Old Norse Names

Aðalsteinn is an Old Norse and modern Icelandic masculine given name. Derived from the Old Norse elements aðal meaning "noble" and steinn meaning "stone", the name literally translates to "noble stone".EtymologyThe name...

Aghi is an Old Norse masculine name, historically significant as the early form of the modern Scandinavian name Ove. It originated as a short form or diminutive of compound names containing the Old Norse elements egg, me...

Agmundr is an Old Norse masculine name that serves as the original form of the modern Amund. It is composed of two elements: the first element may be either egg (meaning "edge of a sword") or agi (meaning "awe, fear"), a...

Agnarr is an Old Norse name representing a variant of Agnar. It is a compound name typically derived from elements meaning "awe, fear" or "edge of a sword" (from agi or egg) combined with herr meaning "army" or "warrior"...

Agni 3 (also spelled Agni III) is a modern rendering of an Old Norse given name, distantly related to names such as Agner, Agnar, Amund, and Agne. It is derived as a diminutive of Old Norse names beginning with the eleme...

Áki is a masculine given name used in Faroese and Icelandic, with roots in Old Norse. It originated as a diminutive of Norse names that begin with the element anu (meaning "ancestor"), such as Ólafur or Ólavur in Faroese...

Áleifr is the Old Norse form of the name Olaf, ultimately derived from the Proto-Norse elements *anu meaning "ancestor" and *laibaz meaning "heirloom" or "descendant." The name thus conveys the sense of "ancestor's desce...

Alfarr is an Old Norse given name of masculine gender. It is the original Old Norse form of Alvar, which is now used in Swedish and other Scandinavian languages. The name is composed of two elements: alfr meaning "elf" a...

Alfhildr is an Old Norse feminine name, the original form of the more modern Swedishvariant Alfhild. It is composed of the elements alfr ("elf") and hildr ("battle"), thus conveying the meaning "elf-battle" or "battle el...

Alfríkr is an Old Norse masculine name composed of the elements alfr 'elf' and ríkr 'ruler, king', thus meaning 'elf-ruler'. It is a cognate of the Germanic Alberich, sharing the same root elements. The name reflects the...

Alfvin is an Old Norse masculine given name, derived from the elements alfr meaning "elf" and vinr meaning "friend". It is a cognate of the Anglo-Saxon name Ælfwine, which shares the same etymological roots. The name bel...

Algautr is an Old Norse masculine name formed from the elements alfr ('elf') and gautr ('Geat', a member of a North Germanic tribe). The name therefore means 'elf-Geat' or 'Geatish elf'. It is a rare but historically att...

Álǫf is an Old Norse feminine given name, originating as the feminine form of Áleifr, the Old Norse equivalent of Olaf. The name's root, Olaf, is derived from Old Norse Áleifr, meaning “ancestor's descendant,” from the e...

EtymologyAnundr is an Old Norse masculine name with disputed origins. It is thought to derive from the Proto-Norse elements *anu ("ancestor") and *vindr ("victor"), yielding a meaning like "ancestor's victor" or "victori...

Ari is a masculine given name with roots in Old Norse, where it originated as a byname meaning "eagle". The name is used in modern Finland, Iceland, and among Scandinavian communities, reflecting a shared Norse heritage....

Arnbjǫrg is an Old Norse female name, composed of the elements ǫrn ("eagle") and bjǫrg ("help, salvation"). The name thus carries the poetic meaning of "eagle-help" or "salvation of the eagle." As a compound of two commo...

Arnfinnr is an Old Norse masculine given name, serving as the original form of the modern Norwegian name Arnfinn. It is a compound name formed from the elements ǫrn, meaning "eagle," and finnr, which refers to a Sámi per...

Árni is an Icelandic and Old Norse given name, deriving from the Old Norse Arne, which itself originated as a short form of names beginning with the element ǫrn, meaning "eagle." The name thus carries connotations of str...

Arnórr is an Old Norse masculine given name, a variant of Arnþórr. The name merges the element ǫrn ('eagle') with the name of the Norse storm god Thor, creating a compound meaning 'eagle-Thor'. This formation reflects th...

Arnsteinn is an Old Norse masculine given name derived from the elements ǫrn meaning "eagle" and steinn meaning "stone". This type of compound name was common among the Norse, often combining animal names with features o...

