Old Norse Names
These names were used by speakers of Old Norse in Scandinavia and other places that the Norse settled. See also about Germanic names.
294 names in our directory
Old Norse
294Kolr is an Old Norse byname derived from the word kol, meaning "coal." In Norse naming traditions, bynames like Kolr often described a person's physical appearance—in this case, perhaps someone with dark hair or a swarth...
Kóri is an Old Norse masculine name of uncertain etymology, recorded primarily in medieval Norse sources. Though its precise meaning is unknown, it may be related to the Old Norse kóri meaning "vulture" or "carrion bird"...
Leifr is the Old Norse form of the name Leif. It derives from the Old Norse word leifr, meaning "descendant, heir," and typically originated as a short form of longer given names containing this element.Etymology and His...
Magnhildr is an Old Norse feminine given name, the direct precursor to the modern Scandinavian name Magnhild. It is a compound name formed from the elements magn "power, strength" and hildr "battle", thus conveying the m...
Magni is an Old Norse masculine given name, derived from the element magn meaning "power" or "strength." In Norse mythology, Magni is the son of the thunder god Thor and the giantess Járnsaxa. Notably, Magni is one of th...
Málmfríðr is an Old Norse female name, the direct predecessor of the modern Scandinavian name Målfrid. Its etymology is the subject of some uncertainty: the first element may be derived from Old Norse malmr meaning "ore"...
Mundi is an Old Norse masculine given name, originating as a short form of names that contain the element mundr, meaning "protection." It was commonly used as a diminutive or pet form in the Viking Age, often for longer...
Myrgjǫl is the Old Norse form of Muirgel, an Old Irish name meaning "bright sea" (from muir "sea" and gel "bright"). This feminine name reflects the cultural exchange between the Norse and Celtic peoples during the Vikin...
Njáll is an Old Norse masculine given name that originated as a borrowing from the Irish name Niall during the Viking Age, when Norse raiders and settlers in Ireland adopted local names and then brought them back to Scan...
Oddbjǫrg is an Old Norse feminine name, the historical spelling of the more modern Oddbjørg. It is composed of the elements oddr meaning "point of a sword" and bjǫrg meaning "help, salvation". The combination suggests a...
Oddbjǫrn is an Old Norse masculine name, the direct precursor of the modern Scandinavian Oddbjørn. It is composed of two elements: oddr meaning “point of a sword” (or simply “weapon point”) and bjǫrn meaning “bear”. Thus...
EtymologyOddgeirr is an Old Norse masculine name, the direct ancestor of the modern form Oddgeir. It is composed of the elements oddr, meaning "point of a sword," and geirr, meaning "spear." Both elements refer to weapon...
Oddný is an Old Norse feminine given name composed of the elements oddr meaning "point of a sword" and nýr meaning "new". The name thus carries a literal sense of "new sword-point," likely evoking imagery of sharpness, r...
Oddr is an Old Norse masculine name derived from the oddr element meaning "point of a sword." It represents the Old Norse form of Odd, a name common in medieval Scandinavia. The name's sharp, martial connotation reflects...
Oddrún is a feminine given name of Old Norse origin, combining two elements: oddr meaning "point of a sword" and rún meaning "secret lore, rune". The name thus evokes the concept of a "sword-point rune" or perhaps a rune...
Oddvar is the modern Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish name derived from the Old Norse Oddvarr, composed of the elements oddr meaning "point of a sword" and varr meaning "aware, cautious" or "watchful." The name thus convey...
Ólaug is an Old Norse female given name. It is the direct Old Norse form of Olaug, derived from the elements anu meaning "ancestor" and laug, which possibly signifies "vowed," "promised," or "bound in oath." Thus, the na...
Ǫlvir is an Old Norse masculine name, the original form of the later Scandinavian names Olve and Ölvir. It belongs to the native Norse onomasticon rather than to the imported Christian names that became dominant after th...
EtymologyÓttarr is an Old Norse masculine given name, derived from the elements ótti ("terror, fear") and herr ("army, warrior"). In a wider Germanic context, the name originates from Proto-Germanic *Uhtaharjaz, cognate...
Ráðúlfr is an Old Norse masculine name, composed of the elements ráð ("counsel, advice") and ulfr ("wolf"). The name thus conveys the sense of a "counsel-wolf" or a wise and cunning leader. It belongs to a common Germani...
