Viking Names
Viking names were built from a small set of powerful Old Norse words — björn (bear), ulfr (wolf), sigr (victory), hildr (battle) — mixed and matched to create names like Sigurd, Brynhild and Thorstein. We know them from the Icelandic sagas and from thousands of runestones across Scandinavia, and many are still in daily use in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland.
This page gathers 91 authentic Viking names: legendary figures, everyday names, names honoring the gods, the colorful nicknames Vikings earned, and how their “last names” worked. For longer lists, jump to our Viking boy names, female Viking names and Viking last names, or meet the gods themselves in our Norse god names.
Viking Names: browse all lists
Famous Vikings and their names
Some of these figures are firmly historical; others, like Ragnar and Lagertha, sit somewhere between history and saga legend.
| Name | Who they were | Era |
|---|---|---|
| Ragnar Lodbrok | Legendary Danish-Norse king and raider, hero of sagas | 9th century (legendary) |
| Ivar the Boneless | Leader of the Great Heathen Army in England | 9th century |
| Björn Ironside | Semi-legendary Swedish king, famed Mediterranean raider | 9th century |
| Erik the Red | Founded the first Norse settlement in Greenland | c. 950–1003 |
| Leif Erikson | Reached North America (Vinland) around 1000 | c. 970–1020 |
| Freydís Eiríksdóttir | Erik the Red’s daughter, fierce figure of the Vinland sagas | c. 1000 |
| Lagertha | Shieldmaiden described by the historian Saxo Grammaticus | Legendary |
| Aud the Deep-Minded | Matriarch who led settlers to Iceland | 9th century |
| Gunnhild, Mother of Kings | Powerful queen of Norway in the sagas | 10th century |
| Harald Bluetooth | King who united Denmark and converted to Christianity | c. 958–986 |
| Sweyn Forkbeard | Danish king who conquered England in 1013 | died 1014 |
| Cnut the Great | Ruled England, Denmark and Norway | died 1035 |
| Olaf Tryggvason | King who spread Christianity in Norway | died 1000 |
| Harald Hardrada | Warrior king killed at Stamford Bridge, 1066 | c. 1015–1066 |
Viking boy names
Short, strong and often animal-inspired. See 100+ more in our full list of Viking boy names.
| Name | Old Norse | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Björn | Björn | Bear |
| Sigurd | Sigurðr | Victory guardian |
| Ulf | Úlfr | Wolf |
| Arne | Arni | Eagle |
| Halfdan | Hálfdan | Half Dane |
| Gunnar | Gunnarr | Battle warrior |
| Kåre | Kári | Curly; also a name for the wind |
| Ragnvald | Rögnvaldr | Ruler guided by the gods’ counsel |
| Hákon | Hákon | High son, noble descendant |
| Einar | Einarr | Lone warrior |
| Geir | Geirr | Spear |
| Orm | Ormr | Serpent, dragon |
| Ketil | Ketill | Cauldron, helmet |
| Hrafn | Hrafn | Raven |
| Sten | Steinn | Stone |
| Frode | Fróði | Wise, learned |
| Hjalmar | Hjálmarr | Helmeted warrior |
| Magnus | Magnús | Great (Latin, adopted by Norse kings) |
| Grim | Grímr | Masked one, a byname of Odin |
| Floki | Flóki | Tangled hair; Hrafna-Flóki named Iceland |
Viking girl names
Viking women’s names often combine battle words with beauty and victory. For more, see our female Viking names and female warrior names.
| Name | Old Norse | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Astrid | Ástríðr | Divinely beautiful |
| Sigrid | Sigríðr | Beautiful victory |
| Gudrun | Guðrún | Secret lore of the gods |
| Helga | Helga | Holy, blessed |
| Ragnhild | Ragnhildr | Battle counsel |
| Solveig | Sólveig | Sun strength |
| Brynhild | Brynhildr | Armored battle-maiden |
| Hild | Hildr | Battle |
| Ylva | Ylfa | She-wolf |
| Alfhild | Álfhildr | Elf battle |
| Hrefna | Hrefna | Raven (feminine) |
| Signy | Signý | New victory |
| Dagny | Dagný | New day |
| Eir | Eir | Mercy, help; goddess of healing |
| Frida | Fríða | Beautiful, beloved |
| Hervor | Hervör | Army guardian (possibly) |
| Liv | Hlíf | Protection, shelter |
| Unn | Unnr | Wave |
| Svanhild | Svanhildr | Swan battle |
| Ragna | Ragna | Counsel of the gods |
Viking names that honor the Norse gods
Vikings rarely named children directly after gods, but they built names around them — especially Thor, the protector of ordinary people. Meet the gods in our Norse god names.
