Halvorsen

Origin & History

Patronymic surname meaning 'son of Halvor', from the Old Norse 'Halfdan' or more directly from 'Hallvardr', composed of 'hallr' (rock, stone) and 'vordr' (guardian, warden) — thus 'guardian of the rock' or 'rock warden'. Halvor was a distinctively Norwegian name seldom found outside Norway and western Scandinavia, giving Halvorsen a particularly national character among Norwegian surnames. The name is most common in the eastern and central Norwegian counties of Viken, Innlandet, and Vestfold, where Halvor remained a popular given name well into the nineteenth century.