Holmgren

Holmgren is a surname of Scandinavian origin. It is most common in Sweden and is also found in Norway, Finland, and among descendants of Scandinavian emigrants in North America and elsewhere. The name is typically toponymic, derived from rural place names built from the elements holm, meaning islet or grove, and gren, meaning branch or sprout, or used as a nominal suffix in place names. As a surname, Holmgren often indicates a residence near a grove on or near water, or a farm named Holmgren.

Variants and spelling: The standard form in Swedish is Holmgren. In Swedish contexts the related surname Holmgrén may occur, using the diacritic over the e. In other languages, the name may be adapted to local orthographies.

Distribution and history: Surnames of this type generally began to fix in the 18th and 19th centuries as patronymic systems gave way to hereditary family names. Holmgren spread through migration from Sweden to North America and other regions during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Notable people: The surname is borne by numerous individuals across fields such as science, literature, and sport, but no single figure defines the name.