Kielland

Kielland is a surname of Norwegian origin. It is most famously associated with the offshore accommodation and safety vessel Alexander L. Kielland, which was tragically lost in the Ekofisk oil field in the North Sea on March 27, 1980. The disaster resulted in the deaths of 123 people. The vessel was named after Alexander Kielland, a prominent Norwegian novelist and social critic born in 1849, known for his realist works that often depicted the lives of the working class.

The surname Kielland itself likely derives from a place name. In Norway, many surnames are patronymic or derived from geographical features. The specific origin of "Kielland" as a place name is not definitively established in readily available public records, but such names often refer to a farm or settlement, possibly related to geographical characteristics like a stream (kjella) or a field (land). The Kielland family has a notable history in Norwegian culture, extending beyond the author Alexander Kielland to include other notable individuals in various fields.