” which means “mountain”, “dahl” referring to a “valley”, and “lund” meaning “grove”. A significant number of these names also have a patronymic origin, ending with “sson” or “sen”, indicating “son of” the first name. Enjoy exploring these names and their connections to the beautiful landscapes and rich heritage of Scandinavia.
Good Names
Scandinavian last names have a rich history with many of them originating from Viking, Old Norse, and other cultural influences. In this section, we have curated a list of 100 good Scandinavian names for you, divided into four subsections. These names are derived from various backgrounds like origins from Vikings, meanings relating to rivers, valleys, and more.
1-25 Good Names
- Axel
- Hansen
- Johansson
- Anker
- Vik
- Erling
- Lind
- Holm
- Strand
- Skógr
- Hagen
- Kjarr
- Kolbeck
- Frisk
- Ellingboe
- Eskildsen
- Lie
- Arvidsson
- Årud
- Åström
- Arthursson
- Hansson
- Knutson
- Nordin
- Berg
26-50 Good Names
- Björnsson
- Blomquist
- Dahl
- Ek
- Eklund
- Engström
- Falk
- Forsberg
- Granqvist
- Gustafsson
- Hägglund
- Hellqvist
- Ingesson
- Ivansson
- Jensen
- Karlsson
- Larsson
- Levin
- Magnusson
- Malmqvist
- Nilsson
- Nyberg
- Nyström
- Olofsson
- Persson
51-75 Good Names
- Pettersson
- Sjöberg
- Sjödén
- Sandström
- Stenberg
- Svärd
- Svensson
- Tholén
- Vallgren
- Vestergaard
- Viklund
- Westerberg
- Yngvesson
- Zetterberg
- Alfson
- Asplund
- Back
- Berger
- Borg
- Carlsen
- Eriksson
- Harma
- Isenberg
- Jarnstrom
- Jondal
76-100 Good Names
- Jörundsson
- Kellgren
- Kinyon
- Landström
- Lennart
- Lindgren
- Lindholm
- Lund
- Lundholm
- Månsdotter
- Norberg
- Rasmussen
- Ring
- Salvesen
- Sandvik
- Severson
- Sigurdsson
- Stålberg
- Stoltenberg
- Sundström
- Sörensen
- Ulvesson
- Valburg
- Vegard
- Wahlström
Here are some good Scandinavian last names for you to choose from. These names come from various sources, many related to Old Norse origins and patronymic names. Now you have a collection of names inspired by Vikings, rivers, valleys, and more to select for your characters or even for your own use.
More Name Ideas
1-25 Name Ideas
Here are some friendly, Scandinavian last name ideas for you to consider, inspired by various elements such as nature, language, and heritage.
- Backlund
- Bergqvist
- Eriksson
- Falkenberg
- German
- Jensen
- Karlsson
- Lundgren
- Nilsson
- Olsen
- Petersen
- Sörensen
- Svensson
- Andersen
- Gustafsson
- Hansen
- Johansson
- Larsson
- Madsen
- Nielsen
- -son
- -sen
- Thorsen
- Viktorsson
- Ek
26-50 Name Ideas
Continuing with more friendly suggestions for your Scandinavian last name research, here are names 26-50:
- Rasmussen
- Rehn
- Sigurdsdóttir
- Stefánsson
- Stenberg
- Ström
- Söderqvist
- Tómasson
- Vásquez
- Widström
- Wilander
- Ädelsten
- Östergård
- Árnason
- Björnsson
- Dahlström
- Einarsson
- Elofsson
- Forsberg
- Gunnarsson
- Hedman
- Hermansson
- Icelandic
- Knutsson
- Leifsson
51-75 Name Ideas
Your exploration of Scandinavian last names doesn’t stop here. Here are names 51-75 for your consideration:
- Liljegren
- Linnaeus
- Lönner
- Magnúsdóttir
- Marklund
- Nordberg
- Nystrom
- Olsson
- Palmqvist
- Qvist
- Ragnarsson
- Sandström
- Skoglund
- Stenström
- Sundqvist
- Svendsen
- Torvaldsson
- Ulfsson
- Vilhelmsson
- Westerlund
- Ytterberg
- Zetterqvist
- Åberg
- Åkesson
- Ölander
76-100 Name Ideas
To complete your collection of friendly, Scandinavian last name ideas, here is the final list of names 76-100:
- Ødegård
- Alfredsson
- Askelöf
- Berglund
- Dahlgren
- Edvardsson
- Forslund
- Gale
- Haffner
- Hammarström
- Ingólfsson
- Jarlens
- Krongårds
- Leander
- Lindberg
- Månsson
- Norden
- Norlin
- Palmström
- Rødman
- Rönnblad
- Sivertsen
- Sørenshagen
- Tunman
- Västergård
Happy exploring!
