Surname Vikman - Meaning and Origin
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Vikman: What does the surname Vikman mean?
The last name “Vikman” is believed to be a Nordic surname of Swedish or Scandinavian origin. It is believed to be derived from the Old Norse personal name Víkmaðr or Víkmannr. This is a combination of two words, “vík” meaning inlet, bay or creek, and “maðr” meaning man or person. Thus, the name can be translated to mean “man of the bay” or “man of the creek.”
Historically, people with this surname were likely fishermen, shipbuilders, or boatmen who lived in close proximity to Narrow inlets or estuaries. The Vikman family is believed to have a long-standing history, traceable back to the late 1400s, when such occupations were common occupations in Nordic societies.
Today, the surname is commonly used across Scandinavia, Russia and Estonia among many other countries. It is believed that there are more than 15,000 people with the Vikman surname worldwide. In the U.S., there are fewer than 500 people with the last name Vikman.
Given the origin of the name and its widespread use, it is likely that Vikman signifies a proud family that is proud of its Swedish and Scandinavian roots. The family likely takes pride in their shared history of being associated with occupations that serve as a lifeline of many coastal communities in Scandinavia.
Order DNA origin analysisVikman: Where does the name Vikman come from?
The last name Vikman is mainly associated with the Scandinavian countries of Finland, Norway and Sweden. It is less common in other European countries.
In Finland, the last name Vikman is well established, and records show it is one of the ten most common surnames in the country. It is believed to go back to early medieval times when it was associated with a small settlement near Helsinki. The name is thought to derive from the old Finnish word “Viikki” which meant “river bend” or “forest clearing”.
In Norway the name Vikman is much less common, though it is still on the rise. It is thought to have been brought to the country by Finnish settlers in the late eighteenth or early nineteenth centuries.
In Sweden, the last name Vikman is also quite rare. It is thought to have been introduced by Norwegian immigrants during the same time period as in Norway.
In the United States, Vikman is even rarer. One source indicates that fewer than 100 Americans with this last name were alive as of the year 2000. It is most likely associated with immigrants seeking a better life in the US during the 19th century.
Overall, Vikman is still most likely to be seen in the Scandinavian countries of Finland, Norway and Sweden, especially Finland. Records show that the name is still quite common there and has been around for centuries.
Variations of the surname Vikman
The surname Vikman is of Finnish origin. The surname is also found as Wyckman, and in Finnish it is written as Vikmanni or Vikmannen.
In its native language, it is spelled two other ways: VÄKMAN and VÄKMANNI. The spelling for these variations stems from the root Finnish word ‘väki’, which means ‘people’.
The surname is found in other languages as well, with spellings such as Wegman, Wigman, and Weckman.
The Estonian version of the name is Vägman, with variations such as Wäckman, Wegmann, Vigman, and Weigmann.
In Swedish, the surname is spelled Väckman or Weckman, and in Northern Germany and Luxembourg, the spelling is Wegmann.
The variants of the surname that are most commonly found in Danish records are Wegmann and Wegmani.
In addition to spelling variations, Vikman can also be found as a nickname or variation on Vikmanni. Examples of these variations include Vikke, Vikka, Vicky, Vicke, Wickey, Vicker, Vigue, Vykko, and Vukke.
A possible unrelated variant of the name is Vigman, which is an Ashkenazi Jewish surname. There are other surnames of Finnish origin whose spelling may be similar to Vikman, such as Vik, Vikström, and Wiklund.
Famous people with the name Vikman
- Erika Vikman: Finnish singer-songwriter
- Tuomas Vikman: Finnish actor
- Tobias Vikman: Norwegian filmmaker
- Sari Vikman: Finnish singer
- Johanna Vikman: Finnish television presenter
- Carl Eric Vikman: Finnish film director
- Nils-Erik Vikman: Swedish actor
- Radu Vikman: Romanian actor
- Olov Vikman: Swedish writer and actor
- Päivi Vikman: Finnish ski racer
- Erik Vikman: Finnish author and screenwriter
- Johan Vikman: Finnish politician
- Gudrun Vikman: Austrian actress
- Matti Vikman: Finnish journalist
- Timo Vikman: Finnish artist
- Vesa Vikman: Finnish footballer
- Eerikinpoika Vikman: Finnish politician
- Anna Vikman: Swedish film director and producer
- Anders Vikman: Swedish bassist
- John Vikman: Swedish Olympic sailor