240 Common Swedish Last Names Inspired by Vikings & Nature

Swedish last names include some of the most popular surnames in the U.S., including Johnson and Anderson. We partnered with a baby name consultant to help us put together this list of 240 Swedish surnames, along with their meanings. They range from the popular and patronymic (based on a father’s name) to the unique and rare. We’ve even included Swedish last names inspired by nature and the world of Vikings.

Popular Swedish Surnames

Name consultant Maggie Borrelli says that many Swedish names end in “son,” meaning “son of.” Here are some of the most common Swedish surnames:

Anderson/Andersson: Son of Anders
Johnson/Johnsson: Son of John
Berg: Mountain
Erikson/Eriksson: Son of Erik
Lindgren: Linden tree branch

Section 1 of 8:

Popular Swedish Last Names

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Swedish last names are a mix of patronymic and nature-based names. Maggie Borrelli says it’s extremely common for Swedish last names to end in “son,” meaning “son of.”^{[1]
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Expert Source

Maggie Borrelli
Name Consultant

Expert Interview} Many of these names have been Americanized, like Andersson to Anderson or Jonsson to Johnson. Other popular last names, like Berg and Linden, focus on nature; Berg means “mountain,” and is the basis of male last names like Berglund.^{[2]
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- Anderson ‒ Son of Anders.^{[3]
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  Maggie Borrelli
  Name Consultant
  
  Expert Interview} It's the most popular last name in Sweden, which also appears as Andersson
- Axelsson ‒ Son of Axel
- Bengtsson ‒ Son of Bengt
- Berg ‒ Mountain
- Berglund ‒ Mountain grove
- Bergström ‒ Mountain stream
- Erikson ‒ Son of Erik
- Fredriksson ‒ Son of Fredrik
- Gustafsson ‒ Son of Gustof
- Johansson ‒ Son of Johan
- Johnson ‒ Son of Jon
- Karlsson ‒ Son of Karl
- Larsson ‒ Son of Lars
- Lind ‒ Linden tree
- Lindgren ‒ Linden-tree branch
- Lindqvist ‒ Linden twig
- Lindström ‒ Lime tree stream
- Lundberg ‒ Wooded hill
- Lundgren ‒ Grove branch
- Lundqvist ‒ Grove twig
- Mattsson ‒ Son of Matt
- Nilsson ‒ Son of Nils
- Olofsson ‒ Son of Olof
- Olsson ‒ Son of Olf
- Persson ‒ Son of Per
- Sandberg ‒ Sand hill
- Svensson ‒ Son of Sven
Meet the wikiHow Expert

Maggie Borrelli is a baby name consultant with a particular interest in linguistic patterns and onomastics, or the study of the origins and history of names.

Section 2 of 8:

Common Swedish Last Names

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Many common Swedish surnames refer to a place or a person's father. Those named Hammar are from a town called Hamarr, while someone called Bodeen might live in a “small hut.” Other common names are patronymic, which use a father’s name, like Fransson (son of Frans) or Hermansson (son of Herman).^{[4]
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- Arvidsson ‒ Son of Arvid
- Axel ‒ Father of peace
- Bjorklund ‒ By the birch grove
- Boberg ‒ Dwelling by the mountain
- Bodeen ‒ Small hut
- Carby ‒ Freeman by the village
- Fransson ‒ Son of Frans
- Hammar ‒ From a place called Hamarr
- Hedlund ‒ Heath moor grove
- Hermansson ‒ Son of Herman
- Holmgren ‒ Island branch
- Jakobsson ‒ Son of Jakob
- Jensen ‒ Son of Jens
- Jonasson ‒ Son of Jonas
- Lang ‒ Tall
- Moller ‒ Miller
- Nordin ‒ Someone from the Northern valley
- Norgaard ‒ North farm
- Nyberg ‒ New mountain
- Nylander ‒ Dweller on a new land
- Nyström ‒ New river
- Olander ‒ Island dweller
- Skoglund ‒ Forest grove
- Sundstrom ‒ Someone who lived near a river leading to a strait
- Söderström ‒ Southern river
- Underberg ‒ Someone who lived near or at the foot of the mountain
- Wallin ‒ Friend in power

Section 3 of 8:

Patronymic Swedish Last Names

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Patronymic last names use a father’s first name. Before Swedish last names were made official in 1901, people's last names would fit their father’s first name, meaning parents had different surnames from their children. Most last names ended in -son for boys. While less common, Maggie Borrelli adds that some last names ended in “dotter,” meaning “daughter of.”^{[5]
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Maggie Borrelli
Name Consultant

