Icelandic name

Icelandic personal names exist, as all North Germanic personal name, but unlike in other Western countries, mostly not from the first name and a family name, but from the first name and a patronymic (occasionally a female name ), of the non- historical lineage of a family, but of the father ( or mother ) of the child's first name reflects. A well-known example of this traditional naming system in Scandinavia is the Icelandic explorer Leif Eriksson: Leif, son of Erik the Red. In Iceland this form of naming is continued to this day. While Norway and Sweden are gone over to the family name system applies to Faroese people names (on the belonging to Denmark Faroes) the patronymic system since 1992 as an alternative to family name system. In Denmark, even the use of patronymic is allowed again since 2006.

Examples of typical Icelandic name

A man named Jón Einarsson has a son named Ólafur. Olaf's last name is not Einarsson like his father, but Jónsson, Jón's son which literally means ( Jón's son). Similarly, the naming works for daughters. Jón Einarsson daughter Sigríður would mean with the last name Jónsdóttir, literally so Jón's daughter ( Jón Dottir ).

Sometimes the surname is also formed from the middle name of his father or mother, because that is the preferred name or because the parents find that the middle name better fits the name of the child. Arnar Páll Gudmundsson's son Gunnar can say both Gunnar Pálsson ( Gunnar, son PALS ) and Gunnar Arnarsson ( Gunnar, Arnars son ) are called.

If two people have the same first and last name within a circle of friends, they are distinguished by the name of the paternal grandfather Gunnar Kristjánsson Bjarnarsonar ( Gunnar, Kristjáns son, Bjarni's son ) and Gunnar Kristjánsson Hall Sonar ( Gunnar, Kristjáns son, Hallurs son). This method is not widely used because middle names are widely used, but there is this kind of lineage labeling in the Icelandic sagas.

Matronymische naming as an alternative

The majority of the Icelandic surname is derived from the name of the Father, but there are also cases in which the mother's name is being used. There are several reasons: on the one hand, do not want to be associated with the father sometimes the child or the parent, on the other hand, some women use the naming as a political symbol or opt stylistic reasons for such a name.

However, the name of education remains the same: Magnús, Bryndís ' son then called, Magnús Bryndísarson ( Bryndís ' son). Known Icelanders matronymischen names are the footballer Heiðar Helguson, Helga's son Heiðar, and Guðrún Eva Mínervudóttir, Minerva's daughter Guðrún Eve. An example from the Middle Ages is the poet Eilífr Goðrúnarson. Some Icelanders have both a matronymischen as well as a patronymic name, such as Dagur Eggertsson Bergþóruson, the former mayor of Reykjavík.

Family name

There are few family names in Iceland, most of which were inherited or adopted by parents of foreign origin. Known carriers of inherited family names are former Prime Minister Geir Haarde, the footballer Eidur Gudjohnsen Smári, the singer Emilíana Torrini, the Icelandic actress Kristbjörg Kjeld and film director Baltasar Kormákur Samper. By 1925 it was also allowed to take a family name, which, for example, the Nobel Prize winner Halldór Laxness did. Since the Icelandic Names Act of 1925, this is only possible if the assumed name is inherited.

Name

Names that were not used in Iceland must be approved by the Icelandic Naming Committee before they can be used. The most important criterion for the recognition of a name is considered for integration into the Icelandic language. The name must use only letters of the Icelandic alphabet and must be declinable.

See also: List of most common last names in Iceland

Effects in everyday life

In Iceland people directories are like phone books sorted by the first letter of the first name and not the last name. To avoid ambiguity, even a person's profession is often given. By Islands relatively small population arise with this method hardly any problems. , Used a population- richer country like Russia the patronymics as an intermediate name (eg Ivan Petrovich ), however, requires additional family name to avoid confusion.

Icelanders use as a formal salutation first name. For example, the former Prime Minister Halldór Ásgrímsson would not be addressed by another Icelander with Mr. Ásgrímsson, but either his first name or full name. In the Icelandic culture of the last name is not part of the name, but a brief description of recent family history.

When two people in a hot circle of acquaintances, Jón, eg Jón Einarsson and Jón Þorláksson, one would address Jón Einarsson with Jón Einar Jón Þorláksson with Jón Þorláks. In a conversation with these two people, one could omit the suffix " son"; the father's name acts as a kind of nickname.

Another example of a formal salutation is the Icelandic singer and actress Björk. Björk is often mistaken for a stage name, like Sting and Bono. However, Björk Björk is easy Guðmundsdóttirs first name and hence the name by which they would appeal to all Icelanders, formal or informal. In English it could be, for example, formally addressed as Miss Björk.

The variety of possible names even within the same family can cause problems. Parents Jón Einarsson and Bryndís Atladóttir can have children who Ólafur Jónsson and Sigríður Jónsdóttir hot, or with Matronymika also Ólafur Bryndísarson and Sigríður Bryndísardóttir. Therefore, the Icelandic naming system occasionally causes problems when traveling abroad, especially with young children, as non- Icelandic border personnel (outside of the Nordic countries) is often the system does not know and therefore do not run out of a family relationship.