Striking Viking Baby Names that Represents Strength and Bravery

Speaking of battles, wars, conquests, and expeditions, a tribe and a nation of people stand out as major champions. The crusade embarked upon by the Viking warriors will always stand out in history. This group of people, having quite dogged and firm names thrived and reveled in warfare. So, looking at these epic Viking names can give you clues as to the culture and personality of the Viking tribe.

Striking Viking Baby Names that Represents Strength and Bravery

As common with ancient communities of people, there is a strong attachment of Viking baby names to mythology and tradition. This is heavily represented in the kinds of Viking baby names there were and are still used today. Also, their epic battles and reverence to gods created links with their naming pattern.

Though, in recent years, these Viking traditions have to a large extent faded and become less popular. This might have some bearing on civilization and the advent of Christianity. However, this has not led to the complete extinction of Viking baby names. Most Viking names are still very much in use today and are growing in popularity.

Accordingly, in this article, the focus is to give you a few details about the origin of these Viking baby names and the tradition of naming in the Viking era. Therefore, below are some relevant information and Viking baby names you might be interested in.

Basis of Viking Naming Traditions

Basis of Viking Naming Traditions

During the Viking era, many boys were named after the god Thor, like Toke and Thorsten. Animal names were also used to name Viking children.  Names like Orm (Serpent), Ulf (Wolf), and Bjørn (Bear), were very prevalent among Viking people. Names paying obeisance and celebrating gods such as the Midgard serpent and the wolf Fenrir – beasts that the Norse gods had to defeat at Ragnarök, were quite naturally assigned to kids.

Names attributed to special powers and traits were also rampant. For instance, Frida means “peace” and Astrid “beautiful and loved”, Hilda, which means “the fighter”. The names gave the Vikings strength and protection in life.

In the Viking Age especially, the names of the Norse gods and mythological animals gained ground. Certain names gained a foothold in individual families, like Harald, Svend and Knud in the Danish royal family in the late Viking Age and early Middle Ages.

Many names from the Viking Age are still in use today. There are still people called Rune, Erik, Sigrid and Tove in Denmark.

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Origin and Evolution of Viking Names

The Viking people had a specific area of domination and habitation. A few foreign sources mention the names of the Vikings. Many of these names are specific to Scandinavia. We therefore can distinguish them from names used in other regions.

Evidently, as it was mainly the men who went on expeditions, we find more men’s than women’s names. This can be seen from the Viking communities in England, for example.

Origin and Evolution of Viking Names

Male names from the Viking Age

1. Aesir – Norse Mythology, a Norse god

2. Åge – man that ploughs; ancestor

3. Alex – means “defender”

4. Alf – means, “elf”; Norse Mythology, Alf was a king who pursued a reluctant maiden who later changed her mind

5. Alvis – Norse Mythology, a dwarf who was to marry Thor’s daughter Thrud.

6. Aren – Danish, means “eagle”

7. Aric – Swedish, Old Norse, means “eternal ruler”

8. Arkyn – Old Norse, means “eternal king’s son”

9. Arne – means “eagle”

10. Asbjorne – Norwegian, Danish, means “bear”

11. Audor – Ancient Scandinavian, means “wealth”

12. Birger – keeper   

13. Bjarke – Danish, means “bear”

14. Bjarne – Ancient Scandinavian, Faroese, means “bear”

15. Bjoern – Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, means “bear”

16. Bjørn- bear   

17. Bo- the resident  

18. Bragi – Icelandic, means “first”; Norse Mythology, Norse god of poetry

19. Ebbe – Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, means “wild boar”

20. Erik – absolute ruler  

Viking Names

21. Erling – Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, means “heir of the clan, chief”

22. Espen – Danish, Norwegian, means “bear”

23. Fenrir – Norse Mythology, a giant, monstrous wolf – Loki’s son by the evil giantess Angrboða – who was destined to kill the god Odin at the final battle of Ragnarök

24. Freyre – Norse Mythology, Norse god of fertility, sunlight, and rain

25. Frode- wise and clever 

26. Gandalf – Old Norse, means “wand elf”

27. Gender-Neutral Viking Names

28. Gisli – Icelandic, Faroese, Ancient Scandinavian, means “pledge”

29. Gorm – he who worships god

30. Gunnar – Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, means “he who stands alone”; Norse Mythology, husband of Brynhildr, a maiden rescued by another man who pretended to be Gunnar

31. Halfdan – the half Danish  

32. Hanne – Danish, Norwegian, means “Yaweh is gracious”

33. Harald: lord and ruler 

34. Helge – Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, means “holy, blessed”

35. Henny – Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, means “home ruler”

36. Herleif – Norwegian, means “warrior descendant”

37. Hrafen – Ancient Scandinavian, means “raven”

38. Inge – Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, means “ancestor”

39. Ivar – Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, means “bow warrior, archer”

40. Jo – English, German, Dutch, Norwegian, means “Yaweh is gracious”

41. Kåre: with curly hair  

42. Knud: knot   

43. Leif: descendant

44. Loki – Norse Mythology, the trickster god

45. Magnus – Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, means “great, mighty”

46. Mille – Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, means “rival”

47. Njal: giant   

48. Njord – Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, means “strong, vigorous”

49. Ødger: wealth and spear 

50. Odin – Norse Mythology, the highest of the Norse gods, presiding over art, war, wisdom and death

Viking Boy
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51. Olaf – Norwegian, Danish, means “ancestor’s descendent”

