Real Old Norse Names and Their Meanings

By Cedrick Reese, Norse Name Generator

Short answer: An Old Norse name is usually two everyday words joined together, so it reads like a small phrase. Arn- (eagle) plus -bjǫrn (bear) follows that pattern.

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Updated November 1, 2026

A glossary of attested Old Norse names and what they meant, taken from historical and linguistic sources, not from our generators.

A weathered stone with red ochre painted knotwork standing in a meadow above a lake at dawn. — Illustration made with AI for this site.

Every name and meaning below is drawn from published historical and linguistic sources, not generated. Sources are linked at the end of this article. Checked on September 10, 2026. The element tables, short forms, bynames and genitive examples were added and checked against Viking Answer Lady on November 1, 2026. Page last updated November 1, 2026.

How Old Norse names carried meaning

Old Norse names encode meaning far more directly than most modern English names do. A large share of them are built from everyday nouns in the Vikings' own language: unnr (wave), auðr (treasure), refr (fox), and björn (bear) among them. Others combine two such elements into a compound, so a name wasn't just a label, it was a small, meaningful phrase.

The building blocks of Old Norse names

Most Old Norse names are two parts joined together. Viking Answer Lady’s men’s names page catalogs these parts and cites the Cleasby-Vigfusson dictionary and the Nordiskt runnamnslexikon for them. A small selection follows, with names recorded on that page as examples.

Some elements in men’s names
Element	Meaning given	Example names
Ás-	related to a word for “god”	Ásbjǫrn, Ásgeirr, Ásmundr
Aðal-	“noble, foremost”	Aðalsteinn, Aðalbrandr, Aðalríkr
Alf-	related to “elf”	Alfgeirr, Alfgrímr, Alfketill
Auð-	“wealth, riches”	Auðbjǫrn, Auðgeirr, Auðgísl
Arn-	“eagle”	Arnbjǫrn, Arngeirr, Arnsteinn
-bjǫrn	“bear”	Abjǫrn, Arnbjǫrn, Auðbjǫrn
-steinn	“stone”	Aðalsteinn, Arnsteinn
-geirr	“spear”	Ágeirr, Arngeirr, Ásgeirr
-brandr	“sword, sword-blade”	Aðalbrandr, Arnbrandr
-ráðr	“counsel, advice”	Aðalráðr, Ástráðr
-vinr	“friend”	Alfvin
-ulfr	“wolf”	Aldúlfr, Arnulfr

Women’s names use many of the same first elements with a different set of endings. The women’s names page lists these:

Some elements in women’s names
Element	Meaning given	Example names
Ás-	from a word for a god	Ása, Ásgunnr
Alf-	“elf”	Álfdís, Álfrún
Dag-	“day”	Dagný, Dagrún
-dís	“goddess, priestess, female guardian spirit”	Aldís, Arndís, Ásdís
-fríðr	“beautiful,” originally “beloved”	Áfríðr, Arnfríðr
-hildr	“battle”	Alhildr, Brynhildr
-gunnr	“war, battle”	Arngunnr, Ásgunnr
-þrúðr	“strength, power”	Arnþrúðr, Alþrúðr
-rún	“secret, hidden knowledge”	Alfrún, Dagrún
-bjorg / -borg	linked to “save, help”	Arnbjorg, Ásbjorg
-gerðr	probably related to “fence, defense”	Arngerðr, Ásgerðr

Meanings in this field are not always settled. The same page gives -mundr as “protector” or possibly “gift,” and -gísl as linked to “arrow-shaft” or “hostage.” Treat any single meaning as a best reading, not a verdict.

Male names

Björn: Bear; represents courage, power, and protection.
Úlfr: Wolf.
Einar: Lone warrior, or one who fights alone.
Eiríkr (Erik): Eternal ruler, or ever-powerful.
&Thorn;órsteinn (Thorstein): Thor's stone, combining the thunder god's name with strength. See the god-inspired name generator for more names built from a deity's name this way.
Sigurðr (Sigurd): Victory guardian, from sigr (victory) and vörðr (guardian).

Female names

Ástríðr (Astrid): Divinely beautiful, from áss (god) and fríðr (beautiful).
Hildr (Hilda): Fighter, or battle; associated with Odin's valkyries.
Ylva: She-wolf, derived from the male name Ulf.
Sága (Saga): The goddess of history and storytelling.
Sigríðr (Sigrid): Beautiful victory.
Unnr: Wave, an everyday noun used directly as a name.

Short forms and bynames

People were often called by a shortened form of a longer name. From the same two pages: Ásta for Ástríðr, Bjarni for names built on bjǫrn, Mundi for names ending in -mundr, and Fríða for names ending in -fríðr. A byname was something else, a nickname added to the given name. Api was a byname meaning “fool,” Afi began as a nickname meaning “grandfather,” and Atfari marked someone who traveled, or often traveled, to a particular place. Women had them too: Auðr in djúpúðga, “the deep-minded,” was the daughter of Ketill flatnefr and one of the original settlers of Iceland. For a long, sourced list, see Viking nicknames.

Patronymic and matronymic naming

Vikings did not use fixed family surnames. A son's last name was typically his father's first name plus -son ("son"), and a daughter's was her father's first name plus -dóttir ("daughter"). Erik's son was Eriksson; Erik's daughter was Eriksdóttir. The father's name goes in the genitive, which is why recorded examples carry an s: Ægileif Þórsteinsdóttir was the daughter of Þórsteinn, and Aldís Ófeigsdóttir the daughter of Ófeigr, both from Landnámabók as listed by Viking Answer Lady. Matronymics, built the same way from the mother's name, appear less often but are attested too. On top of this, many Vikings also carried a byname, a nickname earned through a deed, trait, or origin, like Erik "the Red" or Ragnar "Loðbrók" ("hairy breeches"). Place names could work the same way too: Grimsby is Grim's settlement, not a surname but the same naming logic applied to a place. Try the settlement name generator to see more. For the full story of patronymics, bynames and when fixed surnames arrived, read Viking last names.

A note on accuracy

Not every name that feels "Viking" actually is one. Magnus, for example, is Latin for "great," borrowed into Norse royal use by a king who admired Charlemagne, not a native Old Norse compound. If historical accuracy matters for your project, it's worth checking a name's real origin before assuming it's Old Norse simply because it sounds the part.

Name elements can mislead too. The -finnr in names like Arnfinnr means “Sámi,” not “from Finland,” a mistranslation Viking Answer Lady says is common. And some elements, as noted above, have more than one accepted reading.

Want to build your own name from these same elements? Try the male name generator, the female name generator, or read how Old Norse actually sounds for a pronunciation primer.

Frequently asked questions

Did Vikings have surnames?

Not fixed family surnames. A son's last name was usually his father's first name plus -son, and a daughter's was her father's first name plus -dóttir, so Erik's son was Eriksson and his daughter was Eriksdóttir. Many people also carried an earned byname, like Erik "the Red".

Is Magnus an Old Norse name?

Not a native one. Magnus is Latin for "great", borrowed into Norse royal use by a king who admired Charlemagne, so it is not an Old Norse compound.

What does Björn mean?

Björn means bear. Old Norse names are often built from everyday nouns like this one, such as unnr (wave), auðr (treasure) and refr (fox).

Can I mix Old Norse name parts to make a new name?

Yes, that is how Old Norse names were formed, from a first element like Arn- (eagle) and a second like -bjǫrn (bear). The names in the tables above are recorded ones. A new pairing follows the same pattern but is not a record of a real person, so check it against a name list if it needs to be attested.