Arnþórr is an Old Norse masculine given name, a compound formed from the elements ǫrn meaning "eagle" and the name of the thunder god Þórr (Thor). The name thus carries the meaning "eagle of Thor" or "Thor's eagle," blen...

Arnviðr is an Old Norse masculine given name, the original form of the later Scandinavian name Arvid. It is composed of the elements ǫrn 'eagle' and viðr 'tree', thus meaning 'eagle tree'. The name reflects the common No...

Ása is a feminine name used in Faroese, Icelandic, and Old Norse, functioning as a form of Åsa. Åsa itself originates as a short form of Old Norse feminine names that begin with the element áss meaning "god". This elemen...

Ásbjǫrn is an Old Norse masculine given name composed of the elements áss meaning 'god' and bjǫrn meaning 'bear.' It is thus a cognate of the Old English name Osborn, though the second element diverged in meaning—while b...

Ásdís is an Icelandic female given name of Old Norse origin. It is derived from the Old Norse elements áss 'god' and dís 'goddess', giving it the meaning 'divine goddess' or 'god-goddess'. As a coalescence of two theonym...

Ásgeirr is an Old Norse masculine given name, composed of the elements áss meaning "god" and geirr meaning "spear". It is thus a theophoric name evoking divine protection or a warrior dedicated to the gods, and is the di...

Ásgerðr is an Old Norse feminine name composed of the elements áss meaning "god" and garðr meaning "enclosure, yard." The combined meaning thus points to "god's enclosure" or "divine protection." This type of theophoric...

Áshildr is an Old Norse feminine given name, composed of the elements áss meaning "god" and hildr meaning "battle." The name thus translates to "god battle" and descends from the Proto-Germanic compound *Ansuhildiz, refl...

Ásketill is an Old Norse masculine given name formed from the elements áss "god" and ketill "cauldron, helmet". This name belonged to the ancient Norse tradition of theophoric and heroic compound names, combining divine...

EtymologyÁslaug is the Old Norse and Icelandic form of Aslaug, a name derived from the Old Norse elements áss meaning "god" and laug possibly meaning "vowed, promised, bound in oath". Thus, the name can be interpreted as...

Ásmundr is an Old Norse masculine given name, equivalent to the modern Norwegian Åsmund. It derives from the Old Norse elements áss "god" and mundr "protection", giving the meaning "god's protection". The name is a cogna...

Ásný is an Old Norse female name, the original form of the modern Scandinavian Åsne. It is composed of the elements áss ("god") and nýr ("new"), thus meaning "new god" or "divine newness." This type of two-element name,...

Ásta is a feminine given name used in Iceland and historically in Old Norse culture. It is a short form of Ástríðr, an Old Norse name composed of the elements áss meaning 'god' and fríðr meaning 'beautiful' or 'beloved'....

Ástríðr is an Old Norse feminine given name, derived from the elements áss 'god' and fríðr 'beautiful, beloved'. The name thus means 'divinely beautiful' or 'beloved of the gods', reflecting the Norse tradition of compou...

Asvaldr is an Old Norse masculine name derived from the elements áss "god" and valdr "ruler". It is a distant cognate of Oswald and shares the same fundamental meaning, though through different Germanic linguistic paths:...

Auðr is a feminine given name of Old Norse origin, meaning "wealth, fortune". The name derives from the Old Norse noun auðr, which signified riches, prosperity, or property. In medieval Scandinavia, names reflecting weal...

Auðrhildr is an Old Norse feminine name, predominantly used in the Viking Age and medieval Scandinavia. It is a variant form of Audhild, combining the elements auðr meaning "wealth, fortune" and hildr meaning "battle." T...

EtymologyAuðun is an Old Norse masculine given name, composed of the elements auðr meaning "wealth" or "fortune" and vinr meaning "friend". Thus, the name translates to "wealthy friend" or "friend of fortune." It is cogn...

Baggi is an Old Norse masculine byname, derived from the Old Norse noun baggi meaning "bag, pack." Bynames in Old Norse society often described a personal characteristic, occupation, or physical attribute; in this case,...

Bárðr is a masculine given name of Old Norse origin. It is the Old Norse form of the Norwegian name Bård. The name derives from a contracted form of earlier *Bǫðfrøðr, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *Badwōfriþuz, compose...