Expert Interview} After they became official, Swedish last names kept whatever the father’s name was, along with the suffix, and stayed the same throughout generations.^{[6]
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- Abramson ‒ Son of Abram
- Alfredsson ‒ Son of Andersson
- Andersdotter ‒ Daughter of Anders
- Bergkvist ‒ Mountain twig
- Bergson ‒ Son of Berke
- Borgstrom ‒ Castle stream
- Claesson ‒ Son of Claes
- Cronstedt ‒ St. Nickolas’s copper
- Cruetz ‒ From the town of Kreitz in Northern Germany
- Davidsson ‒ Son of David
- Ehrling ‒ Earl or chieftain
- Erici ‒ Latinized version of Eriksson, often used by clergy
- Eriksdotter ‒ Daughter of Erik
- Fager ‒ Fair-haired
- Frisk ‒ Healthy
- Gunderson ‒ Son of Gunder
- Gunnarsson ‒ Son of Gunnar
- Gyllenstierna ‒ Golden forehead
- Hammarskjold ‒ Hammer shield
- Hansson ‒ Son of Hans
- Helgerson ‒ Son of Helger
- Isaksson ‒ Son of Issac
- Josefsson ‒ Son of Josef
- Magnusson ‒ Son of Magnus
- Martinsson ‒ Son of Martin
- Petersdotter ‒ Daughter of Peter
- Samuelsson ‒ Son of Samuel

Section 4 of 8:

Unique Swedish Last Names

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Swedish surnames often combine two different words or ideas. Often, surnames end in “berg,” meaning “mountain,” but they may start with any other word, meaning there's lots of variety among Swedish last names. For example, Cronquist means “crown twig,” while Holstrom means “island sea.” Others stand out with one meaning, like Alvin, meaning “elvin,” or Vastin, meaning “vast.”^{[7]
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- Almstedt ‒ Elm town
- Alvin ‒ Elvin
- Bjornberg ‒ Bear mountain
- Broberg ‒ Bridge mountain
- Cederholm ‒ Cedar island
- Cronquist ‒ Crown twig
- Dahlgren ‒ Valley branch
- Edelberg ‒ Noble hill
- Ekbald ‒ Oak leaf
- Ekstrand ‒ Oak stone
- Engstrom ‒ Meadow river
- Fagerstrom ‒ Beautiful river
- Haggstorm ‒ Cherry bird
- Hellström ‒ River rock
- Holstrom ‒ Island stream
- Kalberg ‒ Cold mountain
- Kallgren ‒ Spring source
- Kielman ‒ Wedge man
- Lagerquist ‒ Laurel twig
- Lindskog ‒ Lime tree forest
- Mossberg ‒ Peat bog mountain
- Osterling ‒ Easterling
- Settergren ‒ Mountain pasture
- Sjöberg ‒ Mountain sea
- Stahlberg ‒ Steel mountain
- Vastin ‒ Vast
- Windgard ‒ Farmhouse

Section 5 of 8:

Royal & Noble Swedish Last Names

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Many names are associated with nobility or royalty. These royal last names have been used not only by Swedish royalty but also by noble Swedish families, dating back to medieval times. They include nature-based names, like Ekebyholm, meaning “oak inlet,” as well as rich-sounding names, like Gyllenstierna, meaning “golden star.”
- Bernadotte ‒ Young woman of Bern
- Carlsson ‒ Son of Carl
- Croneborg ‒ Crown mountain
- Dahlberg ‒ Valley mountain
- Ekebyholm ‒ Oak islet
- Engeström ‒ Meadow stream
- Faltzburg ‒ Falcon mountain
- Fersen ‒ Shoe straps
- Gustav ‒ Son of Gustav
- Gyldenstolpe ‒ Golden pillar
- Gyllenstierna ‒ Golden star
- Horn ‒ Horned
- Köningsmarck ‒ King’s march
- Leijonstedt ‒ Lion’s homestead
- Lillienstedt ‒ Lily valley
- Lindschöld ‒ Linden tree shield
- Lybecker ‒ Slater
- Mälsåker ‒ Mälsåker Castle
- Nieroth ‒ New clearing
- Rantzien ‒ Son of Arndt
- Ridderstolpe ‒ Knight
- Sandemar ‒ Servant of Saunder
- Skjöldebrand ‒ Shield brand
- Sparre ‒ Sparrow
- Stålarm ‒ Steel arm
- Taube ‒ Dove
- Thott ‒ Farm or grove
- Toll ‒ Tax
- Torstensson ‒ Son of Torsten
- Wittenberg ‒ White mountain

Section 6 of 8:

