Viking Names: 50+ Old Norse Names and Their Meanings
Names in the Norse world were not just labels. They carried meaning, family history, and sometimes the spirit of a god or an ancestor.
Most Old Norse names are compound words — two meaningful elements joined together with intention. The elements carried specific weight: ulf (wolf), bjorn (bear), heim (home), vin (friend), dis (divine woman), run (rune, secret). Naming a child was not decoration. It was a statement about who you hoped they would become, or whose qualities they might carry forward into the world.
Here are 50+ Viking names for boys, girls, and beyond — with their Old Norse meanings and the ideas behind them.
How Norse Names Worked
Most Old Norse names are compound names built from two elements. For example:
- Sigrid = sigr (victory) + fridr (beautiful, beloved) — "Beautiful Victory"
- Gunnar = gunnr (war, battle) + arr (warrior) — "War Warrior"
- Torunn = Thor + unnr (love, beloved) — "Thor's Love"
The elements could be freely combined, which is why there are so many Old Norse names — and why many feel instinctively powerful in ways that are hard to explain. They are built from ideas, not just sounds.
Names were also passed down within families — sons and daughters named after grandparents, or sharing a name element with a parent, as a sign of continuity and connection to the ancestral line.
Viking Names for Boys
- Alf — From alfr, "elf." In Norse tradition, elves were powerful ancestral spirits — this name carries quiet, otherworldly energy.
- Arne — From ari, "eagle." Eagles were associated with wisdom and the divine. Still used in Scandinavia today.
- Bjorn / Bjornr — Means "bear." Bears were among the most respected animals in the Norse world. One of the most common Norwegian names still.
- Erik / Eirik — From ei (always) + rikr (ruler). "Ever Powerful." Carried by Norse kings and explorers, including Erik the Red.
- Finn — Likely connected to the Sami people of the far north, or the mythological wise figure Finn. Soft edges, deep roots.
- Gunnar — From gunnr (war) + arr (warrior). One of the most popular Norse names, carried by heroes across the sagas.
- Halvor — From hallr (rock) + varr (defender). "Rock Defender." Still used in Norway.
- Ivar — From yr (yew bow) + arr (warrior). "Bow Warrior." The yew was sacred in Norse tradition.
- Leif — From leifr, "heir" or "descendant." Leif Eriksson carried this name across the Atlantic.
- Magnus — From Latin magnus (great), adopted into Old Norse. Enormously popular among Norse kings.
- Njord / Njordr — The name of the Vanir god of the sea and winds. Elemental, maritime, quietly powerful.
- Ragnar — From regin (counsel) + arr (warrior). "Warrior of Wise Counsel." Ragnar Lothbrok is its most famous bearer.
- Sigurd — From sigr (victory) + vardr (guardian). "Guardian of Victory." The hero of the Volsunga saga.
- Sven / Svein — From sveinn, "young man." Simple, strong, Scandinavian.
- Thor / Thorr — The thunder god's name, still used in compounds: Thorbjorn, Thorleif, Torben.
- Ulf — Simply means "wolf." One of the oldest and most enduring Norse names.
- Vidar / Vidarr — Odin's son who avenges him at Ragnarok. From vidr (wide) + arr (warrior). Carries quiet, enormous strength.
- Asmund — From ass (god of the Aesir) + mundr (protection). "Protected by the Gods."
- Orm — Means "serpent." Often connected to the world-serpent Jormungandr. Rare and striking.
- Halfdan — From halfr (half) + Danr (Dane). A common name among Norse royalty.
Viking Names for Girls
- Astrid — From ass (god) + fridr (beautiful). "Divinely Beautiful." One of the most recognised Norse names worldwide. Timeless.
- Brynhild / Brynhildr — From brynja (armour) + hildr (battle). "Armoured Battle Maiden." The Valkyrie of the Volsunga saga.
- Dagny — From dagr (day) + nyr (new). "New Day." Warm, bright, and clear.
- Freya / Freyja — The goddess of love, war, and magic. One of the most popular Norse names worldwide, and still rising.
