Old Norse Boy Names – Alphabetical List and Meanings

Source: https://thornews.com/2016/09/24/old-...-and-meanings/



In the Viking Age, no children got a god name like Odin (Σπinn) or Thor (Thσrr), which would have been an insult to the Norse culture.

However, variations of “Thor” were popular and many boys got names with the prefix “Thor” as in Thoralf, Thorbjorn, Thorgeir and Thorgrim.

Today, to give the child a Norse god name is accepted and something that reminds Norwegians of their history.

Note that the meanings of many of the boy names often are related to warfare and courage – something that should not come as a surprise.

The alphabetical list is not complete – there are more names, but hopefully it provides insight and inspiration.

The names are English forms of the Old Norse boy names but still very close to the original.

You will find the meanings in parenthesis with the Norse word (s) in italics.

A

Aasbjorn – Aasgeir (αs – god / geirr – javelin) – Aasgrim – Aaskell – Aaskjell – Aasleik – Aasleif – Aasleiv – Aasvald – Aasvard – Ag – Aggrim – Agmund (agn – respect, fear or tip of a sword / mundr – protector) – Agnar (agn – respect, fear, or tip of a sword / arr – warrior) – Aake – Almar – Alvald – Alvar – Alvbjψrn – Alvfinn – Alvgaut – Alvgeir – Arn (arn – eagle) – Arnbjorn – Arnfinn (arn – eagle / Finnr – a Sami or Finn) – Arnfred – Arngeir – Arngrim – Arni (same as Arn) – Arnkjell – Arnleif – Arnleiv – Arnljot (arn – eagle / ljσtr– light, shining) – Arnmod – Arnstein (arn – eagle / steinn – stone) – Arnthor – Arnulf (arn – eagle / ulfr – wolf) – Arnvald – Arnvid – Atli («little father») – Audar – Audbjorn – Audfinn – Audgrim – Audkjell – Audmund – Audstein – Audulv – Audun (audr – wealth / vin – friend) – Audvald


B

Bard – Bendik – Berg – Bergsvein – Berulf – Berulv – Besse – Birgir – Bjarni – Bjermund – Bjorgulv – Bjorn (the big brown animal, bear) – Bjornar – Bjornulv – Bodolf – Bogi (bogi – bow, or bϊi – farmer) – Boldolv – Bodvar – Borgi –Borgir – Borgulv – Borgvald – Borri – Botolv – Bredi – Bragi (The Viking god Bragi) – Brusi – Brynjulf (brynj – breastplate / ulfr – wolf)


D

Dagfinn (dagr – day / Finnr – a Sami or Finn) – Dreng – Dyri


E

Egil (egg – sharp side of a blade, or awe) – Eigil (same as Egil) – Eilif – Eiliv – Eimund – Einar – Einvald – Eldar – Eric (from Eirik: ei – the unique one / rik – prince) – Erik (same as Eric) – Erland – Erlend (erlendr – forreigner or stranger) – Erling (Erling – son or descendant of the Earl) – Eystein (ey – happiness / steinn – stone) – Eyyolf – Eyyolv


F

Fartein – Faste – Finn (Finnr – a Sami or a Finn) – Finnbjorn – Finngard – Folki – Folkvald – Freyr (Freyr – The Viking god Freyr, also named Yngvi-Freyr or Yngvi) – Fridleiv – Fridthjof – Frodi (frσdr – wise or scholar)


G

Gauti – Geir (geirr – javlin) – Geirbrand – Geirmund – Geirolf – Geirolv – Geirstein – Geirulf – Geirulv – Gisli (gνsl – hostage or the handle of a javlin) – Gissur – Glumir – Gorm (from Guttorm: gud – god / tormr – to protect or do honor) – Grim – Grimkjell – Gudbjorn – Gudleik – Gudleiv – Gudmund – Gudolf – Gudolv – Gudstein – Gullbjorn – Gullbrand – Gullik – Gunbjorn – Gunnar (gunnr – fight / arr – worrier) – Gunnbjorn – Gunner – Gunnolf – Gunnolv – Gunnsten – Gunnstein – Gunnvald (gunnr – war or warfare / valdr – leader or ruler) – Gunnvar – Gutorm – Guttorm (gud – god / tormr – to protect or do honor)


