Norse Mythology Origin Names

Ægir m Norse Mythology
Means "sea, ocean" in Old Norse. According to Norse mythology Ægir was a god or giant (jǫtunn) who lived under the ocean. His wife was Rán.

Alvis m Norse Mythology, Latvian
From the Old Norse Alvíss meaning "all wise". In Norse mythology this was the name of a dwarf who was to marry Thor's daughter Thrud. Thor was not pleased with this so he tricked Alvis by asking him questions until the sun rose, at which time the dwarf was turned into stone.

Alvíss m Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Alvis.

Angrboða f Norse Mythology
Means "she who brings grief" in Old Norse, derived from angr "grief" and boða "to forebode, to proclaim". According to Norse mythology Angrboða was a giantess (jǫtunn) and the mother of three of Loki's children: Fenrir, Jörmungandr and Hel.

Ask m Norse Mythology
Derived from Old Norse askr "ash tree". In Norse mythology Ask and his wife Embla were the first humans created by the gods.

Askr m Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Ask.

Balder m Norse Mythology
From Old Norse Baldr meaning "hero, lord, prince", derived from baldr meaning "brave, bold". In Norse mythology Balder was the handsome son of Odin and Frigg. Because of the disturbing dreams he had when he was young, his mother extracted an oath from every thing in the world that it would not harm him. However the devious god Loki learned that she had overlooked mistletoe. Being jealous, he tricked the blind god Hoder into throwing a branch of mistletoe at Balder, which killed him.

Baldr m Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Balder.

Baldur m German, Icelandic
German and Icelandic form of Balder.

Brage m Norse Mythology, Norwegian
Modern Scandinavian form of Bragi.

Bragi m Norse Mythology, Icelandic
Derived from Old Norse bragr meaning "first, foremost" or "poetry". In Norse mythology Bragi is the god of poetry and the husband of Iðunn.

Brokkr m Norse Mythology
Means "badger" in Old Norse. In Norse mythology this was the name of a dwarf, the brother and assistant of Sindri.

Eir f Norse Mythology, Icelandic (Rare), Norwegian (Rare)
Means "mercy" in Old Norse. This was the name of a Norse goddess of healing and medicine.

Eira 2 f Swedish, Norwegian
Modern form of Eir.

Elli 3 f Norse Mythology
Means "old age" in Old Norse. In the Prose Edda this is the name of an old woman (old age personified) who wrestles with and defeats the god Thor.

Elvis m English
Meaning unknown. It could possibly be a derivative of Alvis or Elwin. More likely, it is from the rare surname Elvis, a variant of Elwes, which is ultimately derived from the given name Eloise. The name was brought to public attention by the singer Elvis Presley (1935-1977), whose name came from his father's middle name.... [more]

Embla f Norse Mythology, Icelandic, Swedish, Norwegian
Meaning uncertain, perhaps related to Old Norse almr "elm". In Norse mythology Embla and her husband Ask were the first humans. They were created by three of the gods from two trees.

Erna 2 f Norse Mythology, Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
Means "brisk, vigorous, hale" in Old Norse. This was the name of the wife of Jarl in Norse legend.

Fenrir m Norse Mythology
From Old Norse fen meaning "marsh, fen". In Norse mythology Fenrir was a ferocious wolf, one of the offspring of Loki and the giantess Angrboða. Because it was foretold he would bring about disaster, the gods bound him with a magical fetter, though in the process Tyr's hand was bitten off. At the time of Ragnarök, the end of the world, it is told that he will break free and kill Odin.

Frea f Norse Mythology
Variant of Freya.

Frej m Danish, Swedish
Danish and Swedish form of Freyr.

Freja f Danish, Swedish
Danish and Swedish form of Freya.

Frey m Norse Mythology
Variant of Freyr.

Freya f Norse Mythology, English (Modern), German
From Old Norse Freyja meaning "lady". This is the name of a goddess associated with love, beauty, war and death in Norse mythology. She claims half of the heroes who are slain in battle and brings them to her realm of Fólkvangr. Along with her brother Freyr and father Njord, she is one of the Vanir (as opposed to the Æsir). Some scholars connect her with the goddess Frigg.... [more]

Freyja f Icelandic, Norse Mythology
Icelandic and Old Norse form of Freya.

