Norwegian Last Names

Browse Norwegian last names from classic patronymics like Hansen and Olsen to farm names like Haugen and Bakken, each listed with its meaning, plus notes on how Norwegian families chose them.

258 real surnames with meanings, A to Z.

A

Aakre

Field or cultivated land, farm name
Aamodt

River confluence, a farm name
Aanensen

Son of Aanen, from Old Norse Ánund
Aarnes

River headland, a farm name
Aarseth

River dwelling, a farm name
Aas

Ridge, a farm name
Aasen

The ridge, a farm name
Aasheim

Ridge home, a farm name
Abrahamsen

Son of Abraham, biblical name
Adolfsen

Son of Adolf, meaning noble wolf
Amundsen

Son of Amund, possibly awe and protection
Andersen

Son of Anders, form of Andrew
Andreassen

Son of Andreas, form of Andrew
Andresen

Son of Andreas, contracted form
Antonsen

Son of Anton, form of Anthony
Arnesen

Son of Arne, meaning eagle
Arntzen

Son of Arnt, form of Arnold
Aslaksen

Son of Aslak, god's play
Aune

Deserted farm, a farm name

B

Bakke

Hill or slope, farm name
Bakken

The hill or slope
Bårdsen

Son of Bård, a Norse name
Benjaminsen

Son of Benjamin, biblical name
Berg

Mountain or hill, farm name
Berge

Mountain or rocky ground, farm name
Berntsen

Son of Bernt, form of Bernhard
Birkeland

Birch land, a farm name
Bjerke

Birch wood, a farm name
Bjørge

Rocky hills, a farm name
Bjørnstad

Bear farmstead, a farm name
Bø

Farm or homestead, farm name
Bøe

Farm or homestead, farm name
Botten

The valley bottom, farm name
Bråten

Burnt clearing, a farm name
Bratland

Steep land, a farm name
Brekke

Steep slope, a farm name
Brenna

Burnt clearing, a farm name

C

Carlsen

Son of Carl, form of Karl
Christensen

Son of Christen, form of Christian
Christiansen

Son of Christian, meaning follower of Christ
Clausen

Son of Claus, form of Nicholas

D

Dahl

Valley, a farm name
Dahle

Valley, variant farm name
Dale

Valley, a farm name
Dalen

The valley, a farm name
Danielsen

Son of Daniel, biblical name
Dybdahl

Deep valley, a farm name

E

Edvardsen

Son of Edvard, form of Edward
Eide

Isthmus or portage, farm name
Ekeberg

Oak hill, a farm name
Eliassen

Son of Elias, biblical name
Ellingsen

Son of Elling, a Norse name
Engebretsen

Son of Engebret, form of Ingebrigt
Engen

The meadow, a farm name
Eriksen

Son of Erik, meaning ever ruler
Evensen

Son of Even, form of Øyvind

F

Fjeld

Mountain, a farm name
Fjeldstad

Mountain farmstead, a farm name
Flaten

The flat plain, farm name
Foss

Waterfall, a farm name
Fosse

Waterfall, a farm name
Fossum

By the waterfalls, farm name
Fredriksen

Son of Fredrik, meaning peaceful ruler
Furu

Pine tree, a farm name

G

Gjerde

Fence or enclosure, farm name
Gjertsen

Son of Gjert, form of Gerhard
Grande

Gravel bank or sandbank, farm name
Grimstad

Grim's farmstead, a farm name
Grønvold

Green field, a farm name
Gulbrandsen

Son of Gulbrand, god's sword
Gundersen

Son of Gunder, a Norse battle name
Guttormsen

Son of Guttorm, from Old Norse Guðþormr

H

Haaland

Possibly high land, farm name Håland
Haga

Enclosed pasture, a farm name
Hagen

The enclosed pasture or garden
Håkonsen

Son of Håkon, meaning high son
Halvorsen

Son of Halvor, rock guardian
Hammer

Rocky crag, a farm name
Hansen

Son of Hans, short for Johannes
Hanssen

Son of Hans, variant spelling
Haraldsen

