Haraldsen

Haraldsen is a surname of Norwegian and Danish origin. It is a patronymic derived from the given name Harald, with the suffix -sen meaning “son of.” The given name Harald itself comes from Old Norse Haraldr, commonly understood as “ruler of the army” or “leader of warriors.”

In contemporary usage, Haraldsen is most common in Norway and Denmark, though it also appears among people of Nordic descent in other countries. Like many Nordic surnames, it originated as a patronymic and later became a fixed family name for descendants.

Variants and cognates include Haraldsson and Haraldsdóttir in Icelandic contexts, where similar patronymic naming conventions are used. In Danish and Norwegian records, Haraldsen is the standard form.

Notable bearers of the name include Queen Sonja of Norway, born Sonja Haraldsen, who became queen consort through her marriage to King Harald V. The surname is also found among other individuals in Norway and Denmark across various professions, though these bearers are not necessarily related.

Overall, Haraldsen reflects a common Nordic practice of forming surnames from a father’s given name, linking modern families to medieval naming traditions while functioning today as a standard hereditary surname.