30 Scottish surnames with Viking roots and what they mean

Scotland’s Viking past is still giving up new secrets. Archaeologists recently uncovered what could be a 1,000-year-old Viking-era church on the tiny uninhabited Orkney island of Swona, another striking reminder that Norse settlers did far more than raid Scotland’s shores.

For many Scots, traces of that history may also survive much closer to home. Viking settlers established communities across Orkney, Shetland, Caithness and the Hebrides, leaving their mark on everything from place names and language to the genetic make-up of people living there today.

One major study of the genetics of Scotland and its islands found particularly strong Norwegian ancestry in the far north, estimating that it accounts for around 23% to 28% of ancestry in Shetland.

And the Viking connection may be hiding in your surname too. Names with Norse roots have survived for centuries across Scotland, although a Viking-derived surname alone does not prove that someone has Scandinavian ancestry.

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Here are 30 surnames with Viking or Old Norse links that can still be found in Scotland and elsewhere in Britain today.

1. Raven

From the Old Norse Hrafn, meaning “raven”. The raven was a powerful symbol for Norse warriors and is often linked to the god Odin. This surname reflects its deep cultural and mythological roots.

2. Gunn

Derived from gunnr, the Old Norse word for “battle” or “war”. Found widely across northern Scotland and Orkney, it’s also the name of an old Highland clan with Viking origins.

3. Harold / Harald

A classic Viking name carried by leaders like King Harald Hardrada, who famously died at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066. It means “army ruler” and was popular in both Scandinavian and Anglo-Norse cultures.

4. Ormsby

A toponymic name meaning “Ormr’s farm” – Ormr being a Norse personal name meaning serpent or dragon. The suffix -by was used by Vikings to denote a farmstead or settlement and still appears in dozens of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire place names.

5. Thoresen / Thorburn

Derived from Þórr, the Norse god of thunder. Names beginning with “Thor” usually signal a Norse origin and indicate ancestry that honoured or referenced Thor’s might and protection.

6. Haldane

From Old Norse Halfdan, meaning “half Dane”. A real surname still found in Scotland, possibly referring to someone born of mixed Norse and native ancestry.

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7. Croft

From the Norse kropt or kroft, referring to a small enclosed field or farm. The word became rooted in Scottish and northern English landscapes and eventually surnames.

8. Scarth

Likely from the Norse word skarthi, meaning “notched” or “hare-lipped”. Common in Orkney and parts of Yorkshire. The Scarth family appears in 16th-century land records tied to Norse-descended farming families.

9. Clegg

Believed to be from kleggi, meaning “haystack” or “mound”. A stronghold surname in West Yorkshire, especially around Rochdale and Oldham.

10. Birkby

A compound of birk (birch) and by (settlement). Still found as both a surname and a place name in North and East Yorkshire, tracing back to Danish or Norwegian farming outposts.

11. Tait

Common in the Borders, Shetland and Orkney. Possibly from Old Norse teitr, meaning “glad” or “cheerful” – a rare example of a Norse name denoting personality rather than place or lineage.

12. Skene

A Scottish surname from Aberdeenshire, sometimes traced back to a Norse word for a blade or dagger. The clan motto is “Virtutis regia merces” – “virtue is the reward of valour” – further hinting at a warrior heritage.

13. MacAulay

A Hebridean and Highland name from the Norse personal name Áleifr, meaning “ancestor’s descendant” or “heir”. Evidence suggests the MacAulays may descend from Viking settlers who integrated with Gaels.

14. Main

Found in northern Scotland, particularly Caithness and Orkney. Possibly derived from mæinn, the Old Norse word for “strong” or “forceful”.

15. Ketill

This personal name meant “kettle” or “cauldron” but was commonly used for a helmet in a poetic or symbolic sense. It appears in Norse sagas and survives in names like Kettlewell or Ketilson.

16. Eirikson / Ericson / Eriksen

Means “son of Erik” – one of the most common Viking naming patterns. Erik comes from Eiríkr, meaning “eternal ruler”. Leif Erikson, son of Erik the Red, is believed to have reached North America centuries before Columbus.

17. Sanderson

A northern English patronymic meaning “son of Sander”, itself derived from Sandarr, a Norse personal name related to defender or protector.

18. Foss

From Old Norse foss, meaning “waterfall”. Found in surnames and place names in Yorkshire and Cumbria – often near rivers or rocky outcrops.

19. Thwaite

A suffix in dozens of northern English place names like Braithwaite and Micklethwaite. From þveit, meaning “clearing in the woods” – a sign of Norse agricultural colonisation.

20. Askew

Believed to come from askr (ash tree) and skogr (wood), likely referencing a settlement near a wooded area. Found in Lancashire and Yorkshire.

21. Osmond

From Old Norse Ásmundr, meaning “divine protection”. A name passed down by Norse settlers who brought both pagan and Christian influences.

22. Rigg

From the Old Norse hryggr, meaning “ridge”. Found widely in hill-country surnames across Cumbria and the Dales.

23. Rawlinson

“Son of Raoul” – with Raoul or Ralph descending from Ráðulfr, a Norse name meaning “wise wolf”. A surname common in Lancashire and northern England.

24. Ulf

A powerful Norse name meaning “wolf”. While rare today, it appears in Domesday Book records and some East Anglian settlements in the former Danelaw.

25. Ingerson

A patronymic meaning “son of Inge” or Ingvar, both linked to the Norse god Ing or Yngvi, associated with fertility and prosperity.

26. Janson

Means “son of Jan”, with Jan being a Norse adaptation of Johannes. Still common in the Netherlands and northern UK.

27. Colby

A compound of Kol (meaning coal or dark) and by (village). Found in Lancashire, Cumbria and parts of Lincolnshire.

28. Halcro

Unique to Orkney and Shetland, with deep Norse roots. Believed to derive from a personal name and farm site occupied during the Viking period.

29. Gunnarsen

Means “son of Gunnar”, from gunnr (war) and arr (warrior). A classic Norse warrior name that still appears in Scandinavian communities.

30. Leifson

Means “son of Leif”. Leif means “heir” or “beloved”. The most famous bearer is Leif Erikson, who explored North America long before the modern age of discovery.

Did your name appear? Or maybe one from your extended family? It could be the start of a fascinating journey into Norse ancestry and the Viking history of the North.

With MyHeritage, it’s free to begin building your family tree. You can also order a DNA kit and discover your genetic connection to Scandinavia, Viking settlements and more – all for just £33.

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