Son of Harald, meaning army ruler
Haug

Hill or mound, farm name
Haugan

The hill, a farm name
Hauge

Hill or mound, farm name
Haugen

The hill or mound, farm name
Haugland

Hill land, a farm name
Heggelund

Bird cherry grove, farm name
Heggem

Bird cherry home, farm name
Helgesen

Son of Helge, meaning holy
Hella

Flat rock, a farm name
Helland

Flat rock land, farm name
Hellesøy

Possibly flat rock island, farm name
Henriksen

Son of Henrik, form of Henry
Hermansen

Son of Herman, meaning army man
Hoff

Pagan temple site, farm name
Holm

Islet, a farm name
Holmen

The islet, a farm name
Holt

Small wood, a farm name
Hovde

Hill or height, farm name
Hovland

Temple land, a farm name
Husby

Farm with houses, royal estate
Hustad

House farmstead, a farm name

I

Ingebrigtsen

Son of Ingebrigt, bright one of Ing
Ingvaldsen

Son of Ingvald, Ing's ruler
Isaksen

Son of Isak, form of Isaac
Iversen

Son of Iver, meaning bow warrior

J

Jacobsen

Son of Jacob, biblical name
Jakobsen

Son of Jakob, form of Jacob
Jensen

Son of Jens, form of John
Jenssen

Son of Jens, variant spelling
Johannessen

Son of Johannes, form of John
Johansen

Son of Johan, form of John
Johnsen

Son of John, biblical name
Jonassen

Son of Jonas, biblical name
Jørgensen

Son of Jørgen, form of George

K

Karlsen

Son of Karl, meaning free man
Kittelsen

Son of Kittel, from Ketil, cauldron
Kjos

Narrow valley or cove, farm name
Kleppe

Rocky knoll, a farm name
Knudsen

Son of Knud, form of Knut
Knudtzon

Son of Knud, Germanized spelling of Knudsen
Knutsen

Son of Knut, meaning knot
Kolberg

Possibly charcoal hill, a farm name
Kolstad

Possibly Kol's farmstead, farm name
Kristensen

Son of Kristen, form of Christian
Kristiansen

Son of Kristian, meaning Christian
Kristoffersen

Son of Kristoffer, form of Christopher
Kvale

Rounded hill, a farm name
Kvam

Narrow valley or hollow, farm name

L

Langeland

Long land, a farm name
Larsen

Son of Lars, form of Laurence
Lauritzen

Son of Lauritz, form of Laurence
Lervik

Clay bay, a farm name
Lie

Hillside, a farm name
Lien

The hillside, a farm name
Lindseth

Linden dwelling, a farm name
Løken

The brook, a farm name
Løvås

Leafy ridge, a farm name
Løvland

Possibly leafy land, farm name
Lund

Grove, a farm name
Lunde

Grove, a farm name
Lyng

Heather, a farm name
Lyngstad

Heather farmstead, a farm name

M

Madsen

Son of Mads, form of Matthew
Magnussen

Son of Magnus, meaning great
Martinsen

Son of Martin, from Latin Martinus
Mathisen

Son of Mathis, form of Matthew
Midtbø

Middle farm, a farm name
Mikalsen

Son of Mikal, form of Michael
Mikkelsen

Son of Mikkel, form of Michael
Mo

Sandy heath, a farm name
Moe

Sandy heath, a farm name
Moen

The sandy heath or plain
Moland

Sandy heath land, farm name
Mortensen

Son of Morten, form of Martin
Myhre

Bog or marsh, farm name
Myking

Western Norwegian farm name of uncertain origin
Myklebust

Large farmstead, a farm name
Myrvold

Bog field, a farm name

N

Næss

Headland, a farm name
Nes

Headland, a farm name
Nesheim

Headland home, a farm name
Ness

Headland, variant farm name
Nesse

Headland, variant farm name
Nicolaysen

Son of Nicolay, form of Nicholas
Nielsen

Son of Niels, form of Nicholas
Nikolaisen

Son of Nikolai, form of Nicholas
Nilsen

Son of Nils, form of Nicholas
Nordahl

