Skip to content
BabyName.cc

73 names

Nordic Baby Names (Boys & Girls)

Nordic baby names from Old Norse and the Scandinavian languages, with meanings, pronunciation and modern forms.

Updated

Nordic names come from Old Norse and from the modern Scandinavian languages of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and the Faroe Islands. Many contain the names of the old gods, especially Thor, as in Torsten and Thora, or elements like ulf (“wolf”) and ragn (“counsel”).

Iceland still uses patronymics instead of surnames, so a son of Jón is Jónsson and a daughter Jónsdóttir. Scandinavian forms of Christian names, such as Lars (Laurence), Kerstin (Christina) and Nils (Nicholas), are also common.

Our picks

Name Gender Meaning
Erik Boy ever ruler
Astrid Girl god + beautiful
Lars Boy from Laurentum
Ingrid Girl Ing is beautiful
Bjorn Boy bear
Freya Girl lady
Sven Boy young man, boy
Sigrid Girl beautiful victory
Nils Boy victory of the people
Saga Girl story, tale
Gunnar Boy bold warrior
Solveig Girl sun strength

More Nordic names (61)

A

B

  • Bo varied meanings in Chinese; to live in Scandinavian
  • Bodil remedy battle

C

  • Colby Koli's farm or settlement
  • Corey from a surname derived from the Old Norse name Kóri
  • Crosby village with a cross

D

E

  • Ebba probably from a Germanic element meaning boar; uncertain
  • Edda uncertain; possibly great grandmother or poetry
  • Erland foreigner or stranger
  • Espen derived from Old Norse Ásbjǫrn, god bear

F

G

  • Gerd spear (masculine); enclosure (feminine)
  • Göran farmer or earthworker
  • Gunhild war battle

H

  • Harald army ruler
  • Henrik home ruler
  • Hildur battle maiden
  • Howard origin uncertain; possibly high guardian or brave heart

I

J

K

  • Kaia meaning uncertain; possibly from Kaja
  • Karen pure
  • Kari pure (Norwegian, from Katherine); blessed (Finnish, from Macarius)
  • Katrin pure
  • Kerstin follower of Christ
  • Kirsten follower of Christ
  • Krista feminine form of Christian; anointed
  • Kristian follower of Christ

L

  • Lamont possibly lawman; uncertain meaning
  • Leif descendant or heir
  • Liv protection; life

M

  • Mette pearl
  • Mia diminutive of Maria; mine in Italian
  • Mikaela who is like God?

O

  • Odin from Old Norse Óðinn, linked to óðr, frenzy or inspiration
  • Ole Scandinavian form of Olaf; from Old Norse ancestor and heir

R

  • Ragnvald power of the gods
  • Reidar home warrior
  • Ronald from Old Norse elements meaning counsel and ruler
  • Ronja coined by Astrid Lindgren
  • Rune secret, mystery

S

  • Sanna short form of Susanna
  • Signe new victory
  • Sigurd victory guard
  • Siri beautiful victory
  • Soren Danish form of Severinus, from Latin severus, stern
  • Sune son

T

  • Tove beautiful Thor (short form of Thorfrid)

U

  • Ulla short form of Ursula or Ulrika

Frequently asked questions

What makes Nordic names special?
Nordic names carry the strength and mystique of Viking heritage, often relating to nature, warfare, and Norse mythology.
Are Nordic names hard to pronounce?
While some have unique sounds, many Nordic names like Erik, Lars, and Astrid are quite accessible internationally.
What are some Nordic boy names?
Examples include Erik, Lars, Bjorn, Sven, and Gunnar.
Do Nordic names have mythological connections?
Yes, many Nordic names like Freya, Thor, and Odin are directly connected to Norse mythology and ancient beliefs.

Related lists