Historical Icelandic Names

By ccmrath · Updated May 2023

Names28

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Total Names28

Across 2 pages

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About this list

Names spotted in Icelandic history. Many of the names in this list come directly from the National Museum of Iceland in Reykjavik.

Related Lists

International Baby Names Historic and Vintage Names

The names

Showing 1–20 of 28

Ari
Diminutive of Ariel, Hebrew
"lion of God"
Ari, the short form of Ariel (or any other Ari- beginning name, such as Aristotle) stands up better as a boys’ name than its progenitor does. It is also short for Aristotle, as in Onassis, and is a…
Gunnar
Scandinavian variation of Gunther
"bold warrior"
A key figure in Norse legend and a traditional Scandinavian favorite making inroads here.
Tomas
German; Norwegian; Swedish; Lithuanian, version of Thomas, Aramaic
"twin"
The most common form of Thomas in various European languages, although some Anglophone parents also use this as a phonetic spelling of the classic name. Tomas is usually pronounced with an emphasis…
Magnus
Scandinavian from Latin
"greatest"
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…
Bjorn
Swedish, Icelandic, German
"bear"
Bjorn is one of the most recognizable Scandinavian names , thanks in large part to tennis great Björn Borg, winner of five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles and six French opens and something of a…
Agnes
Greek
"pure, virginal"
Agnes is the Latin variation of the name Hagne, which itself derived from the Greek word hagnos , meaning "chaste." In medieval times, St. Agnes was a very popular saint, leading to its popularity as…
Stefan
German, Scandinavian, Polish, and Russian variation of Stephen, Greek
"crown, garland"
An elegant, continental name for the post-Steve era. It debuted on the US Top 1000 in 1949, fell off in 2008 for one year, then dropped off again in 2024 and seems to be heading downward along with…
Hans
German, Dutch, and Scandinavian, diminutive of Johannes
Though familiar to all via such childhood icons as Hans Brinker, Hans(el) and Gretel, and Hans Christian Andersen, few Americans have chosen this name for their sons because of its intractably Old…
Karl
German and Scandinavian variation of Charles
Manly almost to the point of macho.
Elin
Swedish variation of Ellen
The Elin variation makes an old favorite sleeker and more modern. Elin came to prominence via the ex-Mrs.Tiger Woods and is now perhaps best known via novelist Elin Hildebrand.. It entered the US Top…
Margret
Scandinavian, Icelandic variation of Margaret
"pearl"
Popular Margaret variant in Nordic countries, often spelled Margrét.
Solveig
Norse
"the strong house; the way of the sun"
Currently popular in Norway where it ranks in the Top 50, Solveig is a sunny but strong choice, also familiar across Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and Finland. It notably appears as the name of the…
Elisabet
Scandinavian, variation of Elizabeth
"pledged to God"
One of the few versions of Elizabeth that hasn't translated here.
Briet
Finnur
Fridrik
Helga
Scandinavian
"holy, blessed"
A traditional Nordic name, Helga was extremely popular throughout Scandinavia in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In Germany, it was a Top 10 pick from 1924 to 1943. And it still ranks in the…
Hjalmar
Scandinavian
"helmet protector"
Old Norse name that lives on more appealingly in modern times as Jalmari, short form Jari. This form remains popular in Sweden, however.
Ingibjorg
Karitas
Icelandic variation of Carita
"beloved"
Karitas -- with an accent over the i -- is among the Icelandic Top 100 names, a version of the Scandinavian Carita which is itself a spin on Charity. An intriguing and unique name with a beautiful…

Historical Icelandic Names

About this list

The names

Ari

Gunnar

Tomas

Magnus

Bjorn

Agnes

Stefan

Hans

Karl

Elin

Margret

Solveig

Elisabet

Briet

Finnur

Fridrik

Helga

Hjalmar

Ingibjorg

Karitas