Danish Names – Common Male / Female / Last Names in Denmark

Denmark is a relatively small country that lies in the Jutland Peninsula. It has a population of just under 6 million residents. Danish people are known for their polite, diverse culture and their exotic names. 

Danish names have their roots in the old Norse language and from the period when Christianity was spread throughout Denmark. When it comes to Danish last names, Jensen and Nilsen are popular choices, as they are carried by more than 8% of the population. 

Part of Denmark’s unique traditions come from its positioning – it lies just above Germany and just below Sweden, Finland, and Norway. However, many of Denmark’s most familiar names share Nordic similarities with those in neighboring Scandinavian countries.

Common Danish Names

There are quite a few names in Denmark that reappear again and again. Some of the most common Danish names include:

• Martin
• Niels/Nils
• Anders
• Anne
• Kirsten
• Mette

Overall, Denmark is home to some of the most Nordic names out of all the Scandanavian countries. That’s something to be proud of.

Keep reading to learn more about common Danish male names and common Danish female names.

Old Danish Names

Like many other modern Scandinavian languages, Danish has an antiquated form that comes from Old Norse. Old Danish names are plentiful and various, but we’ll pick a few to examine here.

Some excellent examples of Old Danish names include:

• Adelbjørn
• Balli
• Gunbiørgh
• Odd
• Rørik

Many English authors have “borrowed” these early names when writing fantasy literature. For this reason, many Old Danish names have whimsical connotations or associations. 

Danish Last names

Like Sweden, Denmark once relied on patronymic names. This means that children were given unique surnames that were based on their father’s first name as well as their gender. Instead of the Swedish ‘-son’ and ‘-dotter’ suffixes, they based it on the Danish equivalents ‘-søn’ and ‘-datter’ in Denmark.

As Denmark moved further away from its Nordic roots, ‘-søn’ became ‘-sen.’  For example, when a Danish man named Jens had a son the last name would be Jensen. If Jens’ child were a girl, the last name would become Jensdatter. 

The Danish patronymic system suddenly ended in the 1800s due to religious and political pressures. However, its legacy lives on in the most common Danish last names, which include:

• Jensen
• Nielsen
• Hansen
• Pedersen
• Andersen

All of these names indicate early first name popularity. For example, it seems the masculine names Jens, Niels, Hans, Peder, and Anders were massively popular in the 19th century when the patronymic tradition ended.

Most Common Last Names in Denmark

Here is a list of the most common Danish last names and the number of people who have that name today (2020):

Danish Male Names

Here is a list of the most common Danish male names and the number of men who hold that name today (2020):

Danish Female Names

Here is a list of the most common Danish female names and the number of women who have that name today (2020):

Read more: Swedish Names / Finish Names / Norwegian Names

Summary of Danish Names

Danish names are very similar to the popular names in the Nordic countries. Nilsen and Jensen are two very common last names and Peter and Anne are the most common first names in Denmark.