Nickname help!
We want to name our baby Penelope but we can’t decide on a nickname? Help!
Norwegian baby boy names are a fantastic choice for those with Norse heritage or a fascination with Vikings ‒ strong, sturdy, and so sweet!
Whether you’re on the hunt for Viking names for boys, Norse gods names, or simply the best Norwegian boy names, we’ve gathered the best of the best (along with some of the rarer Norwegian names) in our ultimate guide of Norwegian baby boy names.
In this list of Norwegian boy names, you’ll find Norse spellings of popular English names as well as Norse boy names that aren’t found outside of the Scandinavian countries.
So let’s get stuck in ‒ or, as they say in Norway, la oss gå!
In this article: 📝
- What are some Viking boy names?
- What are popular Norwegian names?
- What are some Norse god names?
- More Norwegian baby boy names
What are some Viking boy names?
Norse Vikings were revered and renowned warriors, known across the world for their strength, valor, and fearlessness.
So what better way to give your little peanut a head start than with one of the best 25 Viking names for boys (complete with meanings):
- Asger: Meaning “spear of god”.
- Bard or Baard: Meaning both “peace” and “battle”.
- Brandt: Meaning “sword”.
- Brynjar: (brin-yahr) Meaning “armored warrior”.
- Cuyler: (kiel-ehr) Meaning “archer”.
- Einar: Meaning “one who fights alone”.
- Eivor: Meaning “good luck” or “island”. Also the name of the Viking in the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla video game.
- Erik: Meaning “ruler forever”. Erik was also the name of the founder of the first Viking settlement in Greenland.
- Geir: Meaning “spearman”.
- Gudbrand: Meaning “sword of God”.
- Gunnar: Meaning “army”.
- Halvar or Halvor: Meaning “rock defender” or “defender of the earth”.
- Herleif: Meaning “descended from warriors”.
- Hjalmar: (hyal-mahr) Meaning “warrior with a helmet”.
- Hoder or Hǫðr: (ho-dr) Meaning “battle”. Also the name of a Norse god.
- Holger: Meaning “island of spears”.
- Hrooar: (h-roo-ahr) Meaning “spear warrior”.
- Leif: (layf or life) Meaning “ancestor” or “one who is loved”.
- Ødger: (ed-ger) Meaning “wealth” and “spear”.
- Ragnar: Meaning “counsel” and “army”. Also the name of the most famous Viking, Ragnar Lothbrok.
- Randolph: Meaning “wolf” and “shield”.
- Roar: (roo-aar) Meaning “famous spear”. A similar sound to Hrooar, but with a slightly different meaning.
- Sigurd: Meaning “victorious advisor”. Also the name of another famous Viking, Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye.
- Tore: Meaning “thunder warrior”. A Viking boy’s name after the Norse god, Thor.
- Viggo: Meaning “battle”.”
What are popular Norwegian names?
There are a few Norwegian boy names that have traveled across the pond and can be found in playgrounds across the world.
Here are a few of our favorite Norwegian boy’s names that are popular elsewhere:
- Anders: Meaning “brave”.
- Fredrik: Meaning “peace” and “power”.
- Hans or Jan: Meaning “God is gracious”.
- Jørgen: Meaning “farmer”.
- Karl: Meaning “free man”.
- Kristoffer or Christoffer: Meaning “holds Christ in his heart”.
- Robert: Meaning “bright with fame”.
- Rüdiger, Rutger, or Roger: Meaning “famous spear”.
- Rolf: Meaning “renowned wolf”.
- Thomas, Tom, or Tommy: Meaning “twin”.
What is the most popular boy name in Norway?
Interestingly enough, some popular Norwegian boy names aren’t actually from Norway ‒ they take inspiration from around the world, just like in the US.
Here are some of the most popular Norwegian boy names, with more than a few international monikers:
- Aksel: Meaning “peace of the Lord” in Hebrew.
- Alexander: Meaning “defender of men” in Greek. Can be shortened to Alex, Xan, or Xander.
- Elias: Meaning “the Lord is my God”. in Hebrew.
- Emil: Meaning “rival” or “trying to excel” in Latin.
- Filip: Meaning “friend of horses” in Norwegian. Can be shortened to Phil.
