Surname Adolphsen - Meaning and Origin

Adolphsen: What does the surname Adolphsen mean?

Adolphsen is an old Germanic patrilineal surname that originates from the name "Adolf." Adolf has its roots in Old German and is composed of two elements – "adal," which means noble, and "wolf," which means wolf. As such, the name’s literal meaning can be interpreted to mean “noble wolf.”

The surname Adolphsen likely began as a patronymic name, where a person in the Middle Ages took the first name of their father and added an -sen (son) suffix to form a surname. As such, the name Adolphsen indicates that a male ancestor of its bearer was named Adolf.

The surname Adolphsen is also thought to have been associated with the region of Germany where the earliest known bearers of the named lived, which is thought to have been primarily in the northern region. This area was typically referred to as Lower Saxony, which is now a part of the German state of Niedersachsen.

The surname has spread far and wide over the centuries, and is now present in most parts of the world. Today, Adolphsen is still commonly found in Germany and Scandinavia, as well as in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Adolphsen: Where does the name Adolphsen come from?

The last name Adolphsen is a fairly common surname of Swedish origin. It is most commonly found in Sweden and Norway; the two countries combined are thought to contain around 70% of all Adolphsen’s around the world. Other places where the surname is relatively common are Denmark and Germany, where a total of around 10% of global Adolphsen’s are thought to live.

In recent years, more people with the surname Adolphsen have been emigrating from their homeland. This has made the name more widespread throughout the world and there is evidence of the surname appearing in many countries that were previously unfamiliar with it. The United States is thought to contain around 5% of those with the Adolphsen surname, along with the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. In total, it is thought that around 80% of Adolphsen’s are spread across the globe.

In terms of population density, the United States is thought to contain the highest percentage of Adolphsen’s. That being said, the highest concentration of the surname can still be found in Northern Europe. In Sweden and Norway, many towns and cities have large populations of native Adolphsen's.

Variations of the surname Adolphsen

Adolphsen is a patronymic or given name-derived surname. It is derived from the given name Adolph and is derived from the Germanic name Adolf. In some languages the name is spelled in a variety of ways, but typically when translated into English, it is spelled Adolf or Adolph.

The variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin as Adolphsen include:

• Adolph

• Adolphs

• Adolphson

• Adolphus

• Adolphussen

• Adolphe

• Adolpho

• Adolphensen

• Adolphi

• Adolphei

• Adolphy

• Adolphyon

• Adolfe

• Adolfo

• Adoli

• Adolphsonne

• Alfred

• Alfredsen

• Alphonse

• Alfsen

• Alfson

• Olafsen

• Ols

• Olofsen

• Olufsen

• Olausen

Adolphsen is an Old German name, and as such, there are many cognates in other countries throughout Europe. Many of these cognates are formed around the root “Adel” meaning “noble.” Furthermore, the surname has many variations in other languages, including in Dutch (Adolfsen), Danish (Adolfsen, Adolphe), Swedish (Adolfsson), Spanish (Adolfo), Italian (Adolfi), and Portuguese (Adolfi).

Overall, Adolphsen is highly versatile surname with many variants, spellings and other surnames from the same origin.

Famous people with the name Adolphsen

• Sander Adolphsen: leader of the political party Forum for Democracy in the Netherlands.
• Jimmy Adolphsen: Swedish former professional ice hockey player.
• Rolf Adolphsen: former Norwegian long-distance runner.
• Arthur Adolphsen: Norwegian artist.
• David Adolphsen: American ice hockey player who played in various leagues in Europe.
• Mark Adolphsen: American actor, producer, director and screenwriter.
• Ronald Adolphsen: American basketball player.
• Elida Adolphsen: Paraguayan actress who has been in several popular television series in Latin America.
• Martha Adolphsen: German actress.
• Thomas Adolphsen: Danish former footballer, who played as a defender.

Other surnames

Adolphs