Icelandic Headstone Inscriptions and Names

Manitoba's Interlake region — especially Gimli — has one of the largest Icelandic communities outside Iceland. Many families there and elsewhere honour that heritage on the stone.

Common phrases

Patronymic names

Traditional Icelandic names use the father's (or sometimes mother's) first name plus -son or -dóttir: Jón Einarsson, Guðrún Einarsdóttir. Family members may therefore have different "surnames". On a family stone, list each full name rather than a shared surname. See hyphenated and double names.

Symbols

• A cross — Lutheran tradition.
• Mountains, glaciers or the sea.
• A Viking ship for heritage.
• Lupines — common across Iceland.

Letters and engraving

Icelandic uses þ (thorn), ð (eth), æ, ö and accented vowels like á and í. These are often dropped by mistake. Always have a fluent speaker check the proof, and confirm your monument company's font supports every character. See multilingual inscriptions and accents and special characters.

Gimli and New Iceland

Icelandic settlers arrived in Manitoba in 1875, founding "New Iceland" around Gimli. Many cemeteries there have Icelandic inscriptions.

Icelandic Day in Gimli

Gimli hosts the Icelandic Festival of Manitoba, known as Íslendingadagurinn, each summer — one of the oldest ethnic festivals in North America. Many families visit relatives' graves during the festival weekend, keeping the link between heritage and remembrance strong across generations.

Key Takeaways

• "Hvíl í friði" means rest in peace.
• Patronymics mean family members have different surnames.
• Manitoba has a strong Icelandic heritage.
• þ and ð must be engraved correctly.

Next Step

See Norwegian inscriptions.