Viking Last Names
Strictly speaking, Vikings didn’t have last names. A Norse man was known by his father’s name plus -son (Leif Eriksson, “Leif, son of Erik”), a woman by -dóttir, and anyone memorable picked up a byname: Ironside, Bluetooth, the Boneless. Fixed family surnames only arrived in Scandinavia centuries later, and Iceland still uses the old patronymic system today.
This list gathers more than 100 Viking-style surnames: authentic patronymics, the saga-era nicknames that worked like surnames, and modern Scandinavian, English and Scottish family names with genuine Norse roots. Match them with Viking boy names or female Viking names, or head back to our main guide to Viking names.
Viking patronymic surnames (-son)
The classic Norse “last name” is built from the father’s first name. The father’s name usually takes a genitive form, which is why Ragnar becomes Ragnarsson and Hákon becomes Hákonarson. For the first names behind them, see Norse god names and our Viking name lists.
| Surname | Meaning | Famous bearer |
|---|---|---|
| Ragnarsson | Son of Ragnar (“warrior of the gods’ counsel”) | Björn, Ivar and Ubbe Ragnarsson |
| Eriksson | Son of Erik (“ever ruler”) | Leif Eriksson, explorer of Vinland |
| Haraldsson | Son of Harald (“army ruler”) | Olaf Haraldsson, Saint Olaf |
| Olafsson | Son of Olaf (“ancestor’s heir”) | Magnus Olafsson (Magnus Barefoot) |
| Sigurdsson | Son of Sigurd (“victory guardian”) | Harald Sigurdsson (Hardrada) |
| Bjornsson | Son of Björn (“bear”) | Common saga name |
| Thorsson | Son of Thor | Popular modern Viking-style name |
| Gunnarsson | Son of Gunnar (“warrior”) | Iceland’s Gunnar family names |
| Leifsson | Son of Leif (“heir”) | Thorgils Leifsson |
| Halfdansson | Son of Halfdan (“half Dane”) | Norwegian royal line |
| Ivarsson | Son of Ivar (“bow warrior”) | Dublin’s Norse kings |
| Knutsson | Son of Knut (“knot”) | Danish royal line |
| Sveinsson | Son of Svein (“young man”) | Harald Sveinsson of Denmark |
| Tryggvason | Son of Tryggvi (“trusty”) | Olaf Tryggvason, king of Norway |
| Hakonarson | Son of Hákon (“high son”) | Hákon Hákonarson, king of Norway |
| Ketilsson | Son of Ketill (“cauldron, helmet”) | Icelandic settlers |
| Egilsson | Son of Egill (“edge, blade”) | Thorstein Egilsson |
| Ulfsson | Son of Úlfr (“wolf”) | Svein Ulfsson (Estridsson) |
| Ormsson | Son of Ormr (“serpent”) | Saga chieftains |
| Steinsson | Son of Steinn (“stone”) | Common Icelandic name |
| Thorvaldsson | Son of Thorvald (“Thor’s ruler”) | Erik the Red was Erik Thorvaldsson |
| Skallagrimsson | Son of Skalla-Grímr (“bald Grim”) | Egil Skallagrimsson, poet-warrior |
| Guðmundsson | Son of Guðmundr (“God’s protection”) | Common in Iceland today |
| Arnesson | Son of Arne (“eagle”) | Norwegian and Swedish |
| Ingolfsson | Son of Ingólfr (“Ing’s wolf”) | Ingólfr Arnarson founded Reykjavík |
Viking matronymic and daughter names (-dóttir)
Women took their father’s name plus -dóttir (daughter). Occasionally a child was named after the mother instead, especially if she was the more prominent parent.
