60+ Norse Baby Names for Boys, Girls, and Fictional Characters

Norse names inspire images of horn-headed Vikings, hammer-wielding gods, and vast lands of mountains, snow, and fjords. If you’re looking for a similarly-spirited name for your fantasy character, child, or just for yourself, you’ve come to the right place! We talked to naming expert Natalie Mulholland to help us build this list of Norse first names for men and women, as well as common Norse last names, Norse god and goddess names, and other names from Norse mythology. Plus, you can even use our Norse and Viking name generators to come up with a more personalized and unique name that you’ll love! Skål!

Common Norse Names

Naming expert Natalie Mulholland suggests popular Norse names such as Thea, Freya, and Leif. Other options include:

Sigurd
Bjørn
Erik
Astrid
Ingrid

Section 1 of 6:

Male Norse Names

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Most of the masculine names that come from Old Norse are drawn from legendary heroes, powerful gods, benevolent leaders, and everyday protectors. Whether you’re raising a little Viking or naming a dynamic fantasy character in your next short story, here are some male Norse names to choose from:^{[1]
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- Sigurd: Means “guardian of victory.”
- Bjørn: Means “bear.”
- Knut: Means “knot.”
- Nils: Means “victory of the people” or “champion.”
- Erik: Means “eternal ruler.”
- Harald: Means “war chief.”
- Marius: Means “masculine” or “of Mars.”
- Leif:^{[2]
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  Expert Source
  
  Natalie Mulholland
  Name Consultant
  
  Expert Interview} Means “heir” or “relic.”
- Olav: Means “ancestor’s descendant.”
- Gunnar: Means “he who stands alone” or “army warrior.”
- Looking for even MORE Norse names? Try out our Norse Name Generator!
Meet the wikiHow Expert

Natalie Mulholland is a naming expert from Athens, Georgia. Since 2023, she’s also been a content creator focused on sharing the origin of names, plus what they mean and interesting people who’ve had that name before.

Section 2 of 6:

Female Norse Names

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Female Norse names are bold, beautiful, strong, and—like their masculine counterparts—they’re often descended from powerful Viking warriors of centuries past. Here are some of the most popular and significant Norse names for women and girls:^{[3]
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- Astrid: Means “beautiful goddess” or “divine strength.”
- Hilda: Means “battle.”
- Ingrid: Means “hero’s daughter.”
- Silje: Means “peaceful.”
- Frida: Means “peaceful ruler.”
- Dagny: Means “day.”
- Sigrid: Means “beautiful victory.”
- Thea:^{[4]
  X
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  Natalie Mulholland
  Name Consultant
  
  Expert Interview} Means “goddess” or “divine.”
- Helga: Means “holy” or “blessed.”
- Want to explore more Viking names? Check out this Viking Name Generator!

Section 3 of 6:

Norse Last Names

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Many Norse surnames are patronymic—in other words, they describe who someone’s father was (e.g., “Eriksson” is the “son of Erik”). Other Norse last names, however, describe a person’s occupation or the landscape that they live in. Here are some examples:^{[5]
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- Johansen: Means “son of Johan.”
- Hansen: Means “son of Hans.”
- Andersen: Means “son of Anders.”
- Dahl: Means “valley.”
- Fisker: Means “fisherman.”
- Jensen: Means “son of Jens.”
- Nygård: Means “new farm.”
- Olsen: Means “son of Ole.”
- Larsen: Means “son of Lars.”

Section 4 of 6:

Norse God Names

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While you might already know Thor, Odin, and Loki from a certain film franchise, there are so many other Norse gods with incredible stories and captivating names. Here are just a few examples of Norse gods that rule over Scandinavia:^{[6]
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- Odin: Chief god in Norse mythology, and the god of wisdom, poetry, war, and magic.
- Thor: God of thunder, lightning, storms, strength, and the protection of mankind.
- Heimdall: God of protection and light who guards the bridge between mortal and divine realms.
- Baldur: God of light, beauty, purity, joy, and peace.
- Tyr: God of war, justice, honor, law, and heroics.
- Freyr: God of fertility, prosperity, peace, and good weather.
- Loki: God of mischief and fire.
- Bragi: God of poetry, music, and eloquence.

Section 5 of 6:

Norse Goddess Names

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Norse goddesses have a lot of power and influence over the Nordic world—in fact the Norwegian word for “Friday” is fredag, after the goddess Frigg (although some scholars argue that it’s named for Freyja). That’s where we got the English word “Friday” from, as well!^{[7]
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- Freyja/Freya:^{[9]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Natalie Mulholland
  Name Consultant
  
  Expert Interview} Goddess of love, beauty, fertility, war, and gold.
- Frigg: Goddess of marriage, motherhood, and fertility.
- Sif: Goddess of the earth, grain, and fertility.
- Skadi: Goddess of the hunt, winter, mountains, and skiing.
- Jord: Goddess of the earth and the wilderness.
- Gefjun: Goddess of agriculture, fertility, prosperity, and family.
- Hel: Goddess of the dead and ruler of the underworld.

Section 6 of 6:

Norse Names from Mythology

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Norse mythology boasts more characters than just gods and goddesses! From giant-esque creatures and fierce Valkyries to monstrous wolves and deified kings, here are some significant mythological characters with beautiful Norse names:
- Brynhild: A Valkyrie who defies Odin and is punished to sleep forever in a ring of fire.
- Fenrir: A monstrous wolf who brings about Ragnarok (the end of the world).^{[10]
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- Jötner: A race of beings who represent ancient forms of destruction and natural chaos.
- Surtr: A fire giant who guards Muspelheim, a realm that’s older than time.
- Saemingr: A legendary Norwegian king who connects Norway’s royalty to the gods.
- Hildr: A Valkyrie who’s able to resurrect soldiers who’ve been killed in battle.^{[11]
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Norse Name Generator

Discover endless, heroic Norse name ideas here
Old Norse names are powerful and unique, and they were usually chosen to honor nature, family lineages, or achievements.

Are you in need of a great Norse name? Or are you just curious about your name would be if you were around when they were popular? Try our generator to get everything you need!
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