300+ Viking Names
Updated Mon Sep 25 2023
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Viking names were used in Scandinavia during the Viking Age — between the 9th and 11th centuries. All Viking names have Germanic roots. The majority are specifically Old Norse in origin, as that was the dominant language of the time.
Vikings often gave their babies names from mythology, like Freya and Thorsten, or animal names such as Hrefna ("raven") and Ulf ("wolf") because the properties of the deity or animal were thought to protect the child.
Along with Freya, other female Viking names include Bodil, Embla, Gudrun, Tóka, and Yrsa. In addition to Thorsten, other male Viking names include Fenrir, Harald, Knut, Rune, and Vidar.
Many cool Viking names are currently popular in Scandinavia and the English-speaking world. International favorites include Astrid, Bjorn, Freya, Henrik, Ingrid, Liv, and Magnus.
Famous Viking names such as Leif, Ragnar, Rollo, Ivar, and Freydís are also attracting attention thanks to increased interest in Scandinavian names, as well as features in the TV series Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla.
Explore our entire collection of Viking names below, compiled from various primary sources and ordered according to their current popularity on Nameberry.
RELATED:
- Finn
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"fair or white"Description:
Finn is a name with enormous energy and charm, that of the greatest hero of Irish mythology, Finn MacCool (aka Fionn mac Cuumhaill), an intrepid warrior with mystical supernatural powers, noted as well for his wisdom and generosity.
- Astrid
Origin:
ScandinavianMeaning:
"divinely beautiful"Description:
Astrid has been a Scandinavian royal name since the tenth century, and many people associated it with the Swedish author of the Pippi Longstocking stories, Astrid Lindgren. Astrid is derived from the name Ástríðr, which is made up of the Old Norse elements that mean "god" and "beautiful."
- Otto
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"wealthy"Description:
Otto is cool again. Long a quintessential Old Man Name, Otto has been promoted to trending darling of adventurous baby namers.
- Freya
Origin:
NorseMeaning:
"a noble woman"Description:
Freya has long been popular in the U.K. but has only taken off in the US in the last decade, along with the entire category of mythological names. Derived from the Old Norse name Freyja, meaning "Lady, noble woman", Freya is the name of the Norse goddess of love, beauty, and fertility.
- Ida
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"industrious one"Description:
Many vowel names stylish a century ago are coming back, and Ida seems like a possible, logical successor to Ada and Ava.
- Ingrid
Origin:
NorseMeaning:
"fair; Ing is beautiful"Description:
The luminous Ingrid Bergman's appeal was strong enough to lend universal charisma to this classic Scandinavian name, which has been somewhat neglected in the US. Even today, a child named Ingrid would be assumed to be of Scandinavian ancestry, signaling the name has never been fully integrated into the English lexicon the way other European choices from the same era like Danielle or Kathleen have.
- Magnus
Origin:
Scandinavian from LatinMeaning:
"greatest"Description:
Magnus is a Latin name, literally meaning "greatest," that has a Scandinavian feel. It dates back to Charlemagne being called Carolus Magnus, or Charles the Great. Norwegian king Magnus I, named after Charlemagne, introduced it to his culture, and thus Magnus was the name of six early kings of Norway and four of Sweden. It is still a highly popular name in Denmark and Norway.
- Tove
Origin:
ScandinavianMeaning:
"beautiful, beloved"Description:
Tove is a modern variation of an Old Norse name for which there are no letters on the twenty-first century keyboard (Þórfríðr, for those interested.) Surviving and thriving in modern Scandinavia in the form of Tove, Tuva, and Tova, it is originally related to the name Thor and means "beautiful, beloved."
- Odin
Origin:
Variation of Óðinn, Old NorseMeaning:
"god of frenzy; poetic fury"Description:
Odin is the name of the supreme Norse god of art, culture, wisdom, and law — who was handsome, charming, and eloquent into the bargain. The name projects a good measure of strength and power and has excellent assimilation potential.
- Leif
Origin:
Swedish; Danish; NorwegianMeaning:
"heir, descendant"Description:
Leif is one of the most recognizable Scandinavian names, thanks to Icelandic explorer Leif Erikson, and is still one of the best, with a pleasant aural association with the word leaf.
- Ivan
Origin:
Russian variation of JohnMeaning:
"God is gracious"Description:
Though some might find it a bit heavy-booted, Ivan is one of the few Russian boys' names to become fully accepted into the American naming pool.
- Dana
Origin:
English, Slavic, Persian, ArabicMeaning:
"from Denmark, gift, or wise"Description:
This name found in both Celtic and Scandinavian mythology has gone from all-boy to almost all-girl, retaining a strong, unisex quality. However, it has dropped following its three-decade heyday from the 1960s to the 1990s.
- Bo
Origin:
Norse nicknameMeaning:
"to live"Description:
A popular name in Denmark, in this country Bo has some cowboy swagger and a lot of substance in its minimal two letters. In Mandarin Chinese, Bo means "wave".
- Una
Origin:
Latin, Irish, or Old NorseMeaning:
"one; lamb; happy"Description:
In an epic poem, the personification of truth, beauty, and unity; this ancient name is popular in several European countries but less common in the US. The Oona spelling is slightly more popular but Una sleeker.
- Rune
Origin:
German and SwedishMeaning:
"secret"Description:
Name with connotations both mystical and tragic, newly popular in Europe. For English speakers, though, this name might be ruined by its homonym ruin.
- Viggo
Origin:
ScandinavianMeaning:
"war"Description:
Though to most Americans Viggo is a one-person name attached to intense actor Mortensen, it is actually an old Norse name dating back to the Vikings, and is currently the 32nd most popular appellation in Sweden. Viggo Mortensen is a Jr., sharing his name with his Danish father.
- Lars
Origin:
Scandinavian from Latin LaurentiusMeaning:
"crowned with laurel"Description:
Lars is a perfect candidate for a cross-cultural passport: it has been heard often enough here to sound familiar and friendly, yet retains the charisma of a charming foreigner.
- Alva
Origin:
English form of Irish Ailbhe, Swedish and Norwegian feminine form of AlfMeaning:
"white; elf"Description:
While the male Alva or Alvah relates directly to the minor Biblical character, the female version is more likely an Anglicized form of the Irish name Ailbhe, or a feminine form the name Alf (and Alf- beginning names), popular in its native Sweden and Norway. Best known as Thomas Edison's middle name, Alva has true unisex roots.
- Liv
Origin:
Diminutive of Olivia, English, NorseMeaning:
"olive tree; life, protection"Description:
Liv combines the succinct charm of a nickname—people might assume it's short for Olivia—with the solidity of being a classic stand-alone Scandinavian name with a life-force meaning. It was brought into the public eye (in the English speaking world that is) due to the fame of actress and Aerosmith daughter Liv Tyler.
- Saga
Origin:
Swedish word nameMeaning:
"story; seeress"Description:
Apt name for a little drama queen with a long future ahead of her. Saga is a Top 30 girls' name in Sweden.