- Gudrun — From gudr (god, divine) + run (rune, secret). "Divine Secret." A hero of the Volsunga saga.
- Helga — From heilagr, "holy" or "sacred." One of the most enduring Norse women's names throughout history.
- Hilde / Hild — From hildr, "battle." One of the core Valkyrie name elements. Simple and strong.
- Ingrid — From Ing (a deity of fertility) + fridr (beautiful). Enormously popular in Scandinavia; still one of the most-used Norse names today.
- Ragna — The feminine form of Ragnar. From regin, "counsel." "Wise Counsel."
- Runa — From run, "rune" or "secret." A quiet, meaningful name for those drawn to the rune tradition.
- Sigrid — From sigr (victory) + fridr (beautiful). "Beautiful Victory." Elegant and strong.
- Sigrun — From sigr (victory) + run (rune, secret). "Victory Rune." A Valkyrie name. Rare and powerful.
- Skadi — The goddess of winter and the hunt. For those who love the cold half of the year.
- Solveig / Solvei — From sol (sun) + veig (strength). "Sun Strength." Widely used across Scandinavia.
- Thyra / Thyri — From Thor + battle element. One of the most common Viking Age women's names.
- Torunn / Thorunn — From Thor + unnr (love). "Thor's Love." Beautiful and mythologically rich.
- Yrsa — From yr (wild, raging) or possibly "she-bear." A saga name with a distinctly untamed feel.
- Dis — A singular divine female spirit in Norse tradition. Short, ancient, and charged with meaning.
- Unn / Unnr — From unnr, meaning "beloved" or "wave." A gentle name with strong saga connections.
- Aud — From audr, meaning "wealth" or "prosperity." One of the great Norse matriarch names — Aud the Deep-Minded was a powerful historical figure.
Giving a Child a Norse Name Today
Norse names work particularly well in the modern world because many of them are short, clear, and carry genuine meaning. They do not need explanation — they have weight on their own.
If you are drawn to Norse heritage, Scandinavian roots, or simply want a name with real history behind it, Old Norse offers one of the richest naming traditions in European history. Every name tells a story.
For families welcoming a new baby, a Viking name is one way of carrying the old North forward — not as costume, but as connection.
Explore Runestone Norway's Norse baby and family collection: Viking Baby & Family
Norse baby gifts: Little Viking Baby Tee · Viking Baby Bodysuit
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common Viking names?
For boys: Erik, Leif, Bjorn, Gunnar, Sigurd, and Thor. For girls: Astrid, Ingrid, Freya, Helga, and Sigrid. These names appear across the sagas, in historical records, and are still used in Scandinavia today.
What do Viking names mean?
Most Old Norse names are compound names made from two meaningful elements — often involving animals (wolf, bear, eagle), gods (Thor, the Vanir), or qualities (victory, strength, beauty). The elements were chosen deliberately to give the child a name that carried intention.
Are Viking names still used today?
Yes. Many are common everyday names in Scandinavia: Bjorn, Erik, Astrid, Ingrid, Gunnar, Magnus, and many others. Others — like Fenrir or Brynhild — are more distinctly historical but are being revived by parents drawn to Norse heritage.
Can I give my baby a Viking name?
Absolutely. Many Viking names work beautifully in modern life — easy to pronounce in most languages, with genuine history and meaning behind them. Astrid, Freya, Leif, and Erik are particularly versatile internationally.
What Viking name means wolf?
Ulf means wolf directly. It also appears as a compound element: Ulfhedinn (wolf-coat), Randulfr, Gunnarulfr. Wolf-names were popular in the Norse world, connected to Odin's wolves and the spirit of independent strength.
What is the meaning of the name Odin?
The name Odin (Old Norse Odhinn) is connected to the word odr, meaning "fury," "inspiration," or "frenzy" — the divine creative madness associated with poetry and war.
Erik Bloodaxe and Gunnhild at Runestone Norway
Erik Bloodaxe and Gunnhild, Mother of Kings, are two of the most storied names in the Norse world — and now a line of their own: