ERIKSSON Surname Meaning and Origin

Eriksson is a patronymic surname meaning "son of Erik," or "Erik's son." Eriksson is the fifth most common surname in Sweden, behind Johansson, Andersson, Karlsson, and Nilsson.

Swedish patronymic "son" names traditionally end in -son, not -sen. In Denmark the regular patronymic is -sen. In Norway, both are used, although -sen is more common. Icelandic names traditionally end in -son or -dotir. Thus, Eriksen or Erikssen is the most common Danish, Norwegian, Dutch and German spelling, while Erikson or Ericson is the most common spelling found in the United States.

Surname Origin: Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, English, German

Alternate Surname Spellings: ERICSSON, ERIKSON, ERIKSSEN, ERICSSEN, ERIKSEN, ERICSEN
 

Many Danes, Norwegians and Swedes who emigrated to America with the last name Eriksson or Erikssen, dropped the extra-s after their arrival.
 

• Leif Ericsson - Scandanavian explorer
• Erik Erikson - German psychologist

Erikson DNA Portal
Learn how to best approach DNA testing when you have a Scandinavian patronymic surname such as Eriksson.

Eriksson Family Crest - It's Not What You Think
Contrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as an Eriksson family crest or coat of arms for the Eriksson surname. Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. 

Eriksson Family Genealogy Forum
Search this popular genealogy forum for the Ericson surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Ericson query. 

FamilySearch - ERIKSSON Genealogy
Explore over 3.7 million historical records which mention individuals with the Eriksson surname, as well as online Eriksson family trees on this free website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

GeneaNet - Eriksson Records
GeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Eriksson surname, with a concentration on records and families from France and other European countries.

ERIKSSON Surname & Family Mailing Lists
RootsWeb hosts several free mailing lists for researchers of the Eriksson surname.

DistantCousin.com - ERIKSSON Genealogy & Family History
Free databases and genealogy links for the last name Eriksson.

The Eriksson Genealogy and Family Tree Page
Browse family trees and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the last name Eriksson from the website of Genealogy Today.

-----------------------

References: Surname Meanings & Origins

Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.

Dorward, David. Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998.

Fucilla, Joseph. Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.

Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.

Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.

Reaney, P.H. A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997.

Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.