| Surname | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Eriksdóttir | Daughter of Erik | Freydís Eiríksdóttir, sailed to Vinland |
| Sigurdardóttir | Daughter of Sigurd | Common Icelandic form today |
| Haraldsdóttir | Daughter of Harald | Norwegian princesses |
| Olafsdóttir | Daughter of Olaf | Classic Norse daughter name |
| Thorsdóttir | Daughter of Thor | Strong modern choice |
| Gunnarsdóttir | Daughter of Gunnar | Iceland |
| Bjarnardóttir | Daughter of Björn | Correct Old Norse genitive of Björn |
| Ketilsdóttir | Daughter of Ketill | Aud the Deep-Minded was Aud Ketilsdóttir |
| Ragnarsdóttir | Daughter of Ragnar | Popular in fiction |
| Hallsdóttir | Daughter of Hallr (“rock”) | Icelandic sagas |
| Thorbjarnardóttir | Daughter of Thorbjörn (“Thor’s bear”) | Guðríðr Thorbjarnardóttir, Vinland traveler |
| Ingadóttir | Daughter of Ingi (from the god Ing) | Norwegian |
Famous Viking bynames and epithets
Bynames (Old Norse viðrnefni) were given for looks, deeds or personality and often stuck harder than any surname. They are the most fun way to give a character a Viking last name. Pair them with knight names or names that mean warrior for more epic combos.
| Byname | Meaning | Who bore it |
|---|---|---|
| Ironside | Invulnerable in battle | Björn Ironside, legendary king of Sweden |
| Lodbrok | Shaggy breeches | Ragnar Lodbrok |
| Fairhair | Long, beautiful hair | Harald Fairhair, first king of Norway |
| Bluetooth | Possibly a dead, dark tooth | Harald Bluetooth, king of Denmark |
| Forkbeard | Split beard | Sweyn Forkbeard, king of Denmark and England |
| Bloodaxe | Killer of his brothers | Erik Bloodaxe, king of Norway and York |
| Hardrada | Hard ruler, stern counsel | Harald Hardrada, fell at Stamford Bridge 1066 |
| the Boneless | Uncertain; perhaps flexible or impotent | Ivar the Boneless |
| the Red | Red-haired, or fiery temper | Erik the Red, founder of Greenland settlements |
| the Lucky | Fortunate | Leif the Lucky (Leif Eriksson) |
| Snake-in-the-Eye | Born with a snake-like mark in his eye | Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye |
| Barefoot | Wore Scottish kilt-style dress | Magnus Barefoot, king of Norway |
| Skull-splitter | Fierce fighter | Thorfinn Skull-splitter, earl of Orkney |
| Silkbeard | Silky beard | Sihtric Silkbeard, king of Dublin |
| the Deep-Minded | Wise, thoughtful | Aud the Deep-Minded, Icelandic settler |
| Flatnose | Flat nose | Ketil Flatnose, ruler in the Hebrides |
| Greycloak | Wore a grey cloak | Harald Greycloak, king of Norway |
| the Walker | Too big for a horse | Rollo (Göngu-Hrólfr), founder of Normandy |
| Tree-foot | Had a wooden leg | Önund Tree-foot, Icelandic settler |
| Karlsefni | Makings of a real man | Thorfinn Karlsefni, Vinland explorer |
| the Stout | Sturdy, thickset | Sigurd the Stout, earl of Orkney |
| the Old | Aged, long-lived | Gorm the Old, king of Denmark |
| Wide-fathom | Wide-reaching | Ivar Wide-fathom, legendary Swedish king |
| the Far-Traveled | Great journeyer | Ingvar the Far-Traveled |
| Skald-spoiler | The plagiarist poet | Eyvind Skald-spoiler |
| the Peaceful | Peaceful ruler | Olaf Kyrre of Norway |
| Tree-feller | Cleared forests | Olaf Tree-feller, legendary Swedish king |
| the White | Fair, pale | Olaf the White, king of Dublin |
Modern Scandinavian surnames with Norse roots
When fixed surnames became common in Sweden, Norway and Denmark (mostly in the 1700s–1900s), many families chose nature words from Old Norse roots. They make great Viking-flavored last names today. Compare with Swedish last names and Norwegian last names.
