Viking Boy Names
Viking parents built names like weapons: from a few strong Old Norse pieces. Thor (thunder), ulfr (wolf), björn (bear), geirr (spear) and steinn (stone) were mixed and matched, so a boy might be Thorstein “Thor’s stone” or Ulfbjörn “wolf-bear.” Plenty of these names never went away. Erik, Leif, Ivar and Axel are still everyday names across Scandinavia, and many now rank in the US too.
Below are more than 110 Viking boy names, each with its Old Norse form and meaning, grouped by style. For the girls’ side, see our female Viking names. For family names, browse Viking last names, or head back to the main Viking names page.
Popular Viking boy names still used today
These names crossed a thousand years without losing their edge. Most still appear on birth lists in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, and several are climbing in the US.
| Name | Old Norse | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Erik | Eiríkr | Ever ruler, sole ruler |
| Leif | Leifr | Heir, descendant |
| Ivar | Ívarr | Yew-wood warrior (bow warrior) |
| Bjorn | Björn | Bear |
| Ragnar | Ragnarr | Warrior of the gods’ counsel |
| Magnus | Magnús | Great (from Latin, adopted by Norse kings) |
| Axel | Axel (Danish form of Absalon) | Father of peace (from Hebrew Absalom) |
| Arne | Arni | Eagle |
| Knut | Knútr | Knot |
| Sven | Sveinn | Young man, boy |
| Harald | Haraldr | Army ruler |
| Olaf | Óláfr | Ancestor’s descendant |
| Gunnar | Gunnarr | Bold warrior |
| Soren | Sǫren (Danish from Severinus) | Stern (via Latin); a classic Danish name |
| Aslak | Áslákr | God’s play |
| Einar | Einarr | Lone (unique) warrior |
| Rune | Rúni | Secret lore |
| Torsten | Þórsteinn | Thor’s stone |
| Halvard | Hallvarðr | Rock guardian |
Strong Viking warrior names
Battle words run through Viking naming: geirr (spear), hjálmr (helmet), sigr (victory), brandr (sword). If you want the same energy in other traditions, see our names that mean warrior.
| Name | Old Norse | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Gunnbjörn | Gunnbjǫrn | War bear |
| Hjalmar | Hjálmarr | Helmeted warrior |
| Sigurd | Sigurðr | Victory guardian |
| Sigmund | Sigmundr | Victory protector |
| Geir | Geirr | Spear |
| Geirmund | Geirmundr | Spear protection |
| Brand | Brandr | Sword, fire |
| Egil | Egill | Edge of a blade |
| Hallstein | Hallsteinn | Rock stone |
| Styr | Styrr | Battle, tumult |
| Vidar | Víðarr | Wide warrior |
| Hervard | Hervarðr | Army guardian |
| Hakon | Hákon | High son |
| Starkad | Starkaðr | Strong one |
| Orm | Ormr | Serpent, dragon |
| Grim | Grímr | Masked one (a byname of Odin) |
| Kol | Kolr | Coal, dark |
| Hrolf | Hrólfr | Famous wolf |
Viking boy names from the gods
Naming a son after a god, or tying the god’s name to another element, was believed to bring protection. Thor was by far the favorite. Learn more about the gods themselves on our Norse god names page.
| Name | Old Norse | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Thor | Þórr | Thunder |
| Tor | Þórr (Scandinavian form) | Thunder |
| Thorvald | Þórvaldr | Thor’s ruler |
| Thorbjorn | Þórbjǫrn | Thor’s bear |
| Thorkell | Þórketill | Thor’s cauldron |
| Thorgeir | Þórgeirr | Thor’s spear |
| Thorfinn | Þórfinnr | Thor’s Finn |
| Ingvar | Yngvarr | Ing’s (Freyr’s) warrior |
| Ingemar | Ingimarr | Famous through Ing |
| Frey | Freyr | Lord |
| Baldur | Baldr | Lord, prince |
| Odin | Óðinn | Frenzy, inspiration |
| Tyr | Týr | God |
| Asgeir | Ásgeirr | God’s spear |
| Asmund | Ásmundr | God’s protection |
| Osvald | Ásvaldr | God’s power |
| Tore | Þórir | Thor’s warrior |
Viking boy names from animals and nature
Wolves, bears, ravens and eagles were powerful symbols, and Old Norse used them freely in names. You’ll find more wild options among our names that mean wolf.
| Name | Old Norse | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ulf | Úlfr | Wolf |
| Ulfric | Úlfríkr | Wolf ruler |
| Bersi | Bersi | Bear (pet form) |
| Arnbjorn | Arnbjǫrn | Eagle bear |
| Arnstein | Arnsteinn | Eagle stone |
| Hrafn | Hrafn | Raven |
| Ravn | Hrafn (Danish form) | Raven |
| Orn | Ǫrn | Eagle |
| Steinar | Steinarr | Stone warrior |
| Sten | Steinn | Stone |
| Eyvind | Eyvindr | Island wind |
| Fenrir | Fenrir | Fen-dweller (the giant wolf of myth) |
| Hjort | Hjǫrtr | Stag |
| Bo | Búi | To live, dweller |
| Frodi | Fróði | Wise, learned |
| Trygve | Tryggvi | Trustworthy, loyal |
Short Viking boy names
One-syllable Norse names are punchy and easy to pair with a longer middle name. Pair them with our short boy names for more.
