245 Icelandic Names – Common Male / Female / Last Names in Iceland

Iceland is an island nation located between the North Atlantic Ocean and Greenland Sea. It’s exceptionally close to the Arctic Circle, but its climate and geography are diverse. Iceland is home to active volcanoes, frigid glaciers, fertile plains, and impassable mountains. The country also has a very interesting history when it comes to Icelandic names. 

Icelandic Names are very strictly controlled. Only names that are on the list set by The Icelandic Naming Committee are approved. If you would like to name your baby a name that is not on the list you have to get the name approved. This strict system is the reason why only 200 given names account for the names of almost 80 percent of the population. 

The population of Iceland is sparse when compared to the other Nordic countries mentioned in this article. In 2019, fewer than 400,000 people lived in Iceland. Below you’ll find lists of the most common Icelandic male, female and last names.

Common Icelandic Names

Icelandic parents are restricted to a list of pre-approved names when naming their newborn child, and this practice has generated some exciting trends and common names. Some of the most common Icelandic names include Guðrún, Sigurður, and Guðmundur. 

However, other popular first names among most Nordic nations can also be found in high numbers in Iceland. A few of these names include Anna and Kristín.

The most common names in Iceland are:

• Guðrún
• Anna
• Kristín
• Jón
• Sigurður
• Guðmundur 

As with many other Nordic nations, Anna is a supremely popular feminine name. However, unlike other countries with Old Norse influences, Iceland’s most familiar names remain distinctly Scandinavian in origin and spelling.

Old Icelandic Names

Many, if not all, old Icelandic names come from Old Norse. This fact is evident by studying even a few of the most common antiquated Icelandic first names, including:

• Auður
• Einar
• Flóki 
• Hallbera
• Þuríður

These names often have literal meanings or translations, although some are linked to Old Norse mythology and storytelling. The name Einar, for example, translates into two different words, “ein” (one) and “arr” (army). Together, the name means “army of one” or “one warrior”.

Read more: Icelandic Baby Names

Icelandic Last Names

It’s incredibly challenging to determine which last name might be most popular in Iceland. That’s because the naming system in Iceland is very different from the one in the United States. Only around 4% of the population has a proper last name (family name).

In Iceland the child’s last name might not be the same as their parent’s last name. That’s because Iceland is the last Nordic nation that currently adheres to the ancient patronymic naming practice. That means that children take a last name based on their gender and father’s first name. Of all the last names in Iceland, 82% of the population has patronymics and/or matronymic last names. 

Due to the system used for last names in Iceland most last names end in either “dóttir”(“daughter of”), “son” (“son of”), or “bur” (gender neutral). Bur is still not very common due to the reason that it was approved only a few years ago (in 2019). 

20 Most Common Last Names in Iceland

Below is a list of the most common Icelandic last names (not based on the  patronymics and/or matronymics system) as well as the number of people who have that name today:

25 Common Last Names Based On The Patronymic Naming Practice

Below is a list of the most common Icelandic last names that are based on the child’s gender and the father’s first name. If you compare the list with the male names below you can clearly see the trend and correlation between popular male names and last names:

100 Icelandic Female Names

Below is a list of the most common Icelandic female names and the number of women who hold that name today:

100 Icelandic Male Names

Below is a list of the most common Icelandic male names and the number of men who hold that name today:

Source for Icelandic Names: https://www.statice.is/statistics/population/ 1 January 2019

Summary of Icelandic Names

Icelandic Names aren’t very complicated once the rules surrounding naming are understood. As restrictions continue to ease more and more, variations have been on the rise. Today the most common male names are Jón, Sigurður and Guðmundur. The most common female names are Guðrún, Anna and Kristín.