Ørstavik

Ørstavik is a Norwegian surname and, in some cases, a place name. It arises from farm names and local toponyms along Norway’s coast, reflecting a common pattern in Norwegian onomastics where geographic features become family names. Because farm-based surnames were often adopted independently, Ørstavik may have originated in more than one location.

The suffix -vik is a frequent element in Norwegian place names and surnames and denotes a bay or inlet. The preceding element in Ørstavik typically refers to a specific locality, a farm, or a geographic feature associated with that place. As with many Norwegian surnames formed from place names, bearers of Ørstavik may not be directly related, and the name can have multiple, parallel origins.

In contemporary use, the surname is found primarily in Norway and among Norwegian-descended communities abroad, including among diaspora populations in North America and other regions with historical Norwegian immigration.

Notable people with the surname include Hanne Ørstavik, a Norwegian author known for works such as Kjærlighet (Love). Her internationally translated fiction has contributed to the visibility of the name in literary circles.