Swedish Last Names: Statistics, Meanings, Origins & American Versions

Your last name can tell you a lot about your family history if you’re Swedish; it can provide a hint of where you’re from, what type of work your ancestors did, and what social class they belonged to. As an example, if your American family name is Johnston, it was likely Johansson when your ancestors arrived in the US from Sweden, and there is a high probability that they came from western Sweden and worked as farmers.

Similarly, if your last name is Nelson it was likely Nilsson in Sweden, which meant that they were more likely farmers from southern Sweden.

Learn more examples like this and everything else you need to know about Swedish last names in this compilation of the most popular Swedish last names today, their origins, meanings, and any American versions of the name. I’ve also included examples of different types of last names, along with which regions they were statistically associated with.

We’ll start by taking a look at what the most common last names in Sweden are today, as well as what their American versions are for those of you trying to find out more about your Swedish roots.

The Most Common Swedish Last Names (Family Names) in 2024

View all the names by tapping “Show More”

Here is a visual representation of how proportionally common the most popular Swedish last names are:

Top 10 vs. Top 11-100:

Top 100 Swedish last names:

Origins of Swedish Last Names: A Brief History of Swedish Family Name Customs

Swedes of olden times—going back to the Vikings and beyond— used to introduce themselves by their first name, followed by their father’s name (to eradicate any doubt of whom exactly they were). Over time, we gradually started using hereditary family names instead, which were picked in different ways depending on when it was, who you were, and what class you belonged to.

The first sign of Hereditary last names in Sweden started around the 1600s among Swedish noble families, with the Swedish masses still changing last names from generation to generation up until the late 1800s (much like Icelanders do today), using paternal names based on the father’s name with the addition of -son or -dotter (son or daughter, e.g. Andersson).

Inspired by the customs of the noble families, patronymics ending on -son began to be passed on among the Swedish peasants toward the end of the 19th century, and took on the role of family names for the Swedish working classes. Fast-forward to today, and about 2.7 million swedes (around 25%) have a last name ending in -son.

Interestingly, the occurrence of paternal last names has gone down from 40% of the Swedish population in 1982, to 30% in 2012, and finally 25% in 2022.

The bourgeoisie class (today’s middle/upper middle class) also picked up on the trend of hereditary last names, and often choose to adopt nature-inspired names instead, such as Ek (“Oak”), Lindberg (“Linden mountain”), Lundqvist (“Meadow branch”).

This was also the preferred custom in northern Sweden among all classes, which has made it the most common style today, with 3.4 million Swedes (or around 35%) having a last name connected to nature.

It was also common at the time to pass on so-called “soldier names” as last names if you had served in the army, such as Sköld (“Shield”), Svärd (“Sword”), Rask (“Fast”), and Modig (“Brave”), and if you were a priest or academic it was likely that you passed down a latin or greek-inspired name.

Let’s now look at what your last name can say about where in Sweden you’re from.

The Most Common Swedish Last Names For Each Region

According to data from SCB, Johansson is the most common last name in western and northern Sweden, Eriksson and Andersson in central Sweden, Karlsson in eastern Sweden, and Nilsson in southern Sweden.

It’s astonishing to see how clearly the popularity of last names is split among the different regions of Sweden, and could definitely give you a hint of where your family hails from in Sweden.

The Social Class of Last Names: 6 Different Types & Origins of Swedish Last Names

Most Swedish last names today fall into one of the following categories:

• Burgeouise/craft-related names (e.g. Lundqvist, Ek) – 35% of total names
• Patronymic names (e.g. Andersson, Svensson) – 25% of total names
• Noble family names (e.g. Gyllenstierna, Leionhufvud)
• Priestly or Academic names (often inspired by latin or greek)
• Soldier names (e.g. Stark, Modig)
• Foreign family names (historically mainly German)

Common Nature or Craft-related Family Names in Sweden

Last Name	American version	English translation
Lindberg	Lindbergh	“Lindenmount”
Lindström	Lindstrom	“Lindenstream”
Lindqvist	Lindqvist	“Lindentwig”
Lindgren	Lindgreen	“Lindenbranch”
Bergström	Bergstrom	“Mountainstream”
Lundberg	Lundberg	“Meadowmount”
Lundgren	Lundgreen	“Meadowbranch”
Lundqvist	Lundqvist	“Meadowtwig”
Berglund	Berglund	“Mountainmeadow”
Sandberg	Sandberg	“Sandmountain”
Hammarström	Hammarstrom	“Hammerstream”
Jernberg	Jernberg	“Ironmountain”
Blomberg	Bloomberg	“Flowermountain”
Rotman	Rothman, Rodman	“Rootman”

Common Noble Family Names in Sweden

Common Short Swedish Noble Family Names

• Brahe
• Tott
• Kagg
• Wrede
• Tessin
• Toll
• Sparre
• Hård
• Gedda
• Banér
• Bildt
• Bonde
• Mörner
• Uggla
• Piper
• Ribbing
• Taube
• Wrangel

Common Compounded Swedish Noble Family Names

Last Name	English translation
Leijonhufvud	“Lionhead”
Oxenstierna	“Oxhead”
Stenbock	“Stoneram”
Lindschöld	“Lindenshield”
Stålarm	“Steelarm””
Gyllenborg	“Golden fortress”
Wallenstedt	“Barricade place”
Rehnskiöld	“Cleanshield”
Adelsvärd	“Noblesword”
Ekeblad	“Oakenleaf”
Ankarcrona	“Anchorcrown”
Lillienstedt	“Lilyplace”
Ankarsvärd	“Anchorsword”
Armfelt	“Armfield”
Björnstjerna	“Bearstar”
Cronhielm	“Crownhelmet”
Gripenskiöld	“Griffinshield”
Gyllenkrok	“Goldenhook”
Gyllenstierna	“Goldenface”
Hammarskjöld	“Hammershield”

Common “von” Names in Sweden

• von Essen
• von Bahr
• von Döbeln
• von Otter
• von Platen
• von Rosen

Common “af” Names in Sweden

• af Söderberg
• Boije af Gennäs
• af Geijerstam
• af Klinteberg
• af Trolle

Common Swedish Noble Family Names of Foreign Origins

• Lewenhaupt
• De la Gardie
• Wachtmeister
• Creutz
• Cronstedt
• Fleetwood
• Hamilton
• Staël von Holstein

Common Clergical & Academic Last Names in Sweden

Common Swedish Priest Family Names

• Sundelius
• Johannis
• Caroli
• Laurentius
• Svedelius
• Moraeus
• Ulvaeus

Common Swedish Academic Last Names

• Eurenius
• Linnæus
• Fornelius

Common Soldier-type Family Names in Sweden

Last Name	English translation
Modig	Brave
Svärd	Sword
Sabel	Sabre
Kling	Edge
Glad	Happy
Munter	Jolly
Rolig	Funny
Frisk	Healthy
Hjelm	Helmet
Lind	Linden

---

Sources:

https://www.jstor.org/stable/451589

https://www.jamestownswedes.org/2020/05/swedish-american-surnames.html

https://www.scb.se/hitta-statistik/artiklar/2015/De-naturliga-efternamnen/

https://www.isof.se/lar-dig-mer/kunskapsbanker/lar-dig-mer-om-personnamn-i-sverige/efternamn

https://fof.se/artikel/2003/1/fran-lindberg-till-beachman/