Holgersen

Holgersen is a patronymic surname of Danish and Norwegian origin, meaning "son of Holger."

Etymology

The name is derived from the Old Norse personal name Holger, itself an earlier form of Hólmgeirr, composed of the elements holmr "small island" and geirr "spear." Thus, the root meaning involves a "spear of the island" or similar. The name gained legendary status through its association with the hero Ogier the Dane (in French, Ogier), a paladin of Charlemagne featured in medieval chansons de geste. The ultimate root lies in the Old Frankish name Audagar, formed from aud "wealth, fortune" and gair "spear," making it a cognate of Edgar.

Notable bearers

Notable individuals with the surname include Norwegian actor Pål Holgersen (1915–1996) and Danish footballer Jens Holgersen. However, the name is best known through the literary figure Gutorm Holgersen from authors such as Asbjørnsen.

Distribution

The surname is most prevalent in Norway and Denmark, with occasional variants such as Holgersson existing in Sweden. It follows the typical Scandinavian patronymic naming pattern where -sen indicates "son of."

• Meaning: Son of Holger
• Origin: Old Norse, Germanic
• Type: Patronymic surname
• Regions: Denmark, Norway