More Name Ideas Continued
In this section, you will find more Scandinavian last name ideas. We have organized them into four subsections to make it easier for you to choose from. Remember to keep it simple and choose the name that resonates best with you.
1-25 Name Ideas
- Birch
- Blom
- Carl
- Earl
- Stone
- Falcon
- Bergman
- Björk
- Gustafsson
- Thor
- Andersen
- Johansen
- Larsen
- Axel
- Bergdahl
- Arthursson
- Årud
- Arvidsson
- Åström
- Augustsson
- Backstrom
- Bergmann
- Westman
- Hellmark
- Westberg
26-50 Name Ideas
- Sundberg
- Lindholm
- Nordstrom
- Ericsson
- Mattsson
- Soderberg
- Jansson
- Boxholm
- Hakansson
- Lindquist
- Sjöberg
- Strömberg
- Falk
- Olsen
- Widmark
- Alfsson
- Axlesson
- Ekholm
- Forsberg
- Hjort
- Kjellberg
- Stigsson
- Tjärnström
- Viklund
- Östlund
51-75 Name Ideas
- Granlund
- Gunnarsson
- Halvorsen
- Isaksson
- Lindgren
- Magnusson
- Nelson
- Palmquist
- Pettersson
- Ringdal
- Sandstrom
- Stenberg
- Varnberg
- Wallin
- Zetterberg
- Broman
- Fagerlund
- Haglund
- Langstrom
- Mårtensson
- Skoglund
- Söderquist
- Vännström
- Westerdahl
- Winroth
76-100 Name Ideas
- Berglund
- Blomqvist
- Englund
- Holmberg
- Jonsson
- Krister
- Lindemeier
- Lundholm
- Nyman
- Öberg
- Palmgren
- Rask
- Söderberg
- Stark
- Thorstensson
- Valsdóttir
- Wiring
- Norberg
- Hildingsson
- Kuusisto
- Marklund
- Lindell
- Pehrsson
- Starck
- Åkesson
Now that you’ve seen these name ideas, we hope you can find the perfect Scandinavian last name to suit your needs. Remember that these names are just a starting point and may inspire you to look for more variations. Good luck with your name search!
Tips For Brainstorming The Perfect Name
Coming up with the perfect Scandinavian last name can be a fun and exciting process. Here are some tips to help you brainstorm some great name options:
1. Think about your heritage: Consider what makes you feel connected to your Scandinavian roots. Look for names that evoke a sense of history and tradition, while also being distinctive and memorable.
2. Get inspired by geography: Scandinavia is known for its picturesque landscapes. Names that draw inspiration from natural elements like Bakke (hill) or Ström (stream) are a great way to pay homage to the region’s beauty.
3. Use patronymics or family names: Patronymic names, derived from a parent’s first name, are common in Scandinavia. Some examples include Andersson, Nilsson, Bengtsson, and Christensen. These can serve as a unique and personal starting point for your brainstorming process.
4. Mix and match: Feel free to combine elements from different names to create a unique and tailored moniker for yourself. For instance, you could use a part of your favorite first name and blend it with a classic Scandinavian surname.
Here are a few name options to consider:
- Lindberg
- Aaberg
- Smith
- Bakke
- Nilsson
- Andersson
- Ström
- Bengtsson
- Christensen
Remember, the perfect name is out there waiting for you. Take your time, have fun, and let your creativity lead the way!