Experts have said that any surname ending in 'sen' or 'son' is likely to be of Viking descent (big news for Emma Watson, Emma Thompson, Robert Pattinson and co) – and surnames such as Roger/s, Rogerson, and Rendall also hint that there's a touch of the marauder to you.
Through DNA testing, it is possible to effectively trace your potential inner Viking and discover whether it forms part of your genetic makeup or not. However, it's not 100% definitive. There's no exact Nordic or Viking gene that is passed down through the generations.
Viking DNA refers to the genetic material of people who lived in Viking societies, which were active in parts of Europe and Scandinavia several thousand years ago.
Viking body type
Discoveries suggest Vikings were generally stronger, and a little larger than many people today. Archeological research indicates Vikings weighed around 140kg on average, and were stronger than most. Many Vikings were also named after their strength or general appearance.
While it's not possible to find out for certain if you are descended from the people known as the Vikings, you can take a DNA test to determine if you have Scandinavian ancestry. I recommend testing with Ancestry DNA or 23andMe for the most accurate ethnicity or ancestry results.
“Although still evident in modern Scandinavians, levels of non-local ancestry in some regions are lower than those observed in ancient individuals from the Viking to Medieval periods,” Rodríguez-Varela says in a statement.
22, 2020, 8:05 a.m. It turns out most Vikings weren't as fair-haired and blue-eyed as legend and pop culture have led people to believe. According to a new study on the DNA of over 400 Viking remains, most Vikings had dark hair and dark eyes.
The faces of men and women in the Viking Age were more alike than they are today. The women's faces were more masculine than women's today, with prominent brow ridges. On the other hand, the Viking man's appearance was more feminine than that of men today, with a less prominent jaw and brow ridges.
What did the Vikings look like? Overall, Scandinavians had softer brows and jawlines during the Viking Age. Fair hair and complexions were common, but not ubiquitous. Dark hair was common, and red hair had a higher prevalence in Norwegian Vikings compared to the general population of Europe.
The genetic legacy of the Viking Age lives on today with six per cent of people of the UK population predicted to have Viking DNA in their genes compared to 10 per cent in Sweden.
Yes, Vikings did have red beards. According to sources, red hair and beards are a genetic trait that is specific to Nordic tribes. It's even thought that some Norsemen would dye their red hair and beards to look blond using lye soap.
Vikings is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and settled throughout parts of Europe.
Although the term 'Vikings' might be associated with the Scandinavian homelands from which these raiders and traders originated, after the first half of the ninth century it is likely that most of those who partook in Viking activity in the British Isles and Ireland were in fact permanent residents of those islands.
The average height of Vikings as found by researchers and scholars, varied depending on a number of factors, including their age and gender. Typically, the average male Viking would usually be between 5 foot 7 and 5 foot 9, while the average female would be between 5 foot 1 and 5 foot 3.
'Viking' was a culture, not an ethnicity
"It seems to be a culture that you could adapt to" said Willerslev. "It didn't have anything necessarily to do with your ancestry. We can also see there were less blond people among the Vikings than those among Scandinavians today, for example."
The chances are Vikings were a lot leaner than many people today, thanks to their protein-rich diet, and their commitment to hard labor. However, it's likely that the comparative 'largeness' of Vikings was down to their muscular bodies and strength, rather than simply being “fat”.
Deep-set, Almond-shaped Eyes: People from the Nordic region often have deep-set, almond-shaped eyes, sometimes referred to as Scandinavian. The development of this eye shape is believed to have served as an adaptive measure to shield against natural elements like powerful gusts of wind and snowfall.
She explains that Viking women often had pronounced jawbones and eyebrows, whereas in the men, these features were more feminine than what archaeologists are accustomed to when trying to determine the gender of ancient skeletons.
What is the rarest eye color? Green is the rarest eye color in the world, with only 2% of the world's population (and fewer than one out of ten Americans) sporting green peepers, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).
Scandinavian Vikings were similar in appearance to modern Scandinavians; "their skin was fair and the hair color varied between blond, dark and reddish". Genetic studies suggest that people were mostly blond in what is now eastern Sweden, while red hair was mostly found in western Scandinavia.
The Scandinavian countries of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark also report high rates of green eyes. 22. Green and blue eyes are also common in Finland, with 85% of its population having lighter eyes.
Instead, boys and girls usually took their father's, or sometimes mother's, first name as a surname and added “son” or “dottir” (daughter).
Historically, Viking children were named after a deceased relative with the belief that the luck of that person would attach to the child and bring them success. In addition, names of gods were also a common choice when naming a child.
"The people of the Viking Age did not have family names, but instead used the system of patronymics, where the children were named after their father, or occasionally their mother," Alexandra explained to Stylist. "So, for example the son of Ivar would be given their own first name and then in addition 'Ivar's son'.