North valley, a farm name
Nordby

North farm, a farm name
Nordli

North hillside, a farm name
Nordvik

North bay, a farm name
Nygaard

New farm, older spelling of Nygård
Nygård

New farm, a farm name
Nyhus

New house, a farm name

O

Ødegård

Deserted farm, a farm name
Øien

The island or river meadow
Olaisen

Son of Olai, form of Olav
Olaussen

Son of Olaus, Latin form of Olav
Olsen

Son of Ole or Olav
Opheim

Upper home, a farm name
Østby

East farm, a farm name
Ottesen

Son of Otte, form of Otto
Øvrebø

Upper farm, a farm name

P

Paulsen

Son of Paul, from Latin Paulus
Pedersen

Son of Peder, form of Peter
Pettersen

Son of Petter, form of Peter

R

Ramberg

Possibly raven hill, a farm name
Rasmussen

Son of Rasmus, from Erasmus
Reinertsen

Son of Reinert, form of Reinhard
Ringstad

Possibly ring farmstead, farm name
Rise

Brushwood, a farm name
Rød

Clearing, a farm name
Røed

Clearing, variant of Rød
Rolfsen

Son of Rolf, famous wolf
Rønneberg

Possibly rowan hill, farm name
Rønning

Clearing, a farm name
Rudi

Clearing, a farm name
Rustad

Possibly clearing farmstead, farm name
Ruud

Clearing, a farm name

S

Sæther

Summer farm or mountain pasture
Sætre

Summer farm, a farm name
Samuelsen

Son of Samuel, biblical name
Sand

Sandy ground, a farm name
Sandberg

Sandy hill, a farm name
Sandnes

Sandy headland, a farm name
Sandvik

Sandy bay, a farm name
Selvik

Possibly seal bay, a farm name
Simonsen

Son of Simon, biblical name
Sivertsen

Son of Sivert, victory guardian
Skaar

Notch or cleft, farm name
Skog

Forest, a farm name
Skogen

The forest, a farm name
Sletten

The plain, a farm name
Solbakken

Sunny hill, a farm name
Solberg

Sunny hill, farm name
Solheim

Sunny home, a farm name
Solli

Sunny hillside, a farm name
Sollie

Sunny hillside, variant of Solli
Solvang

Sunny field, a farm name
Sørensen

Son of Søren, form of Severin
Sørli

South hillside, a farm name
Steffensen

Son of Steffen, form of Stephen
Stene

Stone or rock, farm name
Stensrud

Stone clearing, a farm name
Stokke

Log or tree stump, farm name
Stoltenberg

From the village of Stoltenberg in Holstein, Germany
Strand

Shore or beach, farm name
Straume

Current or strait, farm name
Strøm

Stream or current, farm name
Sunde

Strait or sound, farm name
Svendsen

Son of Svend, meaning young man
Syversen

Son of Syver, form of Sigurd

T

Tangen

The spit of land
Teigen

The strip of land
Tellefsen

Son of Tellef, form of Tollef
Thomassen

Son of Thomas, biblical name
Thoresen

Son of Tore, from Thor
Thorsen

Son of Thor, the thunder god
Tjomsland

Farm name of uncertain origin
Tobiassen

Son of Tobias, biblical name
Tollefsen

Son of Tollef, Thor's heir
Torgersen

Son of Torger, Thor's spear
Torkildsen

Son of Torkild, Thor's cauldron
Torp

Outlying farm or hamlet
Tvedt

Clearing, variant of Tveit
Tveit

Clearing or small meadow
Tveiten

The clearing, a farm name
Tveito

Clearing, dialect form of Tveit

U

Ulvestad

Possibly wolf farmstead, farm name

V

Våge

Bay or cove, farm name
Vang

Field or meadow, farm name
Vatne

Lake or water, farm name
Vik

Bay or inlet, farm name
Viken

The bay, a farm name
Vold

Field, variant of Voll
Voll

Field or grassy plain, farm name

W

Wold

Field, older spelling of Voll

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Results (6)

