120+ Common & Unique Danish Surnames (With Meanings)

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Naming expert Natalie Mulholland shares common and rare Danish surnames

Co-authored by Natalie Mulholland and Devin McSween

Last Updated: May 5, 2026 Fact Checked

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• Common
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• Patronymic
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• Descriptive
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• Occupational
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• Unique
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• Royal
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• Naming Conventions
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• More Surnames
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• Last Name Generator​

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Denmark is a beautiful Scandinavian country known for its rich history and stunning landscapes, and Danish surnames share an equally deep history. Whether you have Danish ancestry or are simply curious about the last names in this country, we’re here to help. We partnered with a naming expert to learn more about the most common Danish surnames, as well as more unique names that are associated with descriptive qualities, occupations, and even royalty. Keep on reading to learn more!

What are some common Danish last names?

Naming expert Natalie Mulholland says that some of the most common Danish surnames are Hansen, Larsen, Knudsen, Nielsen, and Christensen. Rarer Danish last names include Skytte, Fisker, Bille, Falk, and Fønss.

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Section 1 of 8:

Common Danish Last Names

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1. 
   In Denmark, some surnames are a lot more common than others. Most of these surnames are patronymic, meaning they’re based on a male ancestor’s first name. Check out the top 25 most common Danish last names below:

   • Nielsen: “Son of Niels.”
   • Jensen: “Son of Jens.”
   • Hansen: “Son of Hans.”
   • Pedersen: “Son of Peder.”
   • Andersen: “Son of Anders.”
   • Christensen: “Son of Christen.”
   • Larsen: “Son of Lars.”
   • Sørensen: “Son of Søren.”
   • Rasmussen: “Son of Rasmus.”
   • Jørgensen: “Son of Jørgen.”
   • Petersen: “Son of Peter.”
   • Madsen: “Son of Mads.”
   • Kristensen: “Son of Kristen.”
   • Olsen: “Son of Ole.”
   • Thomsen: “Son of Thomas.”
   • Christiansen: “Son of Christian.”
   • Poulsen: “Son of Poul.”
   • Johansen: “Son of Johan/Johannes.”
   • Møller: “Miller.”
   • Mortensen: “Son of Morten.”
   • Knudsen: “Son of Knud.”
   • Jakobsen: “Son of Jakob.”
   • Mikkelsen: “Son of Mikkel.”
   • Lund: “Grove.”
   • Frederiksen: “Son of Frederik.”

   Meet the wikiHow Expert

   Natalie Mulholland is a naming expert from Athens, Georgia. Since 2023, she’s also been a content creator focused on sharing the origin of names, plus what they mean and interesting people who’ve had that name before.
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Section 2 of 8:

Patronymic Danish Last Names

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1. 
   Patronymic surnames are the most common surnames in Denmark, which refer to last names based on a father’s first name (or other male ancestor). These names end in -sen, which means “son of” or, less commonly, -datter, which means “daughter of.” Here are some more patronymic surnames you may hear in Denmark (and beyond):

   • Andreasen: “Son of Andreas.”
   • Bendtsen: “Son of Bendt.”
   • Clausen: “Son of Claus.”
   • Danielsen: “Son of Daniel.”
   • Eriksen: “Son of Erik.”
   • Gregersen: “Son of Gregers.”
   • Henriksen: “Son of Henrik.”
   • Iversen: “Son of Iver.”
   • Jensdatter: “Daughter of Jens.”
   • Jeppesen: “Son of Jeppe.”
   • Karlsen: “Son of Karls.”
   • Lauridsen: “Son of Laurids.”
   • Laursen: “Son of Laurs.”
   • Mogensen: “Son of Mogens.”
   • Nansen: “Son of Nans.”
   • Nissen: “Son of Nis.”
   • Ottosen: “Son of Otto.”
   • Paulsen: “Son of Paul.”
   • Simonsen: “Son of Simon.”
   • Svendsen: “Son of Svend.”
   • Therkildsen: “Son of Therkild.”
   • Thorsen: “Son of Thor.”
   • Vilhelmsen: “Son of Vilhelm.”
   • Villadsen: “Son of Villads.”
   • Willumsen: “Son of Willum.”

Section 3 of 8:

Descriptive Danish Last Names

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1. 
   Many Danish surnames have descriptive meanings, whether they’re based on an ancestor’s appearance, personality traits, or the place they’re from. These names tend to be less common than patronymic surnames, which are much more widespread. Here are some unique descriptive Danish surnames:

   • Bækgaard: “Farm by the brook.”
   • Bech: “Stream” or “brook.”
   • Bjerg: “Mountain.”
   • Blom: “Flower.”
   • Bruun: “Brown.”
   • Dahl: “Valley.”
   • Damgaard: “Farm near the pond.”
   • Friis: “From Frisia” or “Frisian.”
   • Foss: “Fox.”
   • Holm: “Small island.”
   • Holst: “From Holstein.”
   • Kjær: “Fen” or “carr (a waterlogged forest).”
   • Langgaard: “Long farm.”
   • Lind: “Linden tree.”
   • Mørk: “Dark.”
   • Nørgaard: “North farm.”
   • Nygaard: “New farm.”
   • Østergaard: “East farm.”
   • Rask: “Energetic” or “healthy.”
   • Skov: “Forest.”
   • Skovgaard: “Forest farm.”
   • Strøm: “Stream.”
   • Sondergaard: “South farm.”
   • Toft: “Homestead”
   • Vind: “Wind.”
   • Westergaard: “West farm.”
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Section 4 of 8:

