Surname Mortensen - Meaning and Origin
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DNA Test Journey: Unearthing the Mortensen Legacy with iGENEA
Taking the iGENEA DNA test was a deeply emotional journey that revealed the complex lineage associated with my surname, Mortensen. It has forever changed how I view my family, fostering a greater sense of connection and belonging.
E. Mortensen
read moreMortensen: What does the surname Mortensen mean?
The last name Mortensen is a patronymic surname originating from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It is derived from the Old Norse first name Mõrten, an ancient Nordic variation of the Latin name Martinus. This first name is linked to the Latin ‘martial’ which means ‘of Mars’ and was given to children born during or near the Roman god Mars' feast days.
The literal meaning of the surname Mortensen is ‘son of Mørten’. Mørten is an abbreviation of the Old Norse name Mórtenr, which is made up of the elements "Mør" meaning "great", and "tenr" meaning "the ruler". Therefore, the name Mortensen is believed to signify “great ruler” in its most basic interpretation.
Over the centuries, Mortensen has been used by a variety of families in Scandinavia, and it remains a very popular surname in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden today. It is also common among Danish immigrants in the United States. As such, it increasingly appears outside of Scandinavia and is now a widespread surname.
Despite its global reach, the surname Mortensen continues to carry a deep-rooted connection to the ancient Nordic roots of its origins. Its literal meaning may well be tied to Mars, the Roman god of war, but to many modern-day families, it stands for much more. For them, Mortensen is a reminder of the powerful ancestral roots and generations of proud heritage that have been passed down through the ages.
Order DNA origin analysisMortensen: Where does the name Mortensen come from?
Mortensen is a Danish and Norwegian patronymic surname, derived from the given name Morten, meaning "mortal man". This surname is most common in Denmark, where it was the 12th most popular name in 2018. It is also relatively common in Norway, Finland, and Sweden, where the name is spelled Mortensen.
In the US, Mortensen is not an especially common last name. It ranked as the 4,583rd most common last name in the country as of 2018 according to genealogy database website Forebears. That same year, there were around 5,400 people with the Mortensen surname living in the US, with the highest concentration in Utah, followed by California, South Dakota, Montana, Iowa, and Nebraska. South Dakota is home to the largest population of Mortensen families outside of Scandinavia.
Mortensen is also common in Canada, where it was the 4,312th most common name in 2018. Most of the Mortensen families in Canada live in the province of British Columbia.
It is also found in other countries including Mexico, Australia, Germany, and France. Though it is not an especially common name in any of these countries, it does have a significant presence.
Variations of the surname Mortensen
The Mortensen surname is often encountered in various variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. These variations are largely due to the phonetic changes over the years as the name has been passed down through many generations in different locations.
Variants of Mortensen include Mortensen, Mortesson, Mortinson, Mortinsen, Mortonsen, Mortinson, Mort', Mortensson, Morten, Mortin, Mortens, Mortenson, Mortins, Morthose and Morthuson.
Spellings of Mortensen may include, but are not limited to, Mortensen, Mortenzen, Mortenson, Mortson, Mortinez, Mortinsen, Morthsone, Mortson, Mortinson, and Morthunsen.
Surnames of the same origin for Mortensen that are often encountered include: Mortorff, Mortins, Mortinsson, Mortin, Mortensen, Mortimor, Mortinson, Mortensen, Mortumsen, Morten, Mortenstem, Mortenstien, Mortinsen, Mortonsen, and Mortonsen.
Many of the different spellings and variants of thsi surname were probably the result of illiteracy and/or the absence of standardization when it came to spelling and writing down this surname. The surname has been adopted in several countries around the world, as is the case with many surnames of European origin, and it is likely that those migrating from one country to another have taken their respective versions of the surname and applied them in their new country of residence. For this reason, it is not unusual to encounter multiple versions of the Mortensen surname in different parts of the world.
Famous people with the name Mortensen
- Viggo Mortensen: Academy Award-nominated Danish-American actor best known for playing Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings trilogy
- Jørn Mortensen: Danish entrepreneur and founder of Noma, Michelin-starred restaurant in Copenhagen
- Morten Abel: Norwegian singer and songwriter
- Gunnar Mortensen: Danish musician and previous bassist for the band D A D
- Erik Mortensen: Danish fashion designer
- Morten Stig Christensen: retired Danish professional footballer
- Kjeld Mortensen: Danish politician
- Morten Harket: Norwegian singer and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist of the synthpop/rock band A-ha
- Jørgen Mortensen: Norwegian politician
- Henning Mortensen: Danish lawyer, politician and neuroscience researcher