What is the most common surname in Iceland?

Because of this, it's very likely that the most common full name in Iceland is Guðrún Jónsdóttir. Since some Icelanders are named after their fathers, there are also a lot of Jón Jónson's in the country but they often have second given names, for clarification.

Do Icelanders have surnames?

We don't have family names, you cannot name your child whatever you want and marriage means not altering one's name. The original names in Iceland were those of the Nordic people. The original settlers had names you can still see today such as Ingólfur (male), Björn (male), Auður (female) and Hallveig (female).

How do Icelanders get their last name?

The naming system in Iceland is the old Scandinavian system which all the countries once used. It is a paternal system where the father gives his children his first name as their last name adding -son if the child is a boy and -dóttir if the child is a girl. This might seem confusing at first, but really it is not.

What is unusual about surnames in Iceland?

Icelandic surnames are different from most other naming systems in the modern Western world by being patronymic or occasionally matronymic: they indicate the father (or mother) of the child and not the historic family lineage.

What is the most common first name in Iceland?

How do Icelandic last names work?

What names are not allowed in Iceland?

What country has no surname?

As there are no last names, Icelanders often go by first names with a middle name for clarification. While this may seem strict to outsiders, it is for good reason, and that is to protect Iceland's cultural heritage, they say, which is a huge part of the Icelandic language and identity.

Can you name your child anything in Iceland?

The law dictates that the names of children born in Iceland must – unless both parents are foreign – be submitted to the National Registry within six months of birth.

Do siblings in Iceland have different last names?

Because an Icelandic person's last name is dependent on one of their parent's first names and their gender, there are mostly no family names. For example, a family of four that has two parents and two kids, one male and the other female, will all have different last names.

Is everyone related in Iceland?

And that's where things get awkward. There are only 320,000 people who live in Iceland, and most are descended from a small clan of Celtic and Viking settlers. Thus, many Icelanders are distant (or close) relatives.

What are common Icelandic surnames?

Why do all Icelandic names end in son?

YOU may have noticed that almost all the Iceland players have 'son' at the end of their names. This is because their naming system isn't the same as other Western nations, as Icelanders do not not use family names. Instead of a family name, a person's second name indicates the first name of their father.

What is the most popular girl name in Iceland?

Most common female names in Iceland 2019

In 2019, the most popular name was Guðrún, with 4,656 individuals bearing the name. Anna and Kristín were the second and third most common female names during the time under consideration.

Why is the name Duncan banned in Iceland?

According to the Reykjavik Grapevine, the law states that “forenames shall be capable of having Icelandic genitive endings or shall have become established by tradition in the Icelandic language,” and “names may not conflict with the linguistic structure of Icelandic”.

What names are forbidden?

Why is Harriet illegal in Iceland?

They shall be written in accordance with the ordinary rules of Icelandic orthography unless another orthography is established by tradition” (Art. 5). Turns out this is why you cannot be named Harriet in Iceland although it's a perfectly acceptable name for any other Scandinavian country. Harriet cannot be conjugated.

How are daughters named in Iceland?

The last name of a male Icelanders therefore usually ends in the suffix -son (“son”) and that of female Icelanders in -dóttir (“daughter”). For example, Iceland's current president is Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, his first name is Ólafur Ragnar and his father's first name was Grímur.

Which country uses only one name?

In Bhutan, most people use either only one name or a combination of two personal names typically given by a Buddhist monk. There are no inherited family names, but instead Bhutanese differentiate themselves with nicknames or prefixes. Mononyms are common in Myanmar.

Can you legally have one name?

There is no law preventing you from being known by a single name, or mononym — that is, a surname only, with no forenames — and HM Passport Office should accept such a name, although they may be more sceptical of your application.

How do you say hello in Iceland?

Hæ/ Halló

Starting with the very basics, here are your generic greetings; both simply mean hello. You use these the same way you would in the English language. “Hæ” is more common and it is often said twice in a greeting “Hæ hæ”.

How many names are allowed in Iceland?

An Icelandic person can have up to three names in addition to their last name but only one of those can be a middle-name. Naming your child more than one name is fairly common practice in Iceland today but it's a relatively new tradition. Very few people named in the Sagas have more than one given name.

Can you own a cat in Iceland?

Cats are now the pet of choice in Reykjavik and, as long as they're microchipped, can roam the streets without consequence.

Why is the name Camilla banned in Iceland?

He was also unable to legally name his daughter "Camilla" after her grandmother; it was instead spelled "Kamilla" because C is not part of the Icelandic alphabet.

Is it illegal to name your child Harriet in Iceland?

Baby name Harriet is illegal in Iceland - MadeForMums.