Gulbrandsen

Son of Gulbrand, god's sword
Hovland

Temple land, a farm name
Carlsen

Son of Carl, form of Karl
Knutsen

Son of Knut, meaning knot
Lunde

Grove, a farm name
Aslaksen

Son of Aslak, god's play

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Patronymics and farm names in Norway

For centuries most Norwegians did not have a fixed surname. A man named Ole whose father was Hans was Ole Hansen, and his son might be Nils Olsen, so the family name changed every generation. Daughters took -datter, as in Kari Hansdatter. To tell people apart, rural Norwegians also added the name of the farm where they lived, and when a family moved to a new farm, that part of the name changed as well.

The Name Act of 1923 required every Norwegian to have a hereditary surname. Many families froze their patronymic, which is why the -sen names are so widespread today. Others chose the farm name, producing surnames that describe the landscape: Haugen (the hill), Bakken (the slope), Berg (mountain), Dahl (valley), Lie (hillside), Moen (the sandy plain), Strand (shore) and Hagen (the enclosed field). The ending -en is the Norwegian definite article, as in Haugen and Bakken.

Common Norwegian last names and what they mean

The most frequent names in Norway are nearly all patronymics: Hansen, Johansen, Olsen, Larsen, Andersen, Pedersen, Nilsen and Kristiansen top the national register, each meaning son of a man with that first name. Landscape names such as Berg, Haugen and Hagen follow a little further down. In the list above, farm names are often more interesting for readers, because each one sketches the place a family came from: Fjeld is a mountain, Nesheim a home on a headland and Solberg a sunny hill.

Spelling tells you something too. Norwegian uses the letters æ, ø and å, so a name like Sørensen, Kvalø or Åsen may appear as Sorensen, Kvalo or Aasen outside Norway. The older spelling aa for å survives in many family names, such as Aasen and Haaland, because families kept the form their name had when it was registered. Double forms like Fjeld and Fjell often reflect older Danish-influenced spelling alongside the modern Norwegian one.

Norwegian names in America

Roughly 800,000 Norwegians emigrated to the United States between 1825 and 1925, settling heavily in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and Washington. Many changed their names on their own, usually after arrival rather than at Ellis Island. Olsen often became Olson, Hansen became Hanson and Johansen became Johnson, blending the name into the Swedish and English forms common in the Midwest. Farm names were shortened or translated, so a Bakken might become a Bakke, or a Hill.

For a character or a family history search, check both versions of a name. A Norwegian American named Hanson may appear as Hansen in the church books back in Norway, possibly with a farm name added. For fiction, pairing a -sen surname with a first name like Ole, Lars or Ingrid feels ordinary and realistic, while a farm name like Nordby or Tveit gives a character a more distinctive, rooted feel.

Frequently asked questions

Why do so many Norwegian last names end in -sen?

The ending means son. Norwegians traditionally used patronymics, so the son of Hans was Hansen. When fixed surnames became compulsory in 1923, many families kept the patronymic they had at the time, which is why Hansen, Olsen and Larsen remain the most common names in Norway today.

What is a farm name in Norway?

It is a surname taken from the farm where a family lived, such as Haugen, Bakken or Tveit. Farm names were once added to a person's name to show their home and changed if they moved. After 1923 many families adopted one as a permanent surname, and these names now give a strong sense of place.

How do Norwegian and Swedish family names differ?

Norwegians and Danes usually spell the patronymic -sen, while Swedes use -son, so Hansen is typically Norwegian or Danish and Hansson is Swedish. Swedish nature names also tend to be invented compounds like Lindqvist, while Norwegian landscape names usually come from real farms and places.

How do I pronounce common Norwegian last names?

Stress usually falls on the first syllable, so Haugen is HOW-gen and Larsen is LAR-sen. The letter j sounds like English y, as in Johansen, and ø sounds a little like the vowel in the English word bird. In the United States many families use English pronunciations, which are just as correct for them.