List of Danish Americans

This is a list of notable Danish Americans, or people born in the United States to Danish ancestry.

The most popular Danish family names all end with "sen", meaning "son". That means, that for example "Jensen" is "son of Jens", "Poulsen" is "son of Poul". Denmark's most surnames are by order of popularity: Jensen, Nielsen, Hansen, Pedersen, Andersen, Christensen, Larsen, Sørensen, Rasmussen, Jørgensen, Petersen, Madsen, Kristensen, Olsen, Thomsen, Christiansen, Poulsen, Johansen, Knudsen and Mortensen. [http://dst.dk/Statistik/Navne/pop/2008.aspx] Descendents of Danish (or Norwegian) emigrants to the United States are likely to have similar names. These names originally served as patronyms but this function was abandoned in the early 19th century, and have since then been used as family names.

List

Artists

* Gutzon Borglum, sculptor of Mount Rushmore [ [http://arthistory.heindorffhus.dk/frame-Borglum.htm "The link from Mount Rushmore to Denmark." Accessed July 18, 2007.] ]
* Solon Borglum, sculptor of the American West [ [http://www.nbmaa.org/Gallery_htmls/borglum.html "Solon Hannibal Borglum: Sioux Indian Buffalo Dance." Accessed July 18, 2007.] ]

Actors

* Jessica Alba, of Danish, French and Mexican Ancestry
* Bridgette Andersen, actress [ [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0026106/bio "IMDb: Bridgette Andersen." Accessed July 18, 2007.] ]
* Julia Bond, adult entertainer
* Erika Christensen, actress [ [http://www.publicservantlifestyle.co.uk/219 "Erika Christensen interview." Public Servant Lifestyle, June 10, 2006. Accessed July 18, 2007.] ]
* Hayden Christensen, actor [ [http://desiringhayden.net/hayden_bio.php "Your #1 Source for Hayden Christensen" Accessed July 18, 2007.] ]
* Ellen Corby, actress [ [http://racine.wi.net/c2f1.php3 "Racine, Wisconsin Claims to Fame." Accessed July 18, 2007.] ]
* Eliza Dushku, actress [ [http://www.buffyguide.com/players/faith.php#actorbio "The Complete Buffy Guide: Faith's Bio/Erika's Bio." Accessed July 18, 2007.] ]
* Buddy Ebsen, actor [ [http://www.actorbuddyebsen.info/bebio.htm Boehme, R. "Buddy Ebsen Biography." Buddy Ebsen Tribute Page, August 2006. Accessed July 18, 2007.] ]
* Scarlett Johansson, actress [ [http://www.bangitout.com/reviews112.html Hiller, Jordan. "Interview with Scarlett Johansson." Accessed July 18, 2007.] ]
* Michael Madsen, actor [ [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000514/bio IMDb.com: Michael Madsen. Accessed July 18, 2007.] ]
* Virginia Madsen, actress [ [http://movies.about.com/od/sideways/a/sidevm101204.htm Murray, Rebecca. "Virginia Madsen Interview." Accessed July 18, 2007.] ]
* John Melendez, entertainer [ [http://www.thoughtworthy.com/contact.cgim?cookie_refresh=1&partner=TWM&contact_id=10701&thought_category_id=5367 "John Melendez." ThoughtWorthy. Accessed July 18, 2007.] ]
* Viggo Mortensen, actor [ [http://www.theonering.net/perl/newsview/8/998934985 Høi, Poul. "Viggo From Hollywood." August 27, 2001. Accessed July 18, 2007.] ]
* Brigitte Nielsen, actress
* Rob Paulsen, voice actor
* William Petersen, actor [ [http://www.buddytv.com/articles/csi/profile/william-petersen.aspx "BuddyTV Profile: William Petersen." Accessed July 18, 2007.] ]
* Peter Sarsgaard, actor, flight plan
* Gale Sondergaard, actress [ [http://www.ghoulskool.com/universal/climax.htm#gs "The Climax." Ladies of Horror. Accessed July 18, 2007.] ]
* Jessica Stroup (1986 - ) American actress.

Athletics

* Jay DeMerit, professional soccer player
* Morten Andersen, NFL Kicker
* Vern Mikkelsen, basketball player [ [http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/10/verntwo/ "Biography recalls Mikkelsen's days with the Minneapolis Lakers." Minnesota Public Radio, October 12, 2006. Accessed July 18, 2007.] ]
* Colonel Thomas Hoyer Monstery, fencing and boxing master [ [http://www.niulib.niu.edu/badndp/monstery_thomas.html "Monstery, Thomas Hoyer." Beadle and Adams Dime Novel Digitization Project. Accessed July 18, 2007.] ]

Music

* Victor Borge, Musician and comedian
* Julian Casablancas, The Strokes vocal
* Mose Christensen, symphony conductor [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1083/is_3_74/ai_59871009 Giffin, Glenn. "The Christensen Brothers: An American Dance Epic." "Dance Magazine", March 2000. Accessed July 18, 2007.] ]
* King Diamond, King Diamond lead vocals
* Lars Frederiksen, rancid vocal/guitar [ [http://ww2.punkmusic.com/rancid/lars.shtml "Lars Frederiksen - Biography." Rancid Online. Accessed July 18, 2007.] ]
* Isaac Hanson, Musician
* Taylor Hanson, Musician
* Zac Hanson, Musician
* Morten Lauridsen, composer
* Mike Tramp, Musician
* Lars Ulrich, metallica drums

Journalism

* Jack Anderson, journalist [ [http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Jack_Anderson_-_Early_life_and_career/id/1520118 "Jack Anderson - early life and career." Encyclopedia II. Accessed July 18, 2007.] ]
* Jacob Holdt, Photographer
* Jacob Riis, Journalist

Politics and law

* Lloyd Bentsen, former senator, Treasury Secretary, and vice presidential nominee [ [http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Bu-Dr/Danish-Americans.html "Multicultural America: Danish Americans." Accessed July 18, 2007.] ]
* Steny Hoyer, House Majority Leader [ [http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/061113/13hoyerfacts.htm Hartley, Allegra. "Ten Facts About Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland." "U.S. News & World Report", November 13, 2006. Accessed July 18, 2007.] ]
* Janet Reno, Attorney General [ [http://www.usdoj.gov/archive/ag/speeches/1998/reno1208.htm "Remarks of the Honorable Janet Reno Attorney General of the United States at Ceremonies Marking the Swearing in of Members of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council." December 8, 1998. Accessed July 18, 2007.] ]
* Ted Sorensen, speechwriter and president advisor [ [http://assets.cambridge.org/97805218/16175/sample/9780521816175ws.pdf "Kennedy and the Promise of the Sixties." Accessed July 18, 2007.] ]
* Lis Wiehl, Fox News Channel legal analyst and authorFact|date=July 2007

cience

* Jens Clausen, evolutionary biologist
* Erik Erikson psychologist
* Theo Holm, botanist
* Christine Korsgaard, philosopher

Writers

* Poul Anderson, Science Fiction writer
* Axel Madsen, writer

Other

* Alma de Bretteville Spreckels, philanthropist

Note: Americans with the family name "Rasmussen" or "Rasmusen" are likely to be of Danish or Norwegian origin (or related by marriage to a person of such an origin), even when that is not specifically noted on their page (see Rasmussen).

References