Viking names for girls

Freya

Norse

"a noble woman"

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…

Astrid

Scandinavian

"divinely beautiful"

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…

Liv

Diminutive of Olivia, English, Norse

"olive tree; life, protection"

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…

Alva

English form of Irish Ailbhe, Swedish and Norwegian feminine form of Alf

"white; elf"

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-…

Edda

Norse

"poetry"

This Old Norse girl name has a lovely meaning and a familiar yet distinctive sound.

Eira

Welsh

"snow"

This Welsh nature name that can be pronounced exactly like the male Ira. Or, to avoid confusion, you could just name her Snow.

Embla

Norse

"elm"

In Norse mythology, Embla is the equivalent of the Bible's Eve, who, along with her husband Ask, were the first humans to be created by the gods, in this case from trees. With its lovely nature…

Erica

Norse feminization of Eric or Italian word name

"eternal ruler; heather"

The straightforward Erica is a Norse feminization that was long associated with the complex, mega-popular character Erica Kane, played by Susan Lucci for decades on the soap opera All My Children .…

Hilda

German

"battle woman"

Short for Brunhilda, the operatic Valkyrie of Teutonic legend, Hilda still has not quite shaken off that image that image. Though with the resurgence of Matilda, she might just have a bit of a…

Idun

Swedish, Norse

"ever young"

Idun is a modern Swedish transcription of Iðunn, the Norse goddess of apples, fertility, and youth. She was responsible for guarding and keeping the apples from which the gods ate to renew their…

Ingrid

Norse

"fair; Ing is beautiful"

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…

Saga

Swedish word name

"story; seeress"

Apt name for a little drama queen with a long future ahead of her. Saga is a Top 30 girls' name in Sweden. Saga was the Norse goddess of poetry, storytelling, and history. She was a prophetess — able…

Signe

Scandinavian

"new victory"

Signe could make an offbeat, more unusual alternative to Sydney or Sigrid. In Norse mythology, Signe was the twin sister of Sigmund. Can also be spelled Signy.

Tyra

Scandinavian, feminine variation of Tyr, an ancient Indo-European god

High profile supermodel/entrepreneur Tyra Banks has put this name in the spotlight, endowing it with her confident, superattractive image.

Ylva

Feminine variation of Ulf, Scandinavian

"wolf"

Ylva may look like it belongs with the Eva family of names, but it actually derives from Ulf, a name meaning "wolf." It's not a very intuitive name to English-speakers, and likely won't get picked up…

Frida

German

"peace"

The dynamic personality and paintings of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo have inspired growing numbers of parents to resurrect this form of the name. It does much better in certain European countries,…