Female Viking Names
Viking women ran farms, held property, traded, and — in the sagas at least — sometimes picked up a sword. Their names reflect that: Brynhild means “armored battle,” Sigrid “beautiful victory,” Ylva “she-wolf.” Most come from Old Norse building blocks such as hildr (battle), gunnr (war), ríðr (beautiful) and dís (goddess), and plenty are still used in Scandinavia today.
Below are 101 female Viking names with their original Old Norse spelling and meaning, plus the real women who made some of them famous. For the full picture, see our main Viking names page, the companion list of Viking boy names, and our goddess names.
Popular female Viking names
These names are authentic Old Norse and still feel wearable today — several are in regular use across Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
| Name | Old Norse | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Astrid | Ástríðr | Divinely beautiful |
| Sigrid | Sigríðr | Beautiful victory |
| Helga | Helga | Holy, blessed |
| Solveig | Sólveig | Sun strength |
| Liv | Hlíf | Protection, shelter |
| Frida | Fríða | Beautiful, beloved |
| Signy | Signý | New victory |
| Dagny | Dagný | New day |
| Gudrun | Guðrún | Secret lore of the gods |
| Thyra | Þyri | Possibly “Thor’s sanctuary” |
| Tove | Tófa | Short form of Þórfríðr, “Thor’s beauty” |
| Estrid | Ástríðr | Danish form of Astrid |
| Gyda | Gyða | Possibly from Guðríðr, “god-beautiful” |
| Sigrun | Sigrún | Victory rune, secret of victory |
| Asta | Ásta | Love |
| Ragna | Ragna | Counsel of the gods |
Shieldmaiden and warrior names
Battle words were perfectly normal in women’s names, which makes these ideal for strong heroines. See also our female warrior names and names that mean warrior.
| Name | Old Norse | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Hild | Hildr | Battle |
| Brynhild | Brynhildr | Armored battle-maiden |
| Gunnhild | Gunnhildr | War-battle |
| Ragnhild | Ragnhildr | Battle counsel |
| Alfhild | Álfhildr | Elf battle |
| Gunnvor | Gunnvör | Watchful in war |
| Hervor | Hervör | Army guardian (possibly) |
| Bodil | Bóthildr | Battle for amends |
| Brynja | Brynja | Coat of mail, armor |
| Geirhild | Geirhildr | Spear battle |
| Hildigunn | Hildigunnr | Battle-war, doubly fierce |
| Hjördís | Hjördís | Sword goddess; mother of the hero Sigurd |
| Herdís | Herdís | Army goddess |
| Vigdís | Vígdís | War goddess |
Viking girl names from nature and animals
Wolves, ravens, bears and the snow of the north all turn up in Old Norse names. More ideas in our names that mean wolf and names that mean snow.
| Name | Old Norse | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ylva | Ylfa | She-wolf |
| Ulfhild | Úlfhildr | Wolf battle |
| Hrefna | Hrefna | Raven |
| Svanhild | Svanhildr | Swan battle |
| Unn | Unnr | Wave |
| Bára | Bára | Wave, swell of the sea |
| Mjöll | Mjöll | Fresh, powdery snow |
| Drífa | Drífa | Snowdrift, falling snow |
| Fönn | Fönn | Packed snow; sister of Mjöll and Drífa in legend |
| Eyja | Eyja | Island |
| Embla | Embla | Possibly “elm” or “vine”; the first woman in Norse myth |
| Birna | Birna | She-bear |
| Arnbjörg | Arnbjörg | Eagle protection |
Viking girl names that honor the gods
Parents didn’t usually name daughters after goddesses outright; instead they wove gods like Thor, Ing (Freyr) and the Æsir into names.
| Name | Old Norse | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ingrid | Ingríðr | Beautiful through Ing (Freyr) |
| Ingeborg | Ingibjörg | Protected by Ing |
| Ingunn | Ingunnr | Loved by Ing |
| Thora | Þóra | Thor (feminine form) |
| Thordis | Þórdís | Thor’s goddess |
| Thorunn | Þórunn | Loved by Thor |
| Thorhild | Þórhildr | Thor’s battle |
| Thorgerd | Þorgerðr | Protected by Thor |
| Thurid | Þuríðr | Thor’s beauty |
| Áslaug | Áslaug | Betrothed to the gods |
| Ásdís | Ásdís | Divine goddess |
| Ásgerd | Ásgerðr | Protected by the gods |
| Freydís | Freydís | Goddess of Freyr |
Norse goddess and valkyrie names
Rare as given names in the Viking Age, these are popular today for daughters, fiction and pets. Explore the full pantheon in our Norse god names.
