The screenwriter evidently thought that since English-speaking people can have surnames like London or York, then Swedes can be named Göteborg (the second largest city in Sweden) - which is most unlikely.
Fox gave the green light to this big-budget CinemaScope production partially on the basis of the success of the recent Jules Verne adaptations, Walt Disney's 20000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) and Michael Todd's Around the World in Eighty Days (1956). As with those earlier films, the heavy cost proved to be a good investment, resulting in a big hit at the box office.
James Mason replaced an ailing Clifton Webb in the part of Professor Lindenbrook before filming began. Alexander Scourby started shooting at Carlsbad Caverns in the Count Saknussem role, but the producers were unhappy with him and he was replaced with Thayer David.
James Mason reportedly had very little patience with the "movie star" preening of Arlene Dahl and the relationship between the two off set was very much like what you see on screen.
Pat Boone didn't want to make this film but was talked into it by his agent. Years later he stated he's glad he did it because of the regular residual checks it brings in and because it's the movie he'll probably be best remembered for.
The professor's name in the original novel (French language) was Otto Lidenbrock. In the movie it was changed to Oliver Lindenbrook. A more drastic change had already been made with the first (anonymous) English translation of the novel when the Professor's surname became Hartwig.