Bergljót is the Icelandic and Old Norse form of Bergljot, a name composed of the Old Norse elements bjǫrg meaning "help, salvation" and ljótr meaning "light." Thus, the name conveys the poetic sense of "saving light" or...

Birgir is an Icelandic and Old Norse masculine given name, formed as the direct cognate of Birger. The name derives from the Old Norse root bjarga, meaning "to help, save, rescue, protect." As such, Birgir carries connot...

Birna is an Old Norse feminine given name derived from a byname meaning "she-bear". The name originates from the Old Norse word birna ("female bear"), which is the feminine counterpart of the masculine noun bjǫrn ("bear"...

Bjarni is an Old Norse diminutive of the name Bjǫrn and other names containing the element bjǫrn meaning "bear." The name has been used across Scandinavia and in the Norse-settled regions, but it is especially associated...

Bjartr is an Old Norse masculine given name, functioning as the direct precursor to the modern Bjarte. It originated as a byname meaning "bright," derived from the Proto-Germanic element *berhtaz, which also gave rise to...

Bjǫrg is an Old Norse feminine name derived from the element bjǫrg, meaning "help" or "salvation." This name reflects a common theme in Norse naming traditions, where names were often chosen to invoke protection, divine...

Bjǫrn is an Old Norse masculine given name, directly derived from the noun bjǫrn meaning "bear." As a byname or personal name, it evokes the strength and ferocity associated with the animal in Norse culture, where bears...

Borghildr is an Old Norse feminine name, a variant of Borghild. It derives from the elements borg meaning "fortress" and hildr meaning "battle," giving it the composite sense of "fortress battle."In Norse mythology, Borg...

Borgný is an Old Norse feminine given name, combining the elements borg ('fortress') and nýr ('new'). The name appears in the Old Norse poem Oddrúnargrátr, part of the Poetic Edda, a collection of mythological and heroic...

Bóthildr is an Old Norse feminine name, the original form of Bodil. It is composed of the elements bót meaning "remedy" or "improvement," and hildr meaning "battle." Thus, the name can be interpreted as "remedy in battle...

Brandr is an Old Norse byname with the literal meaning "fire, torch, sword." The name derives from the Proto-Germanic element *brand- “fire, flame,” which evolved into Old Norse brandr. In Norse culture, a brand—often a...

Bróðir is an Old Norse given name, derived from the word bróðir meaning "brother". It is the original Old Norse form of the modern name Bror. The name reflects the importance of kinship and familial bonds in Norse cultur...

Brynhildr is an Old Norse female name, the cognate of Brunhild in Germanic mythology. In Norse legend, Brynhildr is a central figure in the Völsungasaga and several Eddic poems, depicted as a valkyrie or shieldmaiden. He...

The name Brynja is a female given name used primarily in Iceland and the Faroe Islands, with roots in the Old Norse language. Its meaning directly translates to "armour" or "coat of mail," giving the name a strong, prote...

Brynjarr is the Old Norse form of the name Brynjar. While Brynjar itself is a two-element name originating from Old Norse, Brynjarr represents an older or alternative variant with a double 'r' ending, common in the Old N...

Búi is an Old Norse masculine given name, derived from the Old Norse byname Búi, which itself comes from the word búa meaning "to live" or "to dwell." Thus, the name literally means "dweller" or "inhabitant." As a byname...

Dagfinnr is the Old Norse form of the name Dagfinn. It is a masculine name composed of two Old Norse elements: dagr meaning "day" and finnr meaning "Sámi" or "person from Finland." The name thus combines a temporal eleme...

EtymologyDagmær is an Old Norse female name, the original form of the better-known Dagmar. It is composed of the elements dagr meaning "day" and mær meaning "maid" or "daughter", thus carrying the literal sense of "day-m...

Dagný is an Old Norse and Icelandic female given name, being the original form of the more common Dagny. Linguistically, it is a compound of the Old Norse elements dagr ("day") and nýr ("new"), literally signifying "new...

Dagr is the Old Norse form of Dag, derived from the Old Norse element dagr meaning "day". In Norse mythology, Dagr is the divine personification of day, a figure who appears in the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda. Accordi...