| Name | Old Norse | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Alf | Álfr | Elf |
| Finn | Finnr | Finn, Sámi person; wanderer |
| Ketil | Ketill | Cauldron, helmet |
| Kare | Kári | Curly-haired; wind |
| Toke | Tóki | Short form of Thor-names |
| Gorm | Gormr | Possibly “heathen worshiper” |
| Njal | Njáll | Champion (from Irish Niall) |
| Ari | Ari | Eagle |
| Atli | Atli | Terrible one (from Attila) |
| Hod | Hǫðr | Warrior (a blind god of myth) |
| Haldor | Hallþórr | Thor’s rock |
| Stig | Stígr | Wanderer |
| Troels | Þórgils | Thor’s pledge |
| Aki | Áki | Ancestor |
| Trond | Þróndr | Thriving, growing |
| Dag | Dagr | Day |
Rare Viking boy names from the sagas
These names come straight from the Icelandic sagas and runestones. They’re rare outside Iceland, which makes them stand out.
| Name | Old Norse | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Skallagrim | Skalla-Grímr | Bald Grim |
| Gisli | Gísli | Hostage, pledge |
| Grettir | Grettir | The frowning one |
| Hrafnkel | Hrafnkell | Raven cauldron |
| Kjartan | Kjartan | From Irish Muirchertach, “skilled seaman” |
| Hoskuld | Hǫskuldr | Gray head |
| Snorri | Snorri | Attack, onslaught |
| Thangbrand | Þangbrandr | Seaweed sword |
| Ozur | Ǫzurr | Divine ruler |
| Gudmund | Guðmundr | God’s protection |
| Hallfred | Hallfreðr | Rock of peace |
| Vermund | Vermundr | Protected man |
| Bolli | Bolli | Bull |
| Svertingr | Svertingr | Dark one |
| Ragnvald | Rǫgnvaldr | Ruler of the gods’ counsel |
| Vali | Váli | Possibly “little warrior” (a son of Odin) |
Famous Viking men and their names
These are the real people behind some of the biggest Viking names. Their stories survive in sagas, chronicles and runestones.
| Name | Who he was | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Erik the Red | Founded the first Norse settlement in Greenland (c. 985) | Saga of Erik the Red |
| Leif Erikson | Reached North America around the year 1000 | Vinland sagas |
| Ragnar Lodbrok | Legendary raider and king | Ragnars saga loðbrókar |
| Ivar the Boneless | Led the Great Heathen Army into England (865) | Anglo-Saxon Chronicle |
| Harald Hardrada | King of Norway, killed at Stamford Bridge (1066) | Heimskringla |
| Harald Bluetooth | Unified Denmark and converted it to Christianity | Jelling stones |
| Cnut the Great | Ruled England, Denmark and Norway | Anglo-Saxon Chronicle |
| Rollo | First ruler of Normandy (911) | Dudo of Saint-Quentin |
| Egil Skallagrimsson | Warrior-poet of Iceland | Egils saga |
How to choose a Viking boy name
- Drop the Old Norse endings. Sigurðr becomes Sigurd and Ívarr becomes Ivar, and that’s how modern Scandinavians spell them too.
- Check pronunciation for an American ear. Bjorn is “byorn,” and Hakon is “HAH-kon.” If you expect trouble, Leif, Erik or Axel are easy anywhere.
- Think about meaning combinations. Norse names are compounds, so a name like Thorbjorn tells a little story (“Thor’s bear”).
- Pair a bold first name with a softer middle name, or use a Viking name as a middle, e.g. James Leif or Oliver Ragnar.
- Avoid names made famous only by villains in TV shows unless you love the character. Many real historical names carry less baggage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular Viking boy name?
Erik and Leif are the Viking-era names most used worldwide today. In the US, Axel and Magnus have grown fastest in recent years (SSA data).
What is a strong Viking name for a boy?
Gunnar (“bold warrior”), Sigurd (“victory guardian”), Hjalmar (“helmeted warrior”) and Bjorn (“bear”) are some of the strongest-sounding choices with real Old Norse roots.
Did Vikings have last names?
Not in the modern sense. They used patronymics, so Leif, son of Erik, was Leif Eriksson. See our Viking last names page for how these became modern surnames.
What does Ragnar mean?
Ragnar comes from Old Norse Ragnarr, combining regin (the gods’ counsel, decree) and herr (army, warrior), roughly “warrior of the gods’ counsel.”
Is Thor a real Viking name?
Yes. Thor was used as a personal name in the Viking Age and is still used in Scandinavia. It was even more common as the first half of compound names like Thorstein and Thorvald.