Freyr m Norse Mythology, Icelandic
Means "lord" in Old Norse, derived from the Germanic root *fraujô. This is the name of a Norse god. He may have originally been called Yngvi, with the name Freyr being his title. Freyr is associated with fertility, sunlight and rain, and is the husband of the giantess Gerd. With his twin sister Freya and father Njord he is one of the group of deities called the Vanir.

Frøya f Norwegian
Norwegian form of Freya.

Gandalf m Norse Mythology, Literature
Means "wand elf" in Old Norse, from the elements gandr "wand, staff, magic, monster" and alfr "elf". This name belongs to a dwarf (Gandálfr) in the Völuspá, a 13th-century Scandinavian manuscript that forms part of the Poetic Edda. The author J. R. R. Tolkien borrowed the name for a wizard in his novels The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings (1954).

Gandálfr m Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Gandalf.

Gefion f Norse Mythology
Variant of Gefjon.

Gefjon f Norse Mythology
Probably means "the giving one", from Old Norse gefa "to give". Gefjon or Gefion was a Norse goddess associated with ploughing and fertility.

Gerd 2 f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Norse Mythology
From Old Norse Gerðr, derived from garðr meaning "enclosure, yard". According to Norse myth, Gerd was a beautiful giantess (jǫtunn). After Freyr fell in love with her, he had his servant Skírnir convince her to marry him.

Gerda 2 f Danish, Swedish, Norwegian
Latinized form of Gerd 2.

Gerðr f Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Gerd 2.

Grid f Norse Mythology
From Old Norse Gríðr, probably derived from either gríð "zeal, vehemence" or grið "peace". In Norse myth she was a giantess (jǫtunn), the mother of Vidar by Odin. She aided Thor in his fight against the giant Geirrod.

Gríðr f Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Grid.

Gro f Norwegian
Norwegian form of Gróa.

Gróa f Norse Mythology, Icelandic
Derived from Old Norse gróa meaning "to grow". This is the name of a seeress in Norse mythology.

Heimdall m Norse Mythology
From Old Norse Heimdallr, derived from Old Norse heimr "home, house" and dallr, possibly meaning "glowing, shining". In Norse mythology he is the god who guards the Bifröst, the bridge that connects Asgard to the other worlds. It is foretold that he will blow the Gjallarhorn to wake the gods for the final battle at the end of the world, Ragnarök. During this battle, he will fight Loki and they will slay one another.

Heimdallr m Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Heimdall.

Heimir m Norse Mythology, Icelandic
From Old Norse heimr meaning "home" (a cognate of Hama). In the Völsungasaga he is a king of Hlymdalir.

Hel f Norse Mythology
In Norse mythology this was the name of the daughter of Loki. She got her name from the underworld, also called Hel, where she ruled, which meant "to conceal, to cover" in Old Norse (related to the English word hell).

Hoder m Norse Mythology
From Old Norse Hǫðr, derived from hǫð meaning "battle". In Norse mythology he was a blind god, tricked by Loki into killing his brother Balder.

Hǫðr m Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Hoder.

Hrönn f Icelandic
Icelandic form of Hrǫnn.

Hrǫnn f Norse Mythology
Means "wave" in Old Norse. In Norse mythology she was one of the nine daughters of Ægir and Rán.

Huld f Norse Mythology
Old Norse variant of Hulda 1.

Hulda 1 f Icelandic, Swedish, Norwegian, Norse Mythology
Derived from Old Norse hulda meaning "hiding, secrecy". This was the name of a sorceress in Norse mythology. As a modern name, it can also derive from archaic Swedish huld meaning "gracious, sweet, lovable".

Idonea f English (Archaic)
Medieval English name, probably a Latinized form of Iðunn. The spelling may have been influenced by Latin idonea "suitable". It was common in England from the 12th century.

Idony f English (Archaic)
Medieval English vernacular form of Idonea.

Idun f Norse Mythology, Swedish, Norwegian
Modern Scandinavian form of Iðunn.

Idunn f Norse Mythology, Norwegian
Norwegian variant form of Iðunn.

Iðunn f Norse Mythology, Old Norse, Icelandic
Probably derived from the Old Norse prefix ið- "again, repeated" and unna "to love". In Norse mythology Iðunn was the goddess of spring and immortality whose responsibility it was to guard the gods' apples of youth.

Jarl m Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Norse Mythology, Old Norse
Means "chieftain, nobleman" in Old Norse (a cognate of the English word earl). In the Norse poem Rígsþula Jarl is the son of the god Ríg and the founder of the race of warriors.