- Herman: Meaning “soldier” in German.
- Henrik: Meaning “ruler of the home” in Norwegian and German.
- Isak: Meaning “God will laugh” in Hebrew.
- Ivar: Meaning “archer” or “yew tree”.
- Jakob: Meaning “supplanter” in Scandinavian.
- Jonas: Meaning “dove” in Hebrew.
- Johan or Johannes: Meaning “God is gracious” in Hebrew.
- Kasper: Meaning “treasurer” in German and Polish.
- Kristian or Christian: Meaning “follower of Christ” in Latin.
- Lucas: Meaning “bringer of light” in Latin.
- Ludvig: Meaning “famous warrior” in German.
- Magnus or Magne: Meaning “mighty” in Latin.
- Markus: Meaning “dedicated to Mars” or “warlike” in German. Can be shortened to Mark.
- Mathias: Meaning “gift from God” in Hebrew. Can be shortened to Mat or Matty.
- Mikkel: Meaning “he who resembles God” in Hebrew.
- Mohammad: Meaning “praised” in Arabic.
- Nikolai: Meaning “victory of the people” in Slavic. Can be shortened to Nik or Nikki.
- Noah: Meaning “rest” in Hebrew.
- Oliver: Meaning “ancestral descendants” in Norse, and “olive tree” in Latin. Can be shortened to Oli.
- Oskar: Meaning “spear of God” in Scandinavian. Can be shortened to Oz.
- Sebastian: Meaning “revered” in Latin. Can be shortened to Seb.
- Theodor: Meaning “gift from God” in Greek. Can be shortened to Theo.
- Tobias: Meaning “God is good” in Hebrew. Can be shortened to Toby.
- Victor: Meaning “conqueror” in Latin.
- William: Meaning “strong-willed warrior” in English and German. Can be shortened to Will, Willy, Bill, Billy, or Liam.
What are some Norse god names?
From Thor and Odin to lesser-known Norse gods like Delling and Vidar, Norse gods are a fantastic source for Norwegian baby boy names for your little peanut:
- Aegir or Ægir: The Norse god of the ocean, storms, and banquets. The name Aegir also means “of the gods”. One of the best strong Norwegian boy names. Not sure about the Aegir pronunciation? It’s “ay-gr”.
- Balder: For your little ray of sunshine, Balder is the Norse god of light and purity.
- Bragi: (brah-zhee) The Norse god of poetry, Bragi comes from the Icelandic word bragur meaning “poem”, “melody” or “wise”.
- Dagr: Norse god of day, Dagr was known to ride the horse Skinfaxi, who had a glorious mane of sunlight. Dagr was also a Norse word meaning “day”.
- Delling: The Norse “bringer of the dawn”, Delling is a Norse god whose name means “shining one” or “daybreak”. Also known as the father of Dagr.
- Forseti: One of the more unusual-sounding Norse boy names, Forseti was the Norse god of justice. Forseti also means “president” in Icelandic ‒ a future president, perhaps?
- Freyr: One of the most well-known Norse gods, Freyr was the Norse god of rain, harvest, and fertility. Not to be confused with Freya, the Norse goddess of love and beauty.
- Heimdall: Recognizable from the Marvel Thor movies, Heimdall (played by the amazing Idris Elba) was the guardian of the Norse gods. The name Heimdall means “white god”.
- Hod, Höd, Hoder, or Hodur: One of the more gothic Norwegian baby boy names on our list, Hod is the Norse god of darkness and night. The perfect Norse boy’s name if your little peanut arrives on a pitch-black night,
- Ullr: An unusual Norwegian boy’s name, Ullr is the Norse god of hunting and skiing. Ideal if your family loves skiing!
- Loki: One of the most famous Norse gods, Loki is the (sometimes villainous) Norse god of chaos and mischief. The name Loki also means “airy” or “god of air” in Norse, as well as “lock” or “knot” in Old German.
- Meili: The Norse god of travel, the name Meili means “mile-stepper” in Old Norse. Perfect for a baby born away from home.
- Mímir: A strong Norwegian boy name, Mímir was known as the Norse god of knowledge. Mímir also means “he who remembers” in Old Norse.