Viking Swedish Last Names

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Famous names often have roots in Viking tradition. These strong, vibrant last names are associated with famous Vikings, like Erik or Leif. Other famous names are linked to Nordic mythology, including Freyrsson, meaning “son of Freyr.” Some Viking names simply describe Viking attributes, like “Ivar,” meaning “warrior.”
- Arvid ‒ Eagle tree
- Askelsson ‒ Son of Askel
- Balder ‒ Prince
- Bjornsson ‒ Son of Bjorn
- Dagfin ‒ Day battle
- Eirikr ‒ Eternal ruler
- Eiriksson ‒ Son of Eirik
- Erik ‒ High ruler
- Freyadottir ‒ Daughter of Freya
- Freyrsson ‒ Son of Freyr
- Gudmundsson ‒ Son of Gudmund
- Hakon ‒ High son
- Haraldsson ‒ Son of Harald
- Ivar ‒ Archer, warrior
- Leif ‒ Heir, descendant
- Loki ‒ Trickster
- Lothbrok ‒ Shaggy breeches; based on the famous warrior king Ragnar
- Njal ‒ Giant
- Njordsson ‒ Son of Njord
- Odinson ‒ Son of Odin
- Saga ‒ Seeress
- Sigurd ‒ Victorious guard
- Sten ‒ Stone
- Svein ‒ Young warrior
- Thor ‒ Thunder
- Thorrad ‒ Thor's protection
- Trygg ‒ True
- Tyrschild ‒ Shield of Tyr
- Ulv ‒ Wolf
- Vidarsson ‒ Son of Vidar

Section 7 of 8:

Nature-Based Swedish Last Names

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Nature inspires many Swedish names, from Berg to Strom. In addition to names ending in “berg,” meaning “mountain,” and “strom,” meaning “stream,” many pretty Swedish last names are based on nature, including Blom, meaning “flower,” and Fors, meaning “waterfall.” Some combine words, like Sandberg, which translates to “sand mountain.”^{[8]
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- Berggren ‒ Ranch of the mountain
- Bergman ‒ Mountain man
- Björk ‒ Birch
- Blom ‒ Flower
- Blomqvist ‒ Flower branch
- Eklund ‒ Oak grove
- Elg ‒ Moose
- Engberg ‒ Meadow mountain
- Fahlgren ‒ Plains
- Falk ‒ Falcon
- Fors ‒ Waterfall
- Gronberg ‒ Green mountain
- Haag ‒ Hedge
- Lindberg ‒ Linden tree mountain
- Lindgren ‒ Linden branch tree
- Malmström ‒ Sand stream
- Nyqvist ‒ New branch
- Öberg ‒ Island mountain
- Ranstrom ‒ Raven river
- Rosenberg ‒ Rose mountain
- Sandberg ‒ Sandmountain
- Sjö ‒ Lake
- Strömberg ‒ Mountain of the river
- Sundberg ‒ Sound mountain
- Sylvan ‒ Forest
- Wiklund ‒ Patch of trees by the bay

Section 8 of 8:

Rare Swedish Last Names

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Unique locales and strange meanings make up rare Swedish last names. These names are quite uncommon, and some of them aren’t even in use today. Many are super-specific, like Bjurstrom, meaning “beaver river,” or Drakenberg, for “mountain of dragons.” Other rare names are more funny or unusual, like Roseander, meaning “roseman,” or Tillberg, meaning “telling mountain.”
- Åhlen ‒ River or oak tree
- Ahlgren ‒ Older branch
- Ahlstrand ‒ Alder shore
- Alvarsson ‒ Son of Alvar
- Bjurstrom ‒ Beaver river
- Boman ‒ Dwelling man
- Bonde ‒ Peasant
- Drakenberg ‒ Mountain of dragons
- Eklind ‒ A version of Eklund, meaning oak grove
- Frisk ‒ Healthy
- Hammarskjöld ‒ Hammer shield
- Kjellsson ‒ Son of Kjell
- Lagerlöf ‒ Laurel leaves
- Lindelöf ‒ Leaf of the lime tree
- Ljungberg ‒ Heather mountain
- Lugn ‒ Calm
- Natt och Dag ‒ Night and Day
- Normous ‒ Large
- Örn ‒ Eagle
- Ostlund ‒ East grove
- Quarnstrom ‒ Mill river
- Rask ‒ Quick
- Roseander ‒ Roseman
- Rönnbäck ‒ Rowan berry brook
- Sandelin ‒ Sand meadow
- Thunberg ‒ Someone who lived near a fenced-in area by a hill
- Tillberg ‒ Telling mountain
- Uggla ‒ Owl
- Wollter ‒ Leader of the army
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