How are surnames given in Iceland?
Unlike most other Western countries Icelanders do not use family names but use a patronymic or matronymic reference. One’s name reflects the immediate father or mother and does not refer to the person’s historic family lineage.
What is unusual about surnames in Iceland?
Icelandic surnames are different from most other naming systems in the modern Western world by being patronymic or occasionally matronymic: they indicate the father (or mother) of the child and not the historic family lineage.
Why do Icelandic last names end in Dottir?
For example, when a couple has a child, the tradition is to add “son” or “daughter” to the end of the Father’s name. If you are the daughter of Magnus, your last name would be Magnussdottir (dottir translates to daughter). The patronymic system means that Icelanders are really a first-name kind of country.
What are some common surnames in Iceland?
Culture. Máni, which means ‘moon,’ came third, ruv.is reports. For girls, María was the most popular second name, followed by Rós, the Icelandic word for ‘rose.’ The most common name among Icelandic men is Jón, followed by Sigurður and Guðmundur. For women, Guðrún is the most common name, followed by Anna and Kristín.
What are approved Icelandic names?
The Icelandic Naming Committee has approved five new names, reports Vísir. These are Ónarr and Eros for boys and Vök, Nala, and Natasja for girls. The Naming Committee is a government body that maintains an official register from which Icelandic parents can choose a name for their child.
What are Icelandic last names?
Icelandic surnames are also quite special. Surnames , which exist from generation to generation in other European cultures, are rare in Iceland. In Iceland, the father’s first name is used as the base to the child’s last name. For example, Baldur Þórsson and Freyja Óðinsdóttir have two children, Kristín and Björn.
What is the etymology of surname?
The surname Word is thought to be derived from a place name in Lancashire, near Chorley . Early written versions of the name tend to spell the name beginning with “Wer-,” and as such the name is most likely derived from the Old English “wer,” or weir, and “denu,” which meant valley.