- Njord: Perfect for a baby boy born by the sea, Njord is the Norse god of the sea as well as the guardian of wealth.
- Odin: Another of the chief Norse gods and possibly the most powerful Norse god, Odin was the all-father and Norse god of knowledge, war, art, and wisdom. The name Odin also means “raging”, so if your baby boy arrives with a scream, this could be the perfect name!
- Thor: Possibly the most famous Norse god, Thor is the Norse god of the sky, thunder, storms, strength, and trees, known for wielding his mighty hammer, Mjolnir.
- Tyr: Not to be confused with Thor, Tyr is the Norse god of war and justice. Tyr is also a Norse rune meaning “balance”.
- Ve: (vay) One of Odin’s twin brothers, Ve is the Norse god of creation. One of the shortest Norwegian baby boy names.
- Vidar or Víðarr: One of the toughest Norwegian boy names, Vidar is the Norse god of revenge and vengeance. Vidar also means “ruler”.
- Vili: The second of Odin’s twin brothers, Vili is the Norse god of the senses and wit. Vili also means “giver of reason” in Old Norse.
More Norwegian baby boy names
Not found quite the Norwegian baby boy name that suits your little peanut?
Don’t fret, we’ve got 131 more for you to peruse:
- Age: (ah-guh) Meaning “ancestors” or “wisdom”.
- Alf: Meaning “friend of the elves” or “noble friend”.
- Andor: Meaning “eagle”.
- Ari: Meaning “eagle”.
- Aric: Meaning “eternal ruler”.
- Arild: Meaning “battle commander”.
- Arkyn: Meaning “eternal king’s son”.
- Arne: Meaning “eagle”.
- Arnfinn: Meaning “eagle” and “from Finland”.
- Arnkell: Meaning “parts of an eagle”.
- Arvid: Meaning “tree of the eagle”.
- Asbjørn: Meaning “bear god”.
- Birger: Meaning “helper”.
- Bjarke, Bjarne, or Bjørn: Meaning “bear”.
- Bo: Meaning “to live”.
- Calder: Meaning “rough water”.
- Canute: Meaning “knot”. Also the name of a famous Viking ruler, King Canute.
- Carr: Meaning “swamp”.
- Colborn: Meaning “burning coals”.
- Colby: Meaning “dark town”.
- Crosby: Meaning “cross farm”.
- Dag: Meaning “day”.
- Darby: Meaning “place for deer”.
- Destin: Meaning “determined”.
- Dustin: Meaning “stone of Thor”.
- Ebbe: Meaning “wild boar”.
- Edvard: Meaning “wealthy guard”.
- Egil: Meaning “respect”.
- Eirik: Meaning “strong ruler”.
- Eluf: Meaning “only son”.
- Erland: Meaning “outsider” or “foreigner”.
- Erling: Meaning “heir of the clan-chief”.
- Espen: Meaning “god bear”.
- Even or Eivind: Meaning “winner” or “gift”.
- Fell: Meaning “mountains”.
- Fenrir: Meaning “giant wolf”.
- Fiske: (fis-kuh) Meaning “fish”.
- Frey: Meaning “lord”.
- Fridtjof: (freet-yov) Meaning “thief” or “peace”.
- Frode: (fruw-dah) Meaning “wise”.
- Garth: Meaning “enclosed space”.
- Gaute: Meaning “people from Sweden”.
- Gjurd: (gyurd) Meaning “god of peace”.
- Goran: Meaning “mountain man”.
- Gorm: Meaning “attentive”.
- Gudmund: Meaning “God protects”.
- Gustaf: Meaning “god-staff”.
- Hafdan: Meaning “half-Danish”.
- Hagen: Meaning “eldest son”.
- Hakon: Meaning “highest son”.
- Haldor: Meaning “rock of Thor”.
- Halstein: Meaning “rock”.
- Harald: Meaning “army ruler”.
- Hati: Meaning “golden”.
- Håvard: Meaning “protector”.
- Hemming: Meaning “shapeshifter”.
- Holmes: Meaning “island”.
- Hrafn: (rah-vn) Meaning “raven”.
- Hugin: Meaning “thought”.
- Igor: Meaning “farmer”.