Ragna is a feminine given name of Old Norse origin, derived as a short form of names beginning with the element regin, meaning "advice, counsel." It is used in Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and historically in Old No...
Ragnarr is an Old Norse masculine given name derived from the elements regin "advice, counsel" and herr "army, warrior", meaning "counsel of the army" or "divine warrior". It is a cognate of Rayner, ultimately descending...
Etymology and OriginRagnbjǫrg is an Old Norse feminine name formed by combining two distinct elements: regin, meaning "advice" or "counsel", and bjǫrg, meaning "help" or "salvation". The name thus conveys the sense of "c...
Ragnfríðr is an Old Norse feminine given name that now exists primarily as the ancestral form of the modern Scandinavian name Randi. The name is a compound of two Old Norse elements: Ragn-, which is the first part of man...
Ragnheiðr is an Old Norse feminine name meaning "bright advice", derived from the elements regin ("advice, counsel") and heiðr ("bright, clear"). This compound name reflects the Norse tradition of combining concepts to c...
Ragnhildr is an Old Norse feminine given name, the original form of the modern Scandinavian name Ragnhild. It is composed of the elements ragn, meaning "counsel" or "advice" (cognate with the Old Norse regin "gods"), and...
Ragnvaldr is an Old Norse name composed of the elements regin “advice, counsel” and valdr “ruler,” making it a cognate of Reynold and Ronald. Rhymes like “Rain-wolf” hint at the original form often Latinized as Ragnvaldu...
Randúlfr is an Old Norse form of the name Randolf. The name is a cognate of the Old Norse Randúlfr, introduced by Scandinavian settlers, while the Norman version Randolf was brought to England after the Norman Conquest....
Rúna is a feminine given name used in the Faroe Islands, Iceland, and historically in Old Norse culture. It originates as a feminine form of Rune, which is derived from Old Norse rún meaning "secret lore, rune." The name...
Rúni is a male given name of Old Norse origin, used in both Old Norse and Faroese contexts. It is the Old Norse and Faroese form of Rune, a name found in several modern Scandinavian and Germanic languages.EtymologyThe na...
Salbjǫrg is an Old Norse feminine name, the original form of the modern Scandinavian name Solbjørg. The name is composed of two elements: salr meaning "room" or "hall", and bjǫrg meaning "help, salvation", thus Salbjǫrg...
Saldís is an Old Norse female given name composed of the elements salr meaning "room, hall" and dís meaning "goddess." The name thus carries the poetic meaning of "hall goddess" or "goddess of the hall," reflecting the i...
Sigfrøðr is an Old Norse masculine given name, composed of the elements sigr meaning "victory" and friðr meaning "peace" or "love". This name is a direct cognate of the Germanic name Siegfried, sharing the same victoriou...
Sigmundr is the Old Norse form of Sigmund. The name derives from the Old Norse elements sigr “victory” and mundr “protection”, matching the Germanic root shared with the Old High German cognates sigu and munt. It is thus...
Signý (also anglicized as Signe or Signy) is an Old Norse female given name derived from the elements sigr "victory" and nýr "new", thus meaning "new victory" or "victory new". The name is prominently featured in Norse m...
Sigríðr is an Old Norse female given name, the original form of Sigrid. It is composed of the elements sigr meaning 'victory' and fríðr meaning 'beautiful' or 'beloved', conveying the sense of 'beautiful victory' or 'bel...
Sigrún is an Old Norse feminine name derived from the elements sigr meaning "victory" and rún meaning "secret lore, rune". Thus, the name Sigrún may be interpreted as "victory rune" or "secret of victory". In Norse mytho...
Sigsteinn is an Old Norse masculine given name, serving as the original form of the modern Scandinavian name Sixten. The name is composed of two ancient Germanic elements: sigr meaning "victory" and steinn meaning "stone...
EtymologySigurðr is the Old Norse form of Sigurd. The name is derived from the elements sigr meaning "victory" and vǫrðr meaning "guard" or "guardian". Thus, Sigurðr can be interpreted as "victory-guardian".Mythological...
