Nordic and Scandinavian diaspora in the United Kingdom

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Nordic and Scandinavian diaspora in the United Kingdom refers to people from the Nordic countries who settled in the United Kingdom, their descendants, history and culture. There has been exchange of populations between Scandinavia and Great Britain at different periods over the past 1,400 years. Over the last couple of centuries, there has been regular migration from Scandinavia to Great Britain, from families looking to settle, businesspeople, academics to migrant workers, particularly those in the oil industry.[ citation needed ]

Contents

Scandinavian ancestry of British peoples

A study into the Scandinavian ancestry of British peoples found that there is evidence of particular concentrations in the Isle of Man, Shetland and Orkney; and to a lesser degree, in the Western Isles of Scotland and in the Wirral, West Lancashire, Cumbria and Yorkshire in England. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Contemporary migration

The 2001 UK Census recorded 22,525 people born in Sweden, 18,695 in Denmark, 13,798 in Norway, 11,322 in Finland and 1,552 in Iceland. [5]

In more recent estimates by the Office for National Statistics, Sweden was the only Scandinavian country to feature in the top 60 foreign countries of birth of UK residents in 2013, with an estimated 27,000 people. [6]

Notable individuals

The table below includes Britons with significant recent Nordic ancestry.

NameImageAncestryOccupation and notes
Jacob Aagaard Jacob Aagaard.jpg DenmarkDanish-born Scottish chess grandmaster
Alicia Agneson Alicia Agneson - German Comic Con 2022.jpg SwedenActress who moved to London at age 15
Damon Albarn Roskilde Festival Gorillaz-4 (cropped).jpg DenmarkEnglish-Icelandic musician, singer and songwriter of Danish descent through his mother.
Alexandra of Denmark ALexandra of Denmark Princess of Wales.jpg Denmark Queen of the United Kingdom, consort of Edward VII, King of the United Kingdom and Emperor of India
Marit Allen Norwayfashion journalist and costume designer
Sir Ove Arup DenmarkBritish engineer, founder of Arup
Richard Ayoade Richard Ayoade at Soho Hotel (cropped).jpg NorwayBritish comedian and actor with a Norwegian mother.
Svend Bayer DenmarkPotter
Elynor and Zoe Bäckstedt SwedenWelsh racing cyclists, daughters of Swedish racing cyclist Magnus Bäckstedt
Antonia Bernath Antonia Bernath CUCKOO.jpg NorwayActress
Tom Blomqvist 2014 F3 HockenheimringII Tom Blomqvist by 2eight 8SC4323.jpg SwedenRacing driver, son of Swedish rally driver Stig Blomqvist
MyAnna Buring Myanna Buring at the Moet BIFA 2014.jpg Swedenactress
W. D. Caröe DenmarkArchitect
Georgina Castle SwedenActress
Roald Dahl Roald Dahl.jpg NorwayAuthor
Sophie Dahl NorwayFashion model and granddaughter of Roald Dahl
Camilla Dallerup DenmarkBallroom dancer, a former professional on BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing
Sandra Dickinson Finlandactress
Carl Johannes Edwards Finlandstained glass artist
Britt Ekland Britt Ekland Allan Warren.jpg SwedenActress and Bond Girl
Johan Eliasch SwedenUK-based businessman, chairman & CEO of sporting goods manufacturer Head and deputy treasurer of the Conservative Party
Harry Julius Emeléus Harry Julius Emeleus in 1950.jpg Finlandchemist
Mariella Frostrup NorwayJournalist and radio and television presenter
Adeline Genée Camargo -Adeline Genee.jpg DenmarkBallet dancer
Charles Hambro DenmarkBanker and politician, part of the Hambros Banking dynasty
Gustav Holst Gustav Holst.jpg SwedenEnglish composer and music teacher, best known for his orchestral suite The Planets
Ashley Jensen Ashley Jensen.jpg DenmarkScottish actress
Ulrika Jonsson SwedenTelevision personality
Synnøve Karlsen NorwayActress
Jessica Kellgren-Fozard SwedenYouTuber
Jonas Kellgren SwedenFirst professor of rheumatology in the UK
Felix Kjellberg Pewdiepie head shot.jpg SwedenSwedish YouTuber who moved to Brighton.
Gertrude Lawrence Gertrude Lawrence 1947.jpg Denmarkactress / performer
Magnus Lund Magnus Lund.JPG NorwayEnglish rugby union player
John Lundstram John Lundstram, England U-19 - Greece U-19, 12 July 2012 (cropped).jpg NorwayEnglish footballer
Jessica Madsen Denmarkactress
Mikko Mäkelä Mikko Makela (2024).png Finlandfilmmaker
Magnus Magnusson IcelandTelevision presenter, notably for the BBC's Mastermind, and novelist
Sally Magnusson IcelandNews presenter and daughter of Magnus Magnusson
Rosita Spencer-Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough SwedenArtist and noblewoman
Jan Mølby Jan Molby.jpg DenmarkFormer professional footballer who spent much of his career at Liverpool F.C.
Kirsten O'Brien Kirsten O'Brien 1.jpg NorwayTV presenter
Nils Ramming Swedenfootballer
Hans Rausing Rausing256 148782a.jpg SwedenBillionaire heir to the Tetra Pak/Tetra Laval dynasty
Sigrid Rausing Sigrid Rausing 01.JPG SwedenPhilanthropist and publisher
Toby Regbo Toby regbo 2021 1.jpg NorwayActor
Christian Rodska DenmarkActor
Christian Salvesen Norway Shipowner and businessman
Edward Theodore Salvesen NorwayScottish lawyer, politician and judge
Peter Schmeichel Peter Schmeichel 2012-01-25 001.jpg DenmarkFormer Manchester United goalkeeper; his son Kasper spent his childhood in Manchester.
Sofia Sjöborg SwedenEquestrian; born and raised in London and represents Sweden in international competitions.
Nicholas Ashley-Cooper, 12th Earl of Shaftesbury SwedenPeer and runner
Steve Simonsen DenmarkEnglish goalkeeper
Rupert Svendsen-Cook NorwayEnglish Formula BMW UK race car driver
Georgia Tennant Georgia Moffet (cropped).jpg Finlandactress and producer
Sandi Toksvig Sandi Toksvig in 2009.jpg DenmarkComedian
Christian Wolmar Christian wolmar.jpg SwedenJournalist, author, and railway historian
Patrick Wymark FinlandEnglish actor

See also

References

  1. Excavating Past Population Structures by Surname-Based Sampling: The Genetic Legacy of the Vikings in Northwest England
  2. Goodacre, S; Helgason, A; Nicholson, J; Southam, L; Ferguson, L; Hickey, E; Vega, E; Stefánsson, K; Ward, R; Sykes, B (2005). "Genetic evidence for a family-based Scandinavian settlement of Shetland and Orkney during the Viking periods". Heredity. 95 (2): 129–135. doi: 10.1038/sj.hdy.6800661 . PMID   15815712.
  3. "Gene geography: Do you have Viking ancestry in your DNA?". Wellcome Trust. 2004. Retrieved 9 January 2010.
  4. Branagan, Mark (30 January 2009). "'Time team' to seek out genetic secrets of Yorkshire's Viking past". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 9 January 2010.
  5. "Country-of-birth database". Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development . Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  6. "Estimated overseas-born population resident in the United Kingdom by sex, by country of birth (Table 1.4)". Office for National Statistics. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2015. Figure given is the central estimate. See the source for 95 per cent confidence intervals.