- Ingolf: Meaning “wolf of Ing”.
- Ingmar, Ingemar or Ingvar: Meaning “famous”.
- Jari: (yah-ree) Meaning “he will rise up”.
- Jarl or Jarle: (yarl) Meaning “chieftain” or “ruler”.
- Jens: (yens) Meaning “God is gracious”.
- Jostein: (yo-steen) Meaning “horse-stone”.
- Jørn: (yorn) Meaning “farmer”.
- Kåre: (kehr) Meaning “large” or “curly hair”.
- Kettil, Kjell, or Kjetil: Meaning “cauldron”.
- Kirk: Meaning “church”.
- Kirkland: Meaning “land near a church”.
- Kirkwood: Meaning “church near a wood”.
- Knut: (kuh-nood) Meaning “knot”.
- Kory or Corey: Meaning “lives near a hollow”.
- Lamont: Meaning “lawyer”.
- Manning: Meaning “powerful man” or “honest man”.
- Marius: Meaning “male”.
- Mjolnir: Meaning “Thor’s hammer”.
- Morten: Meaning “moor town” or “dedicated to Mars”.
- Munin: Meaning “memory”.
- Nils: Meaning “people of victory”.
- Njal: (n-yal) Meaning “giant”.
- Oddmund: Meaning “protector sword”.
- Oddvar: Meaning “cautious sword”.
- Olav or Oluf: Meaning “relic” or “ancestral heritage”.
- Olsen: Meaning “son of Olav”.
- Osmond: Meaning “divine protection”.
- Ove: Meaning “protected by God”.
- Øystein: Meaning “island stone”.
- Øyvind: Meaning “island” or “good fortune”.
- Pål: Meaning “humble” or “small”.
- Per: Meaning “rock”.
- Petter: Meaning “uncle”.
- Ragnarok: Meaning “end of days” or “final battle of the gods”.
- Ralph or Ralf: Meaning “wise as a wolf”.
- Rangvald: Meaning “judgment” or “powerful”.
- Rasmus: Meaning “beloved”.
- Reidar: Meaning “home” and “warrior”.
- Roald: Meaning “famous ruler”.
- Ronald: Meaning “wise ruler”.
- Roscoe: Meaning “near a forest”.
- Rune: Meaning “secret lore”.
- Selby: Meaning “farm of willow trees”.
- Sigmundr or Sigmund: Meaning “protector”.
- Sindre: Meaning “mythical dwarf”.
- Skoll: Meaning “good health” or “cheers”.
- Sondre: Meaning “south”.
- Ståle: (st-ahl) Meaning “steel” or “strong”.
- Sten or Stein: (sten or steen) Meaning “stone”.
- Steinar: Meaning “guardian of the stone”.
- Stian: Meaning “wanderer”.
- Stig or Stigr: Meaning “voyager”.
- Sven or Sveinn: Meaning “boy”.
- Sverre: Meaning “wild”.
- Tallak: Meaning “Thor’s game”.
- Tarben, Torbjorn, or Torben: Meaning “Thor’s bear”.
- Terje: (ter-yeh) Meaning “Thor’s spear”.
- Thorsen: Meaning “Thor’s son”.
- Thorsten, Thursten, Torsten, or Thurston: Meaning “Thor’s stone”.
- Thurmund: Meaning “Thor’s protector”.
- Torkel: Meaning “Thor’s cauldron”.
- Torvald: Meaning “Thor’s ruler”.
- Tove: Meaning “Thor is beautiful”.
- Trond: Meaning “grow” and “thrive”.
- Trygve: (trig-vuh) Meaning “trustworthy”.
- Uhtred: Meaning “counsel before dawn”.
- Ulf or Uffe: Meaning “wolf”.
- Ulrik: Meaning “noble ruler”.
- Valdemar: Meaning “powerful” or “famous”.
- Vegard: Meaning “protection”.
- Yngvar: Meaning “protected by the god of war”.
That’s it ‒ 216 strong Norwegian baby boy names for your little peanut.
So is your baby boy a Thor or a Igor? Ulrik or Eirik? Eluf or Olav?
Share your favorites with the rest of the mamas and mamas-to-be on Peanut.
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