A finite-dimensional algebra $A$ over an algebraically closed field $K$ is called periodic if it is periodic under the action of the syzygy operator in the category of $A-A-$ bimodules. The periodic algebras are self-injective and occur naturally in the study of tame blocks of group algebras, actions of finite groups on spheres, hypersurface singularities of finite Cohen-Macaulay type, and Jacobian algebras of quivers with potentials. Recently, the tame periodic algebras of polynomial growth have been classified and it is natural to attempt to classify all tame periodic algebras. We introduce the weighted surface algebras of triangulated surfaces with arbitrarily oriented triangles and describe their basic properties. In particular, we prove that all these algebras, except the singular tetrahedral algebras, are symmetric tame periodic algebras of period $4$. Moreover, we describe the socle deformations of the weighted surface algebras and prove that all these algebras are symmetric tame periodic algebras of period $4$. The main results of the paper form an important step towards a classification of all periodic symmetric tame algebras of non-polynomial growth, and lead to a complete description of all algebras of generalized quaternion type. Further, the orbit closures of the weighted surface algebras (and their socle deformations) in the affine varieties of associative $K$-algebra structures contain wide classes of tame symmetric algebras related to algebras of dihedral and semidihedral types, which occur in the study of blocks of group algebras with dihedral and semidihedral defect groups.