Jörmungandr m Norse Mythology
From Old Norse Jǫrmungandr, derived from jǫrmun "great, immense" and gandr "monster, magic, wand". In Norse mythology Jörmungandr was an enormous sea serpent, also known as the World Serpent because he was said to encircle the world. He was one of the offspring of Loki and Angrboða. During Ragnarök, the battle at end of the world, it is said that he will fight his old enemy Thor and both of them will die.

Jǫrmungandr m Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Jörmungandr.

Kára f Norse Mythology
Probably from Old Norse kárr meaning "curly, curved". In Norse legend this was the name of a valkyrie.

Loke m Norse Mythology, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Modern Scandinavian form of Loki.

Loki m Norse Mythology
Meaning unknown, possibly derived from the Germanic root *luką meaning "lock". In Norse mythology Loki was a trickster god associated with magic and shape shifting. Loki's children include the wolf Fenrir, the sea serpent Jörmungandr, and the queen of the dead Hel. After he orchestrated the death of Balder, the other gods tied him to a rock below a snake that dripped venom onto his face. It is told that he will break free during Ragnarök, the final battle, and slay and be slain by Heimdall.

Nanna 1 f Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Norse Mythology
Possibly derived from Old Norse nanþ meaning "daring, brave". In Norse mythology she was a goddess who died of grief when her husband Balder was killed.

Ǫrvar m Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Orvar.

Orvar m Swedish (Rare), Norse Mythology
Means "arrow" in Old Norse. Orvar Odd is a legendary Norse hero who is the subject of a 13th-century Icelandic saga.

Rán f Norse Mythology
Means "robbery, theft" in Old Norse. In Norse mythology Rán was a sea goddess who captured and drowned sailors. She was wife to Ægir and the mother of nine daughters by him.

Sága f Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Saga.

Saga f Norse Mythology, Swedish, Icelandic
From Old Norse Sága, possibly meaning "seeing one", derived from sjá "to see". This is the name of a Norse goddess, possibly connected to Frigg. As a Swedish and Icelandic name, it is also derived from the unrelated word saga "story, fairy tale, saga".

Sif f Norse Mythology, Danish, Icelandic
Old Norse, Danish and Icelandic form of Siv.

Siv f Swedish, Norwegian, Norse Mythology
From Old Norse Sif, which meant "bride, kinswoman". In Norse mythology she was the wife of Thor. After the trickster Loki cut off her golden hair, an angry Thor forced him to create a replacement.

Siw f Swedish, Norwegian
Variant of Siv.

Skadi f Norse Mythology
Variant of Skaði.

Skaði f Norse Mythology
Means "damage, harm" in Old Norse. In Norse mythology she was a giantess (jǫtunn) associated with the winter, skiing and mountains. After the gods killed her father, they offered her a husband from among them as compensation. She ended up marrying Njord.

Skuld f Norse Mythology
Means "debt, obligation" in Old Norse. She was one of the three Norns, or goddesses of destiny, in Norse mythology. She was also one of the valkyries.

Þjazi m Norse Mythology
Meaning unknown. In Norse mythology this is the name of the giant (jǫtunn) who, in the form of an eagle, carried off Iðunn and her magical apples.

Þrymr m Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Trym.

Trym m Norse Mythology, Norwegian
From Old Norse Þrymr meaning "noise, uproar". In Norse mythology he was a king of the giants who stole Mjölnir, Thor's hammer. Trym demanded that he wed the beautiful Freya in exchange for it, so Thor disguised himself in a wedding dress and killed the giant.

Ulla f Swedish, Danish, Finnish, German
Scandinavian diminutive of Ulrika or Hulda 1, or a German diminutive of Ursula.

Urd f Norse Mythology
From Old Norse Urðr meaning "fate". In Norse mythology Urd was one of the three Norns, or goddesses of destiny. She was responsible for the past.

Urðr f Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Urd.

Vanadís f Norse Mythology
Means "goddess of the Vanir" in Old Norse. This was an epithet of the Norse goddess Freya, given because she was a member of the Vanir (as opposed to the Æsir).

Verdandi f Norse Mythology
From Old Norse Verðandi meaning "becoming, happening". Verdandi was one of the three Norns, or goddesses of destiny, in Norse mythology. She was responsible for the present.

Verðandi f Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Verdandi.