Occupational Danish Last Names

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1. 
   There are also several Danish surnames that refer to an ancestor’s profession or trade. Like descriptive surnames, these also tend to be much rarer than the typical Danish patronymic surname (though Møller and Schmidt are the exceptions!). Check out these Danish occupational surnames:

   • Anker/Ancher: “Anchor,” most likely referring to a sailor.
   • Bødker: “Cooper” or “barrel maker.”
   • Falk: “Falconer.”
   • Fisker: “Fisherman.”
   • Koch: “Cook.”
   • Munch: “Monk.”
   • Schmidt: “Smith.”
   • Schriver: “Scribe.”
   • Schrøder: “Tailor.”
   • Skytte: “Shooter” or “archer.”
   • Smed: “Smith.”
   • Winther: “Wine maker.”
   • Vinther: “Wine maker.”

Section 5 of 8:

Unique Danish Last Names

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1. 
   Generally, almost any surname that doesn’t end in -sen is quite unique and rare, as we’ve mentioned that patronymic surnames are definitely the norm in Denmark. These are some uncommon examples that you’re unlikely to hear as much:

   • Bille: “Axe” or “hatchet.”
   • Buckhøj: “Beech hill.”
   • Fønss: “From Føns” (in Funen, Denmark).
   • Højgaard: “High garden.”
   • Grøn: “Green.”
   • Kierkegaard: “Church yard” or “graveyard.”
   • Løvenkrands: “Lion’s wreath” or “lion’s crown.”
   • Mollerup: “Mill by the hill.”
   • Nordskov: “North woods.”
   • Ørnskov: “Eagle forest.”
   • Quistgaard/Qvistgaard: “Twig farm.”
   • Ravn: “Raven.”
   • Rønnow: “From the stream.”
   • Thybo: “From Thy” (in Jutland, Denmark)
   • Wilbek: “Willful stream.”
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Section 6 of 8:

Royal Danish Last Names

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1. 
   Denmark has had kings and noble houses since medieval times (and it is a constitutional monarchy to this day). So, certain surnames are associated with prominent noble families. Here are some “royal” Danish surnames, including some notable members of the house:

   • Ahlefeldt (notable member: Burchard Count von Ahlefeld)
   • Benzon (notable member: Peter Ulrich Frederik Benzon)
   • Bille (notable member: Beate Clausdatter Bille)
   • Hambro (notable member: Baron Carl Joachim Hambro)
   • Holstein (notable member: Ludvig Henrik Carl Herman Holstein)
   • Hoppe (notable member: Frederik Hoppe)
   • Juel (notable member: Jens Juel)
   • Kaas (notable member: Jørgen Kaas)
   • Knuth (notable member: Adam Christopher von Knuth)
   • Lerche (notable member: Cornelius Pedersen Lerche)
   • Løvenørn (notable member: Poul Thomsen Vendelbo de Løvenørn)
   • Mylius (notable member: Johan Caspar Mylius)
   • Plessen (notable member: Louise Scheel von Plessen)
   • Raben (notable member: Johan Otto Raben)
   • Rantzau (notable member: Johan Rantzau)
   • Rosenkrantz (notable member: Ludvig Rosenkrantz)
   • Rosenørn (notable member: Matthias Hans Rosenørn)
   • Thott (notable member: Otto Thott)
   • Treschow (notable member: Frederik Wilhelm Treschow)
   • Ulfeldt (notable member: Jakob Ulfeldt)

Section 7 of 8:

Origins of Danish Surnames

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1. 1
   Danish surnames followed the patronymic tradition until the 1800s. Historically, Danish children were given a last name based on their father’s first name plus -sen (or, less commonly, -datter). So, a family’s surname changed every generation (unless a father and son shared the same first name). This practice stopped in 1828, when King Frederik VI passed a law for all families to adopt a fixed last name that is passed down through the generations.

   • After King Frederik VI’s decree, families were given the option to use their children’s current last name (based on the father’s first name) or to choose a new last name (usually based on a location).
   • Most families chose to use the last name based on the father’s name, which is why the most common surnames in Denmark are still patronymic to this day!
   • And, because certain first names were more common than others in the 1800s, that’s why some patronymic surnames are more common than others. In fact, the last names Nielsen, Jensen, Hansen, Pedersen/Petersen, and Andersen have remained the most common Danish surnames since the 1800s!
2. 2
   Danish surnames are broadly Scandinavian and Germanic. You may have noticed that many Danish surnames are also common in Norway and Sweden, like Andersen (Norway) and Andersson (Sweden). These Scandinavian countries historically used patronymic surnames and share many of the same common first names. You might have also noticed that many Danish surnames have German roots, like Møller (Müller in German). This makes sense as Danish is a Germanic language and Denmark shares a border with Germany.
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Section 8 of 8:

Surnames in Other Cultures

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1. Curious about other common European surnames? Whether you want to know about more Nordic and Scandinavian surnames or you’re just interested in surnames in general, we’ve got you covered. Check out our lists covering last names in other countries and cultures around Europe:

   • Swedish Last Names
   • Norwegian Last Names
   • Viking Last Names
   • Dutch Last Names
   • German Last Names
   • Medieval Last Names
   • Italian Last Names
   • Polish Last Names
   • French Last Names
   • Greek Last Names

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