Erikson is a common Scandinavian

patronymic A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (more specifically an avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor. It is the male equivalent of a matronymic. Patronymics are used, b ...

surname In many societies, a surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family. It is typically combined with a given name to form the full name of a person, although several give ...

meaning "son of Erik", itself an

Old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a f ...

. There are other spelling variations of this surname, as it is common amongst

Danes Danes (, ), or Danish people, are an ethnic group and nationality native to Denmark and a modern nation identified with the country of Denmark. This connection may be ancestral, legal, historical, or cultural. History Early history Denmark ...

Swedes Swedes (), or Swedish people, are an ethnic group native to Sweden, who share a common ancestry, Culture of Sweden, culture, History of Sweden, history, and Swedish language, language. They mostly inhabit Sweden and the other Nordic countries, ...

Norwegians Norwegians () are an ethnic group and nation native to Norway, where they form the vast majority of the population. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegians are descended from the Norsemen, Norse of the Early ...

, and

Finns Finns or Finnish people (, ) are a Baltic Finns, Baltic Finnic ethnic group native to Finland. Finns are traditionally divided into smaller regional groups that span several countries adjacent to Finland, both those who are native to these cou ...

. Erikson is uncommon as a

. People with the surname include: *

Duke Erikson Douglas Elwin "Duke" Erikson (born January 15, 1951) is an American musician, songwriter, screenwriter, film producer and record producer, best known as a co-founder and guitarist of the alternative rock band Garbage. Garbage has sold more than 1 ...

(born 1953), American musician with the band Garbage *

Erik Erikson Erik Homburger Erikson (born Erik Salomonsen; 15 June 1902 – 12 May 1994) was a German-American child psychoanalyst and visual artist known for his theory on psychosocial development of human beings. He coined the phrase identity crisis. ...

(1902–1994), Jewish German (but a Danish citizen) developmental psychologist and psychoanalyst *

Gustaf Erikson Gustaf Adolf Mauritz Erikson (1872 in Lemland – 1947 in Mariehamn) was a ship-owner from the Åland islands. He was famous for the fleet of windjammers he operated to the end of his life, mainly on the grain trade from Australia to Europe. ...

(1872–1947), Finnish ship owner *

Joan Erikson Joan Mowat Erikson (born Sarah Lucretia Serson; June 27, 1903 – August 3, 1997) was a Canadian author, educator, craftsperson, and dance ethnographer."Joan Erikson, Life Cycles Theorist, Dies" in Harvard University Gazette, September 11, 1997. ...

(1903–1997), Canadian psychologist * Johan Erikson (born 1985), Swedish ski jumper *

Jon Erikson Jon Erikson (September 6, 1954 – July 28, 2014) was an American long distance swimmer who was the first of only three people to have ever completed a three way swim of the English Channel. A physical education teacher at the time, he complete ...

(born 1955), American long distance swimmer *

Kai T. Erikson Kai Theodor Erikson (born February 12, 1931) is an Austrian-born American sociologist, noted as an authority on the social consequences of catastrophic events. He served as the 76th president of the American Sociological Association. Life and c ...

(born 1931), American sociologist *

Leif Erikson Leif Erikson, also known as Leif the Lucky (), was a Norsemen, Norse explorer who is thought to have been the first European to set foot on continental Americas, America, approximately half a millennium before Christopher Columbus. According ...

(c. 970 – c. 1020), Norse explorer, son of Erik the Red, and first European to reach the Americas * Neil Erikson (born 1985), Australian extreme neo-Nazi activist * Raymond L. Erikson (1936–2020), American molecular biologist and virologist *

Sheldon Erikson Sheldon Erikson (born September 23, 1941) is a Supervisory Director for Frank's International, NV, a Dutch based oilfield services firm with operational headquarters in Houston. He is Chairman of the Board (since May 2, 1996) and was President an ...

(born 1941), American, Chairman of the Board, President, CEO of Cameron *

Steven Erikson Steve Rune Lundin (born October 7, 1959), known by his pseudonym Steven Erikson, is a Canadian author, novelist who was educated and trained as both an archaeologist and anthropologist. He is best known for his ten-volume spanning epic fantasy s ...

(born 1959), pseudonym of ''Steve Rune Lundin'', Canadian novelist * Thorvald Erikson or

Thorvald Eiriksson Thorvald Eiriksson ( ; Modern Icelandic: ) was the son of Erik the Red and brother of Leif Erikson. The only Medieval Period source material available regarding Thorvald Eiriksson are the two '' Vinland sagas''; the '' Greenland Saga'' and the ...

(died 1004), Greenlandic Norse explorer, son of Erik the Red, brother to Leif Erikson *

Tom Erikson Tom Erikson (born July 6, 1964) is an American former amateur wrestler and mixed martial artist who competed in the super heavyweight division. Weighing between and throughout his career, "The Big Cat" began wrestling at an early age and was ...

(born 1964), American mixed martial arts fighter

References

{{surname, Erikson Patronymic surnames Surnames from given names

See also

References