Gender Masculine
Pronounced Pron. O-din(English)  [key·IPA]

Meaning & History

Anglicized form of Old Norse Óðinn, which was derived from óðr meaning "inspiration, rage, frenzy". It ultimately developed from Proto-Germanic *Wōdanaz. The name appears as Woden in Anglo-Saxon sources (for example, as the founder of several royal lineages in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle) and in forms such as Wuotan, Wotan or Wodan in continental Europe, though he is best known from Norse sources.

In Norse mythology Odin is the highest of the gods, presiding over war, wisdom and death. He is the husband of Frigg and resides in Valhalla, where warriors go after they are slain. He is usually depicted as a one-eyed older man, carrying two ravens on his shoulders who inform him of all the events of the world. At the time of Ragnarök, the final battle, it is told that he will be killed fighting the great wolf Fenrir.

Related Names

VariantsOden, Óðinn(Norse Mythology)
Other Languages & CulturesWoden(Anglo-Saxon Mythology) Wodan, Wōdanaz, Wotan(Germanic Mythology) Óðinn(Icelandic)
User SubmissionOdín

Popularity

People think this name is

classic   mature   formal   upper class   natural   wholesome   strong   strange   serious  

Name Days

Norway: April 15

Images

Depiction of Odin from an 18th-century Icelandic manuscriptDepiction of Odin from an 18th-century Icelandic manuscript

Categories

Entry updated December 7, 2022