Swedish names are often derived from Old Norse and Germanic languages and are often patronymic in nature. Until the turn of the 20th century, family surnames were not in common use in Sweden. Instead, most Swedes followed a patronymic naming system, practiced by about 90–95% of the population. Patronymics is the process of designating a surname based upon the given name of the father, thus consistently changing the family surname from one generation to the next.

Swedish surnames are often derived from natural features, occupations, or nicknames. For example, the surname Lindberg is derived from the words “lind” for “linden” and “berg” for “mountain”. Similarly, the surname Falk is derived from the word “falcon”