Mortensen
A Danish and Norwegian patronymic surname meaning “son of Morten.”
The #3,282 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 28,035 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Mortensen is a Scandinavian patronymic built from the personal name Morten plus the ending -sen, meaning “son of.” Morten is a Nordic form of Martin, ultimately from Latin Martinus, a name associated with the Roman god Mars. So the surname literally means “Morten’s son” or “son of Morten.”
History
The name developed in Denmark and Norway as hereditary surnames became fixed from older patronymic naming customs. It is especially common in Danish-speaking areas and among descendants of Scandinavian emigrants in North America. In English-language records it sometimes appears alongside related forms such as Mortenson and Mortensen.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because Scandinavian patronymics were originally flexible, many people who first bore this surname would not have shared it with their children until surnames became hereditary.