Swedish family names or patronymic surnames are based on the father’s first name. Old Swedish surnames of the 15th century had Swedish, Greek, Latin or German origins. In the 17th and the 18th centuries, the middle-class families adopted ornamental surnames that consisted of creatively combined elements. Some surnames were adopted from the nicknames of soldiers, while humanist surnames were formed by combining Greek or Latin suffixes. During the 19th century, many names were converted into permanent family names. Few families began to freeze their primary patronyms so that they could become hereditary surnames. Farm surnames were also widely used. This list of Swedish last names and surnames is sure to help you if you are searching for a fascinating one.
100 Best Swedish Surnames Or Last Names
Swedish last names or surnames have interesting backstories as well as inspiring meanings. Here are some you will want to consider:
1. Ahlberg
A variant of Alberg, this Swedish surname means ‘mountain’, or ‘hill’.
2. Åberg
The name of Swedish origin means ‘island mountain’ or ‘hill.’
3. Abrahamsson
Derived from the word Abraham from Old Hebrew, Abrahamsson is a Biblical name meaning ‘Father of Many’.
4. Adamsson
Adamsson means ‘Son of Adam’ or ‘Man’. In the Bible, God makes Adam from the earth.
5. Adell
Derived from Latin, this Swedish surname means ‘noble’ or ‘nobility’.
6. Åkesson
This is a patronymical name derived from the word Aki. The name is an Old Norse diminutive of names containing the element anu, which means ‘ancestor’ or ‘father’.
7. Asp
This Swedish farm name is derived from Old Norse osp or Middle English aspe, meaning ‘aspen tree’.
8. Barkman
Barkman is formed by the ornamental compound ‘bark’ and ‘man’ influenced by German elements. A variant of German topographic name Bergmann, which means ‘mountain man’.
9. Beckman
This ornamental name is composed of the elements of bäck ‘stream’ and ‘man’.
10. Bergquist
This ornamental name is composed of the elements of berg ‘hill’ and quist from kvist that means ‘twig.’
11. Bergstrom
This ornamental name is formed by a combination of berg, meaning ’mountain’ or ‘hill’, and storm, meaning ‘river’.
12. Bjurstrom
This topographic name is formed by combining bjur, meaning ’beaver’ and storm, meaning ‘river’.
13. Cederberg
Composed of the elements of ceder, as in cedar and berg, meaning ’mountain’.
14. Cedergren
This ornamental name is composed of the words ceder, meaning ‘cedar’ and gren, meaning ‘branch’.
15. Cederholm
This ornamental name is composed of the elements of ceder, meaning ‘cedar’ and holm, meaning ‘island’.
16. Clar
Clar is a derivative of Klarm which means ‘clear’.
17. Cronquist
This ornamental name is composed of the elements kron, meaning ’crown’ and quist, meaning ‘twig’.
18. Dahlgren
This ornamental name is composed of the elements dal, meaning ‘valley’, and gren, meaning ‘branch’.
19. Dahmen
Dahmen is an ornamental form of ‘Dahm’ with the common suffix –en that comes from Latin –enius meaning ‘relating to’.
20. Dalman
A variant of Dahlman, this ornamental name is composed of the elements of dal ‘valley’ and man ‘man’.
21. Dovell
A variant of Duvall, this ornamental name is composed of the first element –ell and a common ornamental suffix derived from Latin ending –elius.
22. Ekdahl
This ornamental name is composed of the elements of the words ek, meaning ‘oak’, and dahl or dal, meaning ‘valley’.
23. Ekholm
This ornamental name is composed of the elements of ek, meaning ‘oak’, and holm, meaning ‘island’.
24. Eklof
This Swedish ornamental name is composed of the elements of ek ‘oak’ and lov ‘leaf’.
25. Eklund
This Swedish ornamental name is composed of the elements of ek, meaning ‘oak’, and lund, which means ‘grove’.
26. Eriksson
Eriksson is a Swedish patronymic hereditary surname meaning ‘son of Erik’.
27. Fagerstrom
This Swedish ornamental name is composed of the elements of fager, meaning ‘beautiful’, and strom, which means ‘river’.
28. Fahlgren
This habitational name is formed by combining the element fal, meaning ‘plain’ or ‘flat land’ with gren, which means ‘branch’.
29. Ferm
Derived from Swedish soldier name, it means ‘ready’.
