Torgerson
A Scandinavian patronymic surname meaning “son of Torgeir,” “son of Torger,” or “son of a Thor-name.”
The #6,843 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 62,715 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Torgerson is a patronymic surname built from a Scandinavian given name plus the suffix -son, meaning “son of.” The first element usually represents Torger/Torgeir, a name based on Old Norse Þórgeirr: Þórr, the god Thor, plus geirr, “spear.” In plain terms, the name means something like “Thor’s spear” or “spear of Thor,” and the surname originally identified the bearer as the son of a man with that personal name.
History
The surname is especially associated with Norway and with Scandinavian immigrants and their descendants in North America. In English-speaking countries it became fixed as a hereditary family name rather than changing each generation, as patronymics often did in Scandinavia. Spelling can vary by language and migration history, with forms like Torgersen more common in Norway and Torgerson frequent in North America.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The underlying Old Norse name Þórgeirr is built from the thunder god Thor’s name, so this surname preserves a tiny piece of Viking-age naming tradition.