| Surname | Meaning | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Berg | Mountain | Sweden, Norway |
| Lund | Grove, sacred grove | Sweden, Denmark |
| Dahl | Valley | Norway |
| Strand | Shore, beach | Norway, Sweden |
| Holm | Islet | Sweden, Denmark |
| Fjeld | Mountain, fell | Norway |
| Haugen | The mound, burial hill | Norway |
| Bakke | Hill, slope | Norway |
| Vik | Bay, inlet (root of “Viking”) | Norway |
| Ask | Ash tree | Norway, Sweden |
| Stenberg | Stone mountain | Sweden |
| Lindgren | Linden branch | Sweden |
| Nygaard | New farm | Norway, Denmark |
| Solberg | Sun mountain | Norway |
| Ulv | Wolf | Denmark, Norway |
| Björk | Birch | Sweden |
| Hammar | Crag, rocky outcrop | Sweden |
| Fjord | Inlet of the sea | Norway |
English, Scottish and Irish surnames of Viking origin
The Danelaw in England, the Norse Kingdom of the Isles and Viking Dublin all left surnames behind. These are the names in our British last names that secretly descend from Old Norse.
| Surname | Norse root | Where it’s found |
|---|---|---|
| Thorburn | Þórbjǫrn, “Thor’s bear” | Northern England, Scotland |
| Osborne | Ásbjǫrn, “god-bear” | England |
| Thurston | Þórsteinn, “Thor’s stone” | Eastern England |
| Kettle | Ketill, “cauldron, helmet” | Yorkshire and East Anglia |
| Swain | Sveinn, “young man, servant” | Northern England |
| Storey | Stórr, “big, great” | Northern England |
| Orme | Ormr, “serpent” | Lancashire, Cumbria |
| Haldane | Hálfdan, “half Dane” | Scotland |
| Copeland | Kaupaland, “bought land” | Cumbria |
| Toft | Topt, “homestead” | Lincolnshire, Yorkshire |
| Kirby | Kirkjubýr, “church farm” | Yorkshire |
| Thirkell | Þorketill, “Thor’s cauldron” | Yorkshire |
| Grimes | Grímr, “masked one” | England |
| Gunn | Gunnr, “battle” | Caithness, Scotland |
| MacIver | Son of Ívarr | Scottish Highlands, Lewis |
| MacAskill | Son of Ásketill, “god’s cauldron” | Skye, Hebrides |
| MacSween | Son of Sveinn | Argyll |
| MacCorquodale | Son of Þorketill | Argyll |
| MacManus | Son of Magnus | Ireland |
| Doyle | Dubh-ghall, “dark foreigner” (a Viking) | Ireland |
| Brand | Brandr, “sword, fire” | Northern England, Scotland |
How to choose a Viking last name
- For authenticity, use a patronymic: pick the father’s first name and add -son or -dóttir.
- For a character or gamer tag, a byname is punchier. Astrid Ironside or Ulf Bloodaxe reads instantly as Viking.
- Mind the spelling: Old Norse letters like þ (th) and ð (soft th) are usually anglicized, so Þórsson becomes Thorsson.
- If you want a real-world surname, the modern Scandinavian nature names (Berg, Lund, Dahl) are easy to spell and still sound Nordic.
- Don’t mix eras carelessly. Names like Lindgren were created centuries after the Viking Age, which is fine for fiction but worth knowing.
Frequently asked questions
Did Vikings have last names?
Not fixed ones. Vikings used patronymics (Eriksson, “son of Erik”) and bynames describing a trait or deed (Bloodaxe, Fairhair). Hereditary surnames came to Scandinavia centuries later.
What is the most famous Viking last name?
Ragnarsson, from the legendary sons of Ragnar Lodbrok, and Eriksson, from explorer Leif Eriksson, are probably the best-known Viking patronymics.
What Viking last name means warrior?
Gunnarsson (“son of the warrior”) and Gunn (“battle”) are both linked to the Old Norse gunnr, meaning battle or war.
Do Icelanders still use Viking-style last names?
Yes. Most Icelanders still use patronymics or matronymics, so a man named Jón whose father is Einar is Jón Einarsson, and his sister is Einarsdóttir.
Are there Viking surnames in England?
Yes. Surnames such as Thurston, Osborne, Kettle, Swain and Thorburn come from Old Norse personal names brought by Danish and Norwegian settlers in the Danelaw.