30. Finberg
This ornamental name is formed by combining fin, meaning ‘fine’ or finn, which means ‘Finnish’ with berg, which means ‘mountain’.
31. Florman
This Swedish ornamental name is derived from Latin flor, meaning ‘flower’ and man, meaning ‘man’.
32. Granberg
Composed of the elements gran ‘spruce’ and berg ‘hill’, this is a Swedish ornamental name.
33. Gronlund
This ornamental name is composed of the elements gron ‘green’ and lund ‘grove’.
34. Gronquist
This Swedish name is composed of the elements of gran ‘spruce’ and quist, which is an ornamental spelling of kvist, which means ‘twig’.
35. Grundstrom
Grunastorm is composed of the elements of grund ‘ground’ and strom ‘stream’.
36. Gudmundsson
This patronymic name is derived from the personal name Gudmund. Its Old Norse form, Guomundr, is composed of the elements guo ‘God’ and mundr ‘protection’.
37. Gullickson
This patronymic name is derived from Old Norse Guoleikr. Guoleikr is a compound of guo ‘god’ and leikr ‘fight’ or ‘struggle’.
38. Haag
Haag is an ornamental adoption of the German name hac, meaning ‘enclosure’ or ‘hedge’.
39. Haack
Derived from a soldier’s name Hake, this metonymic occupational name comes from hakebossa, meaning ‘a firearm’.
40. Hagberg
This Swedish ornamental name derives from hage ‘enclosure’ and berg, meaning ’mountain’.
41. Hageman
This ornamental or topographic name comes from Swedish hage ‘enclosed pasture’ and man, meaning ‘man’.
42. Haggstorm
Composed of the elements hagg, denoting ‘bird cherry’, and strom, meaning ‘river’.
43. Ingerman
This regional name is derived from Ingermanland which is a province between Russia and Finland.
44. Ingersson
This patronymic name is derived from Inger which is an Old Norse name Ingvard, who was the guardian of fertility.
45. Isakson
Isakson is a patronymic surname with an Anglo-Saxon origin, and it means ‘son of Isaac’.
46. Isberg
This ornamental name is composed of the elements of ‘ice’ and berg, meaning ‘mountain’.
47. Jacobsson
This patronymic surname is derived from Hebrew Yaakov meaning ‘follower’. The suffix –son refers to ‘son of Jacob’.
48. Jansson
This patronymic surname is derived from Jan, Johannes or John which in Hebrew means ‘God’s grace’. In Swedish, it also means ‘son of Jan’.
49. Johansson
This patronymic surname means ‘son of Johan’. Johan, a Scandanavian form of John, means ‘God is good’ in Greek.
50. Kalberg
This ornamental name comes from a place name Kal or Kall, which means ‘cold’ or Karl ‘man’ combined with berg ‘mountain’.
51. Karlin
This habitational name is formed by the combination of Karl and –in which is a common suffix. –inus in Latin means ‘descendant of’.
52. Karlstad
This habitational name refers to a place Karlstad in western Sweden.
53. Kask
This is a soldier’s name, meaning ‘helmet’.
54. Kielman
This ornamental name comes from the place name kil ‘wedge’ and man ‘man’.
55. Kilburg
This surname refers to various places in Sweden, and it means ‘wedge mountain’.
56. Kindberg
This ornamental name is formed by combining place-name element kind, which means ‘family’ or ‘tribe’ with berg, which is ‘mountain’.
57. Kjellberg
This ornamental name is composed of the elements källa, which means ‘spring’ or ‘source’ and berg, meaning ‘mountain’.
58. Lagergren
This ornamental name is composed of the elements of lager ‘laurel’ and gren ‘branch’.
59. Lagerman
This ornamental surname is composed of the elements lager ‘laurel’, and man, which stands for ‘man’.
60. Lagerstrom
This ornamental name is composed of the elements lager ‘laurel’, and strom ‘river’.
61. Lagman
Derived from Old Norse Logmaor, this surname is composed of log ‘laws’ and maor ‘man’.
62. Mahlberg
This ornamental name is composed of Mahl or Mal, meaning ‘gravel’, and berg, meaning ‘mountain’.
63. Malmberg
This ornamental name means ‘iron mountain’.
64. Malmgren
This ornamental name is composed of the elements malm ‘ore’ and gren ‘branch’.
65. Malmquist
This ornamental name is composed of the elements malm ‘ore’ and quist meaning ‘twig’.
