Söderberg

Söderberg is a Swedish surname composed of two elements: söder, meaning "south" (from Old Norse suðr), and berg, meaning "mountain". The name thus originally referred to someone who lived near or on a southern mountain or a mountainous area in the south.

Geographical Distribution

As of 2014, about 95.5% of bearers of the surname Söderberg live in Sweden, where it is ranked fairly common, with a frequency of approximately 1 in 828 people. In Finland, where Swedish is an official language and Swedish-speaking Finns constitute a minority, the surname occurs with a frequency of about 1 in 15,705. Within Sweden, Söderberg is most heavily concentrated in Västernorrland County (1 in 305), followed by Gotland County, Västmanland County, and Södermanland County. It is also notably present in Finland's Åland Islands, where Swedish is the sole official language.

Notable Bearers

Individuals with the surname Söderberg or its anglicized variants include Swedish film director and screenwriter Gustav Söderberg; Norwegian-Swedish actor and director Hjalmar Söderberg, known for his literary works; and Swedish biathlerina Anna Carin Zidek (née Söderberg). The name also appears in business and sports, such as Swedish tennis player Mikael Söderberg and ice hockey player Tommy Söderberg.