Leif Erikson was a Norse explorer most likely from Iceland, and he grew up in the Norse settlement of Greenland.

Quick Scoop

  • Most modern historians think Leif Erikson was born in Iceland around the 970s, probably in the BreiĂ°afjörĂ°ur region or nearby Haukadalur, where his parents lived.
  • His father, Erik the Red, later founded the first permanent Norse settlements in Greenland, where Leif spent much of his youth and became chieftain after his father’s death.
  • Because medieval sources are partly legendary and don’t name an exact town, scholars usually phrase it as: he was a Norse Icelander by origin, raised in Greenland.

So if you’re answering “where was Leif Erikson from,” the safest short reply is: a Norse explorer from Iceland, who grew up in Greenland.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.