| Name | Old Norse | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Thorstein | Þorsteinn | Thor’s stone |
| Thorvald | Þorvaldr | Thor’s ruler |
| Thorkell | Þorkell | Thor’s cauldron |
| Thorbjörn | Þorbjörn | Thor’s bear |
| Thora | Þóra | Thor (feminine form) |
| Thordis | Þórdís | Thor’s goddess |
| Thorunn | Þórunn | Loved by Thor |
| Freydís | Freydís | Goddess of Freyr |
| Ingrid | Ingríðr | Beautiful through Ing (Freyr) |
| Ingvar | Ingvarr | Ing’s warrior |
| Ingolf | Ingólfr | Ing’s wolf; Iceland’s first settler |
| Ásbjörn | Ásbjörn | God bear |
| Áslaug | Áslaug | Betrothed to the gods |
| Ásgeir | Ásgeirr | Spear of the gods |
Viking nicknames and bynames
Vikings were famous for blunt, vivid nicknames that told you who someone was — and they make great names for characters, boats and dwarves.
| Byname | English meaning | Famous bearer |
|---|---|---|
| Hárfagri | Fairhair | Harald Fairhair, first king of Norway |
| Blátönn | Bluetooth | Harald Bluetooth of Denmark |
| Loðbrók | Hairy-breeches | Ragnar Lodbrok |
| Beinlausi | The Boneless | Ivar the Boneless |
| Járnsíða | Ironside | Björn Ironside |
| Tjúguskegg | Forkbeard | Sweyn Forkbeard |
| Harðráði | Hard ruler | Harald Hardrada |
| Blóðøx | Bloodaxe | Erik Bloodaxe, king of Norway and York |
| Djúpúðga | Deep-minded | Aud the Deep-Minded |
| Inn rauði | The Red | Erik the Red |
| Inn heppni | The Lucky | Leif Erikson |
| Víðförli | Far-traveler | Ingvar the Far-Travelled |
| Skalla- | Bald | Skalla-Grímr, father of Egil |
| Inn gamli | The Old | Gorm the Old of Denmark |
| Hrafna- | Of the ravens | Hrafna-Flóki, who used ravens to find Iceland |
How Viking last names worked
Vikings had no fixed family names. They used patronymics — the father’s name plus “son” or “daughter” — a system Iceland still uses. Our Viking last names page covers dozens more.
| Name | Meaning | Modern form |
|---|---|---|
| Eiríksson | Son of Erik | Eriksson, Erikson |
| Eiríksdóttir | Daughter of Erik | Eriksdotter |
| Óláfsson | Son of Olaf | Olsson, Olsen |
| Sigurðardóttir | Daughter of Sigurd | Still used in Iceland |
| Haraldsson | Son of Harald | Haraldsen |
| Ragnarsdóttir | Daughter of Ragnar | Still used in Iceland |
| Þorsteinsson | Son of Thorstein | Thorsteinsson, Torstensson |
| Gunnarsson | Son of Gunnar | Gunnarsson, Gunnarsen |
How to choose a Viking name
- Pick a spelling that fits your life. Old Norse forms (Sigurðr) look authentic in fiction; modern forms (Sigurd, Sigrid) are easier on birth certificates.
- Look at the building blocks. Many names combine two elements, such as Thor + stein or Sig + rid, so you can recognize the meaning of names you haven’t seen before.
- Borrow a byname for character. For a game or novel, add a nickname like Ironside or the Far-Traveler to make a name memorable.
- Check modern Scandinavia. Names such as Astrid, Björn, Ingrid and Liv are still popular today — see our Norwegian names and Swedish names.
- Mind pop culture. Ragnar, Lagertha and Floki now suggest the TV series Vikings to many people — great if that’s the vibe, less so if you want something quieter.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common Viking name?
On runestones, names built on Thor (Thorstein, Thorkell, Thora) and names like Björn, Ulf, Sven and Gunnar appear most often. Among women, Gunnhild, Ragnhild and Thora were common.
Did Vikings have last names?
Not in the modern sense. They used patronymics — Leif Eiríksson means “Leif, son of Erik” — plus nicknames or place names to tell people apart.
What is a good Viking name for a boy?
Björn, Sigurd, Ivar, Gunnar, Leif, Hákon and Ulf are strong, authentic choices that still work today.
What is a good Viking name for a girl?
Astrid, Sigrid, Ingrid, Solveig, Ylva, Freydís and Signy are authentic Old Norse names that sound fresh in English.
Were Viking names used by real people or only in sagas?
Both. Thousands of names are recorded on runestones erected by ordinary families, and many of the same names appear in the sagas and in Scandinavian records today.