58 Danish Surnames [Family Names]


In Danish culture, many last names are patronymic, a naming convention where a component of a personal name is based on the given name of one’s father, grandfather, or an even earlier male ancestor.

What does this mean? Simply put a lot of Danish surnames end with “-sen,” a suffix that means “son of”. So, for example, the surname “Jensen” could be loosely translated as “son of Jens,” while “Andersen” would mean “son of Anders.”

This reflects an old naming tradition, where a man named Jens would name his son something like “Jens’ son.” Over generations, these names have become fixed and are now passed down just like any family name, regardless of whether the father’s name matches or not.

Also, see Why Do Some People Call Danish People Squareheads? to learn more.

Last Names Related to Danish Ancestry

  • Andersen
  • Bach
  • Bjerre
  • Borg
  • Brandt
  • Bæk
  • Carlsen
  • Christensen
  • Christiansen
  • Clausen
  • Dahl
  • Dam
  • Dalsgaard
  • Danielsen
  • Eriksen
  • Eskildsen
  • Frederiksen
  • Fuglsang
  • Gregersen
  • Hansen
  • Hede
  • Hedegaard
  • Henningsen
  • Henriksen
  • Hermansen
  • Holm
  • Ibsen
  • Jacobsen
  • Jakobsen
  • Jensen

Also, see a list of Swedish Surnames to learn more.

  • Jepsen
  • Johansen
  • Jørgensen
  • Kjeldsen
  • Kjær
  • Knudsen
  • Koch
  • Kristensen
  • Laursen
  • Lund
  • Madsen
  • Mortensen
  • Møller
  • Nielsen
  • Nissen
  • Nørregaard
  • Olsen
  • Petersen
  • Rasmussen
  • Samsøe

Also, see a list of Norwegian Surnames to learn more.

  • Simonsen
  • Skov
  • Sørensen
  • Thomsen
  • Toft
  • Vestergaard
  • Winther
  • Østergaard

Christian Christensen

Christian started Scandinavia Facts to explore his family heritage, raise awareness of one of his academic interests as a professor, and civilly promote the region. Please see the About page for details.

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