182 Old Norse Baby Names With Meanings

What comes to your mind when you hear or read about Old Norse? Norse mythology would be the answer for most of you. But there’s a lot to Old Norse language apart from mythology – unique names being one of them.

Old Norse names, dominant in the Scandinavian and Viking history range from strong, robust, and tough to delicate and lovely. Parents often named their children after their deceased hero or relative with the hope that they will inherit the same traits, virtues, or personality of the ones whose names they bore. If a relative died when the child was in the womb, it was mandatory to give the child the name of that particular relative. If the honored relative or ancestor had a common name, then the ancestor's nickname or by-name would also be attached to the name. Hence, names remained almost the same in the families for long periods of time. Names of Norse gods and goddesses were also common as first names. And there was no system of surnames in ancient times. A patronymic or metronymic system was used.

From the language of Norse Sagas, mythology, and Viking Age, MomJunction brings you an extensive collection of Old Norse names with meanings. Most of these names are still used in Scandinavia, but in anglicized form and with a different pronunciation. Keep scrolling!