66. Marken
This name means ‘forest pasture’.
67. Markus
Markus is derived from Latin, and it means ‘hammer’ or ‘defender’.
68. Naslund
This topographic is composed of the elements of nas ‘narrow neck of land’ with lund ‘grove’.
69. Nordwall
This ornamental name is composed of the elements nord ‘north’ and vall ‘bank’.
70. Noreen
A variant of Naureen or Noirin, this name is a diminutive of Anglicised Nora. In Arabic, it means ‘luminous’, and in Greek means ‘light’.
71. Nystrom
This late medieval topographic name is composed of the elements by, meaning ’new’, and strom, meaning ‘river’.
72. Oden
Oden was referred to the Head God in Norse mythology.
73. Ogren
This ornamental name is formed by combining o, as in ‘island’, and gren, meaning ‘branch’.
74. Ohlsson
Ohlsson is a patronymic form of the personal name Olaf. It means ‘son of Ola’.
75. Olander
This habitational name refers to someone from the island of Olan or Aland.
76. Oquist
This ornamental name is composed of the elements of O, meaning ‘island’, and quist, meaning ‘twig’.
77. Orn
This ornamental name of Scandanavian origin means ‘eagle’.
78. Osbeck
This topographic name is formed by combining os, which means ‘river mouth’ or ‘ridge’ with beck, which is ‘brook’.
79. Palmberg
This ornamental name is composed of palm ‘palm tree’ and berg ‘mountain’. In German, it is a habitational name.
80. Pehrson
This patronymic name is derived from Par or Pe(h)r, or Peter, which in Latin means ‘rock’.
81. Pihl
This ornamental name is derived from pil, which means ‘arrow’ in Scandanavian.
82. Quarnstrom
This ornamental name is composed of the elements kvarn ‘mill’, and strom, meaning ’stream’.
83. Quint
A variant of Quist, this ornamental name is derived from Kvist meaning ‘twig’. It is widely used with other words to denote natural features like Blomquist. In Latin, Quint means ‘fifth’.
84. Ranstrom
This ornamental name is derived from a place name formed by combining Ran, which means ‘raven’, and strom, meaning ’river’.
85. Rapp
Rapp means ‘quick’. It was one of the soldier’s name in the 17th century before surnames came into use.
86. Reierson
Reierson is a patronymic name. In Old Norse, Reier is a variant of Reid, which means ‘house’ and arr, representing harjar, meaning ‘warrior’.
87. Renstrom
This ornamental name is composed of the elements ren, which means ‘reindeer’, and strom, meaning ‘river’.
88. Saam
Saam is an ethnic name that is derived from Same, meaning ‘Saami’. It refers to a member of the tribes of northern Scandanavia.
89. Safstrom
This ornamental name is derived from Swedish saf or sav, meaning ‘rush’, and strom, which means ‘river’.
90. Sahlberg
Sahlberg is formed by combining the elements sahl or sal, meaning ‘hall’, and berg, which means ‘hill’.
91. Sanderlin
This ornamental name is composed of the personal name Sander, derived from Alexander, and the suffix ‘–lin’.
92. Sandholm
This ornamental name is formed by combining the words sand and holm. Holm means ‘island’.
93. Setterberg
This ornamental name is composed of the place-name element sater ‘mountain pasture’ with berg ‘mountain’.
94. Tjader
This Swedish surname is derived from nicknames used by soldiers.
95. Trana
This surname was commonly used among soldiers, and means ‘crane’ in Swedish.
96. Uggla
Uggla, in Swedish, means ‘owl’. It originated from soldiers’ nicknames.
97. Wikstrom
This ornamental name is composed of vik ‘bay’, and strom ‘river’.
98. Yngvi
Derived from Old Norse Ing Yngvi is a variant of Freyr who was regarded as the ancestor of the Swedish royal family.
99. Ylva
Ylva is a derivative of the Old Norse ulfr, meaning ‘wolf’ or ‘female wolf’.
100. Zetterberg
This Swedish surname is a combination of sater, meaning ‘mountain pasture’, and berg, meaning ‘mountain’.
Popular Swedish surnames have interesting blends of Swedish history, their locations, occupations, and personal characteristics. Whether you are a parent looking for the most charismatic, unique and lovable surname for your newborn or someone looking for a last name for yourself, this list would help in selecting the best one out there.
