Norwegian Girl Names
Norwegian girl names have a clean, bright sound — think Ingrid, Solveig, Astrid and Liv. They draw on Old Norse words for victory, battle, sun and life, on the saints of the medieval church, and on Norway’s modern taste for short, simple names. This list brings together 90+ Norwegian names for girls, each with its meaning and origin.
You’ll find today’s most popular names, Viking-age classics, grandmother names ripe for a comeback, modern picks and Sami names from the far north. For sons, see Norwegian boy names; for the wider picture, visit the Norwegian names hub. Our neighbors’ lists, Swedish girl names and Finnish girl names, are worth a look too.
Most popular Norwegian girl names
Nora has been one of Norway’s favorite girl names for well over a decade, and the current top lists from Statistics Norway (SSB) mix international names with Nordic classics.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Nora | Short for Eleonora; meaning uncertain, often “light” or “honor” | Latin / Greek |
| Emma | Whole, universal | Germanic |
| Olivia | Olive tree | Latin |
| Ella | Short for names like Eleonora; also “all” | Germanic |
| Sofie | Wisdom | Greek |
| Leah | Weary, or “cow” (the wife of Jacob) | Hebrew |
| Frida | Peace | Germanic / Norse |
| Ingrid | Ing is beautiful | Old Norse |
| Maja | Scandinavian form of Maria | Hebrew |
| Astrid | Divinely beautiful | Old Norse |
| Selma | Possibly from Anselma, “divine helmet” | Germanic |
| Hedda | Short for Hedvig, “battle” | Germanic |
| Amalie | Work, industrious | Germanic |
| Mathilde | Mighty in battle | Germanic |
| Aurora | Dawn | Latin |
| Ada | Noble | Germanic |
| Iben | Danish-Norwegian form of Isabel, “God is my oath” | Hebrew |
| Thea | Goddess, or short for Theodora, “gift of God” | Greek |
Old Norse girl names
These names come from the Viking Age and the sagas and are enjoying a revival. Many honor gods and goddesses — see female Viking names for more.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Sigrid | Beautiful victory | Old Norse |
| Solveig | Sun + strength (sól + veig) | Old Norse |
| Liv | Life; also “protection” | Old Norse |
| Ragnhild | Counsel + battle | Old Norse |
| Gunhild | War + battle | Old Norse |
| Borghild | Fortification + battle | Old Norse |
| Torunn | Thor’s love | Old Norse |
| Ingeborg | Ing’s protection | Old Norse |
| Åse | Goddess (from áss) | Old Norse |
| Eldbjørg | Fire + protection | Old Norse |
| Aslaug | God-betrothed woman | Old Norse |
| Idun | Ever young; the goddess of youth | Old Norse |
| Frøya | Lady; the goddess Freyja | Old Norse |
| Ylva | She-wolf | Old Norse |
| Embla | The first woman in Norse myth; possibly “elm” or “vine” | Old Norse |
| Dagny | New day | Old Norse |
| Eir | Mercy, help; goddess of healing | Old Norse |
| Svanhild | Swan + battle | Old Norse |
| Ingvild | Ing + battle | Old Norse |
| Ragna | Counsel, advice from the gods | Old Norse |
| Hilde | Battle | Old Norse |
| Gro | To grow | Old Norse |
| Unni | Possibly “wave” or “to love” | Old Norse |
| Signe | New victory | Old Norse |
| Tora | Thor (female form) | Old Norse |
| Solfrid | “Beautiful sun” | Old Norse sól + fríðr |
| Ranveig | “House-strength” or “home, power” | Old Norse rann + veig |
| Gudrun | “God’s secret lore” | Old Norse Guðrún |
| Torhild | “Thor’s battle” | Old Norse Þórhildr |
| Jorunn | Possibly “stallion” + “love” (jór + unnr) | Old Norse Jórunn |
| Haldis | Possibly “rock goddess” (hallr + dís) | Old Norse |
| Astri | Variant of Astrid, “beautiful god” | Norwegian form of Ástríðr |
Classic Norwegian girl names
These were grandmothers’ names in 20th-century Norway, and several are coming back into fashion.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Kari | Norwegian form of Katarina, “pure” | Greek |
