What did the Vikings call one another? During the Viking Age, boys were named after the god Thor more often than not but other mythological Viking names were also used for both boys and girls. Other popular options of the day were based on animals or beasts that Norse gods had to defeat at Ragnarök. Further, other Viking names were considered to hold special powers with names that mean “peace” or on the other hand, “fighter.”
All of that means that these appellations have some very evocative and exciting meanings that you might want your baby’s name to possess. The National Museum of Denmark looked to the Viking Age and to runic inscriptions to discover what sorts of names were in use and surprisingly many are still being given to baby boys and girls across Scandinavia and beyond today. Let’s take a look back at a ruthless time in Europe to discover what names the Vikings were using.
Viking Names That Start with A
Names for Girls
- Astrid – meaning: beautiful and loved
- Åse – meaning: goddess
- Ake – meaning: forebear
- Audhild – meaning: fighting for wealth
Names for Boys
- Åge – meaning: man who plows and ancestor
- Arne – meaning: eagle
- Alfhild – meaning: battle of the elves
- Alva – meaning: female elf
Viking Names That Start with B
Names for Girls
- Bergljot – meaning: light will save
- Borghild – meaning: defence in battle
- Bodil – meaning: penance and fight
Names for Boys
- Bjørn – meaning: bear
- Bo – meaning: the resident
- Birger – meaning: one who helps
Viking Names That Start with E
Names for Girls
- Eerika – meaning: ruling forever
- Eira – meaning: merciful
- Estrid – meaning: god and beautiful
Names for Boys
- Einar – meaning: lone fighter
- Erik – meaning: absolute ruler
- Egil – meaning: respect and honor
Viking Names That Start with F
Names for Girls
- Frida – meaning: peace
- Freja – meaning: like a lady
Names for Boys
- Folke – meaning: of the people
- Frode – meaning: wise and clever
- Fritjof – meaning: stealer of peace
Viking Names That Start with G
Names for Girls
- Gertrude – meaning: spear
- Gro – meaning: to grow
- Gudrune – meaning: god and rune
- Gunhild – meaning: fight
Names for Boys
- Garth – meaning: enclosed space
- Gorm – meaning: he who worships god
- Geir – meaning: man with spear
Viking Names That Start with H
Names for Girls
- Hege – meaning: divine woman
- Hilda – meaning: the fighter
- Helga – meaning: sacred
Names for Boys
- Haldor – meaning: the rock of Thor
- Halfdan – meaning: the half Danish
- Harald – meaning: lord and ruler
Viking Names That Start with I
Names for Girls
- Inga – meaning: of the god Inge
- Ingeborg – meaning: god’s protection
- Inger – meaning: beautiful goddess
Names for Boys
- Igor – meaning: Ing’s army
- Ingfred – meaning: peace of Inge
- Ingolf – meaning: Inge’s wolf
Viking Names That Start with K
Names for Girls
- Kari – meaning: pure
Names for Boys
- Knud – meaning: knot
- Kåre – meaning: curly hair
- Kustaa – meaning: staff of the gods
Viking Names That Start with L
Names for Boys
- Leif – meaning: descendant
- Loki – meaning: trickster
Names for Girls
- Liv – meaning: of life
Viking Names That Start with N
Names for Girls
- Nanna – meaning: courageous
Names for Boys
- Njal – meaning: giant
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Viking Names That Start with O
Names for Girls
- Oili – meaning: divine woman
- Olga – meaning: divine woman
- Oydis – meaning: goddess of good luck
Names for Boys
- Ødger – meaning: wealth and spear
- Olaf – meaning: descendent of
- Olin – meaning: hallowed
- Osmond – meaning: divine protection
Viking Names That Start with R
Names for Girls
- Randi – meaning: shrine or shield
- Ragna – meaning: giver of advice
- Ragnhild – meaning: advising in battle
- Runa – meaning: secret tradition
Names for Boys
- Randolph – meaning: wolf shield
- Raul – meaning: as wise as a wolf
- Roar – meaning: fame and spear
- Rune – meaning: secret
Female Viking Names That Start with S
- Saga – meaning: tale
- Sassa – meaning: divine beauty
- Siri – meaning: marvelous in victory
- Sif – meaning: wife and bride
- Signe – meaning: victorious one
- Sigrid – meaning: victorious horsewoman
- Solvi – meaning: from the house of strength
- Sylvi – meaning: from the house of strength
Male Viking Names That Start with S Continued
- Sigurd – meaning: guiding victory
- Sten – meaning: stone
- Skarde – meaning: with a cleft chin
- Stig – meaning: route
- Sune – meaning: son
- Steen – meaning: stone
- Svend – meaning: freeman in service to others
Female Viking Names That Start with T
- Tora – meaning: of the god Thor
- Tone – meaning: new Thor
- Tove – meaning: dove
- Thyra – meaning: helpful
- Thurid – meaning: Thor and beautiful
Male Viking Names That Start with T Continued
- Troels – meaning: Thor’s arrow
- Toke – meaning: Thor and helmut
- Torsten – meaning: Thor and stone
- Trygve – meaning: trustworthy
- Torben – meaning: Thor’s bear
Viking Names That Start with U
Names for Girls
- Ulfhild – meaning: wolf or battle
- Unn – meaning: the beloved one
Names for Boys
- Ulf – meaning: wolf
- Uffe – meaning: wolfman
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Female Viking Names That Start with Y
- Yrsa – meaning: wild or she-bear
- Ylva – meaning: she-wolf
There you go! These Viking names really mean business, don’t they? We hope you uncovered some tough appellations for your baby that might work for a baby born today. From mythology, nature, and much more, these baby names have so much to offer.