52. Ragnar – Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic, means “army rule”

53. Roar: fame and spear 

54. Rune: secret  

55. Selby – English, means “willow farm”

56. Sindri – Ancient Scandinavian, Icelandic, means “sparkling”; Norse Mythology, dwarf who made magical items for the gods

57. Skarde: with cleft chin 

58. Sten: stone   

59. Storm – Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, means “storm”

60. Sune: son  

61. Svend: freeman who is in the service of another

62. Thor – Norse Mythology, Norse god of strength, thunder, war and storms, son of Odin

63. Toke: Thor and helmet  

64. Torsten: Thor and stone 

65. Troels: Thor’s arrow  

66. Trygve: trustworthy  

67. Tyr – Norse Mythology, god of war and justice

68. Ulf: wolf   

69. Ulrik – Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, means “noble ruler”

70. Vidar – Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, means “warrior”; Norse Mythology, son of Odin and Grid

71. Volund – Old Norse, means “skillful, artful”

Viking Gilr

Female names from the Viking Age

1. Áma – Ancient Scandinavian, Greenlandic, means “eagle”; Norse Mythology, a giantess

2. Åse: goddess

3. Astra – Norwegian, Swedish, means, “as beautiful as a god”

4. Astrid- beautiful, loved

5. Bodil – penance and fight

6. Borghild – Norwegian, means “battle fortification”; Norse Mythology, wife of Sigmund

7. Brynhild – Norse Mythology, a maiden who was rescued by a man pretending to be her husband

8. Eir – Icelandic, Norwegian, means “mercy”; Norse Mythology, goddess of healing and medicine.

9. Elli – Norse Mythology, old age personified

10. Embla – Icelandic, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, means “uncertain”; Norse Mythology, one of the first two humans

11. Erica – Swedish, means “mighty ruler”

12. Estrid – god and beautiful

13. Freja – Danish, Swedish, means “lady”; Norse Mythology, goddess of love, beauty, war, and death

14. Freya – Norse Mythology, Norse goddess of love, beauty, war, and death

15. Frida – peace

16. Frigg – Norse Mythology, Norse goddess of the earth, air and fertility

17. Gerd – Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, means “enclosure”; Norse Mythology, fertility goddess, frost giantess

18. Gertrud – spear

19. Grid – Norse Mythology, frost giantess and mother of Víðarr by Odin

20. Gro – to grow

Viking Baby Names

21. Gudrun – god and rune

22. Gunhild – fight

23. Heidrun – Norse Mythology, a goat that would eat the leaves from the tree of life and produce mead in her udder.

24. Helga – sacred

25. Hilda – the fighter

26. Hilde – German, Dutch, Norwegian, means “battle”

27. Hildr – Norse Mythology, a valkyrie

28. Hlife – Ancient Scandinavian, Icelandic, means “protection”

29. Hrefna – Ancient Scandinavian, means “raven”

30. Hulda – Icelandic, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, means “hiding, secrecy”; Norse Mythology, a sorceress

31. Idunn – Norse Mythology, goddess of spring and immortality

32. Inga – of the god Inge

33. Kara – Norse Mythology, a valkyrie

34. Liv – Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, means “protection”

35. Liva – Danish, means “protection”

36. Nanna – Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic, means “daring, brave”; Norse Mythology, goddess who died of grief when her husband Balder was killed

37. Ragnfríðr – Ancient Scandinavian, means “beautiful advice

38. Randi – shield or shrine

39. Revna – raven

40. Roar – Norwegian, means “warrior”

41. Rúna – Ancient Scandinavian, Icelandic, Faroese, means “secret lore”

Viking Boys Playing

42. Saga – Swedish, Icelandic, means “seeing one”; Norse Mythology, goddess of poetry and history

43. Sif – wife and bride

44. Signe – the one who is victorious

45. Sigrid – victorious horsewoman

46. Siv – Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, means “bride”; Norse Mythology, wife of Thor.

47. Skadi – Norse Mythology, mountain giantess associated with the winter and skiing

48. Skuld – Norse Mythology, Norn of the future, one of three goddesses of destiny

49. Solveig – Norwegian, Swedish, means “strength of the sun”

50. Svanhild – Norse Mythology, daughter of Sigurd and Gudrun

51. Thurid: Thor and beautiful

52. Thyra: helpful

53. Tora: of the god Thor

54. Tove: dove

55. Ulfhild – wolf or battle

Viking Baby Names

56. Urd – Norse Mythology, Norn of the past, one of three goddesses of destiny

57. Verdandi – Norse Mythology, Norn of the present, one of three goddesses of destiny

58. Yrsa – wild or she bear

As you can see above, Viking names are simply great. They carry both power and strength, which are wonderful features any name can be. Maybe you are contemplating what names to give your kids, Viking baby names will be a very nice option.

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