| Name | Who she is | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Freyja | Goddess of love, beauty and war | Lady |
| Frigg | Queen of the gods, wife of Odin | Beloved |
| Idun | Keeper of the apples of youth (Iðunn) | Ever young, rejuvenating |
| Saga | Goddess linked to history and stories | Seeress |
| Sif | Golden-haired wife of Thor | Relation by marriage |
| Nanna | Wife of the god Baldr | Possibly “mother” or “brave” |
| Eir | Goddess or valkyrie of healing | Mercy, help |
| Skuld | Norn of the future; also a valkyrie | Debt, what shall be |
| Skadi | Giantess of winter and skiing (Skaði) | Possibly “harm” or “shadow” |
| Gerd | Giantess wife of Freyr (Gerðr) | Enclosure |
| Rán | Goddess of the sea who nets drowned sailors | Plunder |
| Hlín | Goddess who protects Frigg’s favorites | Protector |
| Göndul | Valkyrie | Wand-wielder |
| Mist | Valkyrie | Mist, cloud |
Rare female Viking names from the sagas
These names appear in Icelandic sagas and settlement records but are almost unheard of in the US — ideal if you want something truly distinctive. More in our rare names.
| Name | Old Norse | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Álfrún | Álfrún | Secret lore of the elves |
| Ása | Ása | Goddess, divine one |
| Gudrid | Guðríðr | God-beautiful |
| Hallgerd | Hallgerðr | Rock enclosure; heroine of Njál’s saga |
| Bergljót | Bergljót | Protecting light |
| Jórunn | Jórunn | Horse-loving |
| Oddný | Oddný | Spear point, renewed |
| Rannveig | Rannveig | House strength |
| Steinunn | Steinunn | Stone-loved |
| Yrsa | Yrsa | She-bear (Latin <em>ursa</em>) |
| Gríma | Gríma | Mask, helmet |
| Halla | Halla | Rock |
| Hallbera | Hallbera | Rock she-bear |
| Katla | Katla | Kettle, cauldron |
| Sæunn | Sæunn | Sea wave |
| Kolfinna | Kolfinna | Dark-haired Finnish woman |
| Borghild | Borghildr | Fortified battle |
| Ragnfrid | Ragnfríðr | Beautiful counsel of the gods |
| Arnfrid | Arnfríðr | Beautiful eagle |
| Gudny | Guðný | New (young) god |
| Thorey | Þórey | Thor’s island (or Thor’s luck) |
| Valdis | Valdís | Goddess of the slain |
| Hallveig | Hallveig | Rock + strength (possibly “strong drink”) |
Famous Viking women and their names
Real and legendary women who made these names unforgettable.
| Name | Who she was | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Freydís Eiríksdóttir | Daughter of Erik the Red who sailed to Vinland | Vinland sagas |
| Aud the Deep-Minded | Led her family and freed slaves to Iceland | Landnámabók, Laxdæla saga |
| Lagertha | Shieldmaiden who fought beside Ragnar | Saxo Grammaticus |
| Gudrid Thorbjarnardóttir | Explorer who lived in Vinland and later traveled to Rome | Vinland sagas |
| Gunnhild, Mother of Kings | Queen of Norway known for her power and cunning | Kings’ sagas |
| Thyra Danebod | Queen of Denmark, mother of Harald Bluetooth | Jelling runestones |
| Sigrid the Haughty | Scandinavian queen of the sagas | Heimskringla |
| Olga of Kiev | Norse-descended ruler of Kievan Rus (Helga) | Primary Chronicle |
How to choose a female Viking name
- Decide how authentic you want to be. Old Norse forms (Ástríðr, Hjördís) feel historical; modern forms (Astrid, Hjordis) are easier to spell every day.
- Learn the endings. -hild means battle, -dís goddess, -rún secret lore, -ríðr beautiful — mix them to understand or build names.
- Try a Scandinavian classic. Astrid, Ingrid, Liv, Solveig and Sigrid are still common in Norway and Sweden; compare with our Norwegian girl names.
- For fiction, pair a name with a byname. “Hervor Wolf-Heart” or “Yrsa the Far-Traveler” sounds instantly saga-worthy.
- Check the accent marks. Letters like ð and þ don’t exist in English; “d” and “th” are the usual substitutes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular female Viking name?
In the Viking Age, names built on Thor (Thora, Thorgerd) and battle names such as Gunnhild and Ragnhild were common. Today, Astrid, Ingrid, Freya and Sigrid are the Viking names parents choose most.
Is Freya a Viking name?
Yes. Freyja was the Norse goddess of love, beauty and war, and her name means “lady.” It was rarely given to Viking girls but is very popular as a modern name.
What Viking girl name means warrior?
Hild means “battle,” and names such as Brynhild (armored battle-maiden), Gunnhild (war-battle) and Vigdís (war goddess) all carry a warrior meaning.
What was a shieldmaiden?
A shieldmaiden (skjaldmær) was a woman who fought as a warrior in Norse legend. Figures like Lagertha and Hervor appear in sagas; historians still debate how common they were in real life.
What is a rare female Viking name?
Álfrún, Hjördís, Yrsa, Kolfinna, Mjöll and Bergljót are authentic Old Norse names that are almost never heard outside Iceland and Norway.