H

Haabjorn – Hagbart – Haagen – Haaken – Haakon (hαr – a prominent person / konr – family) – Haarek – Haarik – Haavald – Haavard (hα – tall, horse or combat / vard – guardian) – Haavid – Halfdan (hαlfr – half / danr – Danish) – Hallbjorn –Hallfred – Hallgeir – Hallgrim – Halli – Hallkjell – Hallstein – Hallthor – Hallvard – Hallvor – Harald (har – army / vald – prince )– Hauk (haukr – hawk) – Heming – Hemming – Herbjorn (her – army / bjorn – the big brown animal, bear) – Herbrad – Herleif – Herleik – Herleiv – Hermod (her – army / mσdr – courage) – Hermund – Hervard – Hildebrand – Hildemar – Hjalmar – Hogni (protect) – Holgir


I

Ingar – Ingebjorn – Ingemar – Ingolf – Ingvald – Ingvar – Ivar (ύr – a coniferous tree / arr – worrier) – Iver


J

Joar (jσ– horse / arr – warrior) – Jogeir – Jor – Jorik – Jorulv – Jorund – Jostein (jσ – horse / steinn – stone)


K

Kaalv – Kaarbjorn – Kaare (kαrr – curly hair) – Kleng – Knut (knutr – a knot) – Kol – Kolbein – Kolbjorn – Kolfinn – Kolgrim – Koll – Kolstein


L

Leid – Leidolv – Leidulf – Leidulv – Leidvor – Leif (leifr – property, inheritance) – Leiv (same as Leif)


M

Magnar – Magni (magn – power, strength)


N

Narfi (narrow) – Narvi (same as Narfi) – Nottolv


O

Olaf (Σlαfr – ancestor / inheritance) – Olav (same as Olaf) – Odd (oddr – tip of a blade, for example spearhead, arrowhead, sword tip) – Oddbjorn – Oddfred – Oddgeir – Oddleif – Oddleiv – Oddmar – Oddmund – Oddvar – Odin (Σπinn – The Viking god Odin) – Olbjorn – Olgir – Olgeir – Olvar – Ottar


R

Raadgeir – Raadmund – Raadolf – Raadolv – Ragnar (ragn – advise or reccomendation / arr – warrior) – Ragnvald (ragn – advise or reccomendation / valdr – leader or ruler) – Randmod – Randolf – Randolv – Reidalv – Reidar (hreid – house or home / arr – warrior) – Reidmar – Reidolf – Reidolv – Reidulf – Reidulv – Roald – Roar – Rolf (rod – honour / ulfr – wolf) – Rolleif – Rolleiv – Runolv – Rorek – Rorik –Runi (rϊn – secret)


S

Sigbjorn – Sigfred – Sigstein – Sigtrygg – Sigurd (sigr – victory / vard – guardian) – Sigvald – Sigvat – Sjaundi – Skjalg – Skuli – Snorri (snurre – the unruly one) – Solmund – Stein (steinn – stone) – Steinar (steinn – stone / arr – worrier) – Steinbjorn – Steingrim – Stig – Styrbjorn – Svein (sveinn – boy or young man) – Sveinar – Sveinbjorn – Sveinung – Sverre (sverrir – restless or wild) – Sverri (same as Sverre) – Saebjorn – Saemund – Saevald


T

Tali – Tarjei – Tjodgeir – Tjodolf – Tjoldolv – Tjodrek – Tjodrik – Toki – Thor (Thσrr – thunder, the Viking god Thσrr) – Thoralf -Thoralv – Thorbjorn – Thord (Tσrdr, composed of Thor, thunder, and a word meaning peace or protection) – Thorfinn – Thorgeir (Thσrr – thunder, the Viking god Thor / geirr – spear) – Thorgrim – Thorkel – Thorkell – Thorleik – Thorleiv – Thormod – Thorodd – Thorolf – Thorolv – Thorstein (Thσrr – thunder, the Viking god Thσrr / steinn – stone) – Thorsten – Thorvald – Trond – Tryggvi (tryggr – the trustworthy one)


U

Ulrik – Ulf (ulfr – wolf) – Ulv (same as Ulf)


V

Vebjorn (ve – home / bjorn – the big brown animal / bear) – Vegard (ve – home / gardr – fence or protection) – Vegeir – Vemund – Vidar (Vνπarr – wide ruler, the viking god Vνπarr) – Vidkunn – Vigbjorn – Volund


Y

Yngvi (The Viking god Yngvi – probably an older name for the god Freyr, also named Yngvi-Freyr)