Sindri is an Old Norse masculine name meaning "sparkle" or "to sparkle" (from the verb sindra). In Norse mythology, Sindri is a dwarf, also known as Eitri, who together with his brother Brokkr forged wondrous items for t...
Snorri is a masculine given name of Old Norse origin, derived from the word snerra meaning "attack" or "onslaught." This etymology reflects the martial culture of the Viking Age, where names often evoked strength, battle...
Sólveig is the Icelandic and Old Norse form of Solveig. The name is of Old Norse origin, composed of two elements with debated meanings. The first element may derive from sól meaning "sun", or from salr meaning "house, h...
Sǫlvi is an Old Norse masculine name derived from sǫlr, meaning "yellow, pale, sallow". The name is rooted in a descriptive adjective, likely referring to hair or complexion, a common naming pattern in the Germanic world...
Somerled is a masculine name of Old Norse origin, who maintains the anglecized form of the name Sumarliði, meaning "summer traveller"—a fitting appellation for a Viking-age leader who roamed the seas. The name is histori...
Stáli is an Old Norse masculine given name and byname. It is the original Old Norse form that gave rise to the modern Scandinavian name Ståle, which remains in use in Norway and Denmark. The name is derived from the Old...
Steinarr is an Old Norse masculine given name, from which the modern Steinar is derived. The name is composed of the elements steinn ("stone") and herr ("army, warrior") or -varr ("defender"). The first component, steinn...
Steingrímr is the Old Norse form of Steingrímur, a masculine name used in medieval Scandinavia and Iceland. The name is compound, derived from steinn meaning "stone" and gríma meaning "mask" or "helmet." Thus, the name's...
Steinn is the Old Norse and Icelandic form of Sten, derived from the Old Norse word meaning "stone". The name reflects a common Norse tradition of naming boys after hard, durable elements of nature, symbolizing strength...
Steinunn is an Old Norse feminine given name, still in use in modern Iceland. It is a compound formed from the elements steinn ('stone') and unnr ('wave'), yielding the poetic meaning 'wave of stone' or 'stone wave'. The...
Stígandr is an Old Norse masculine name meaning "wanderer." The name is derived from the Old Norse verb stíga ("to step" or "to go"), combined with the agent suffix -andr, which forms nouns meaning "one who does somethin...
Stigr is an Old Norse masculine name derived directly from the word stigr, meaning "path" or "way". In Old Norse naming traditions, such concrete nouns were often used as given names, reflecting the importance of travel,...
Sturla is a masculine given name of Old Norse origin. Originally a byname, it derives from sturla, an Old Norse verb meaning "to derange" or "to disturb." The name is historically most prominent in Iceland and Norway, wh...
Styrmir is an Old Norse and Icelandic masculine given name, derived from the Old Norse verb styrma, meaning "to storm, to blow hard". The name literally translates to "one who causes storms", reflecting its connection to...
Sumarliði is an Old Norse masculine name, the original form of the Anglicized Somerled. The name is composed of the elements sumar "summer" and liði "traveller" or "warrior", thus meaning "summer traveller" or "summer wa...
Sundri is an Old Norse masculine name, best known as the historical form of the modern Sondre. The name appears in Old Norse literature and etymology, and is first recorded as Suntrí in runic inscriptions. Its ultimate r...
Suni is an Old Norse name directly derived from the word sunr, meaning "son." It belongs to a tradition of simple, descriptive names common in early Germanic and Norse cultures, where patronymics (names indicating patern...
EtymologySvanhildr is the Old Norse form of Svanhild, a name derived from the Old Norse elements svanr 'swan' and hildr 'battle'. This name is a Scandinavian cognate of the Old German Swanhild, which combines the element...
Sveinn is the Old Norse and Icelandic form of Sven, a name rooted in a byname drawn from the Old Norse word sveinn, meaning "boy" or "young man". This simple but evocative origin—designating a youth or servant—contrasts...
Sveinungr is an Old Norse name, the original form of the modern Scandinavian given name Sveinung. It is a byname derived from the Old Norse name Svein, which itself comes from the Old Norse word sveinn meaning "boy" or "...
Sverrir is an Old Norse name (from Sverrir) that serves as both the direct ancestor of the modern Scandinavian name Sverre and the contemporary Icelandic form. The root meaning — "wild, swinging, spinning" — evokes a ric...