| Marit | Norwegian form of Margaret, “pearl” | Greek |
| Berit | Scandinavian form of Birgitta, “exalted” | Irish |
| Randi | From Ragnfríðr, “counsel + beautiful” | Old Norse |
| Tove | From Tófa, a form of Thorfrid, “Thor + beautiful” | Old Norse |
| Tone | Possibly from Torny, “Thor + new” | Old Norse |
| Guri | From Gudrid, “god + beautiful” | Old Norse |
| Siri | From Sigrid, “beautiful victory” | Old Norse |
| Kristin | Follower of Christ | Greek |
| Inger | Ing’s (the god Freyr’s) | Old Norse |
| Anne | Grace, favor | Hebrew |
| Grete | Short for Margrete, “pearl” | Greek |
| Ingunn | Ing + love | Old Norse |
| Oddny | Point + new | Old Norse |
| Bodil | Battle + remedy (Bóthildr) | Old Norse |
| Gunvor | War + vigilant | Old Norse |
Modern and trendy Norwegian girl names
Soft sounds and short spellings are in style. Several of these are distinctly Norwegian and rare in the US.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Tiril | Possibly from a word for a bird’s trill; a Norwegian favorite | Norwegian |
| Vilde | Possibly from Old Norse vild, “wild” or “eager” | Old Norse |
| Tuva | From Tófa, Thor + beautiful | Old Norse |
| Oda | Wealth | Germanic |
| Sunniva | Sun gift; St. Sunniva is western Norway’s patron saint | Old English |
| Synnøve | Norwegian form of Sunniva, “sun gift” | Old English |
| Mia | Short for Maria | Hebrew |
| Hanna | Grace | Hebrew |
| Julie | Youthful | Latin |
| Ida | Work, labor | Germanic |
| Emilie | Rival, eager | Latin |
| Mille | Short for Emilie | Latin |
| Sara | Princess | Hebrew |
| Marte | Norwegian form of Martha, “lady” | Aramaic |
| Vår | Spring (the season) | Norwegian |
| Juni | June | Latin |
| Live | Variant of Liv, “life” | Old Norse |
| Saga | Story, legend; also a Norse goddess | Old Norse |
Sami girl names
Norway’s Indigenous Sami people have their own name forms, often adaptations of biblical or Nordic names, protected under the Name Act.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Máret | Sami form of Margaret, “pearl” | Sami |
| Ánne | Sami form of Anna, “grace” | Sami |
| Elle | Sami form of Ellen / Helena, “light” | Sami |
| Risten | Sami form of Kristin | Sami |
| Iŋgá | Sami form of Inga | Sami |
| Sárá | Sami form of Sara | Sami |
| Beret | Sami form of Berit | Sami |
| Ristiinná | Sami form of Kristina | Sami |
How to pick a Norwegian girl name
- Choose your spelling of ø and å. Frøya can be written Freya or Froya, and Åse becomes Aase in traditional transliteration. Decide which version you’ll use on documents.
- Check the pronunciation. In Norwegian, Liv sounds like “leave” and Signe is “SING-neh.” Decide whether you want the Norwegian or the English sound.
- Mine the old names. Grandmother names like Gunvor, Bodil and Ingunn are rare in the US and have strong, authentic roots.
- Look at meanings you love. Dagny (“new day”) and Solveig (“sun strength”) pair well with lists like names that mean sun.
- Honor the myths with care. Goddess names such as Idun, Eir and Saga are lovely; our Norse god names explain who each one was.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular girl name in Norway?
Nora has topped or come close to topping Norway’s list for years, alongside Emma, Olivia, Ella, Sofie, Leah and Frida.
What are traditional Norwegian girl names?
Kari, Marit, Ingrid, Solveig, Sigrid, Randi, Berit and Liv are classic Norwegian names used for generations.
What does Solveig mean?
Solveig comes from Old Norse sól (sun) and veig (strength or drink), usually given as “sun strength.” It’s famous from Ibsen’s Peer Gynt and Grieg’s “Solveig’s Song.”
What Norwegian girl name means wolf?
Ylva means “she-wolf” in Old Norse. It is more common in Sweden but used in Norway too.
Is Freya a Norwegian name?
Yes. Freya is the English spelling of Freyja, the Norse goddess of love; the modern Norwegian form is Frøya.