Eivind

Gender: Masculine
Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: “happy victor; gift victor.”
Nor (I-vind)

A few weeks ago I was browsing through some Norwegian birth announcements and noted several unusual names that appeared over and over again. Eivind was one of them. Apparently, Eivind is the Norwegian form of the proto Norse auja “happy, lucky or gift” and windur meaning “victor, winner.” In Norwegian and Scandinavian history, the name was borne by a 9th-century viking by the name of Eyvind Lambi, he figures in the famous Egil’s Saga. Another popular form in Norway is Øyvind and in Sweden it appears as Ejvind.

Currently, the name is the seventy fouth most popular male name in Norway, while its slashed counterpart (see above) comes in much higher at # 27. The name is not as popular in Sweden as it is in Norway.

Its designated name-day was exactly one week ago, August 26th.

Update: Eivind and Øyvind no longer appear in the Norwegian top 100, but as of 2010, its Faroese form of Eivindur was the 8th most popular male name in the Faroe Islands.

Other forms of the name include:

• Eivin (Danish/Norwegian)
• Ejvin/Eyvin (Danish)
• Ejvind (Danish/Faroese/Swedish)
• Even (Danish/Faroese/Swedish)
• Oyvind (Danish)
• Øivind/Øjvind (Danish/Norwegian)
• Evind (Faroese/Scandinavian)
• Eivindur (Faroese)
• Oyvindur (Faroese)
• Öjvind (Faroese/Swedish)
• Eyvindur (Icelandic)
• Eivinn (Norwegian)
• Ovind (Norwegian)
• Øivin(n) (Norwegian)
• Øven (Norwegian)
• Eyvindr (Old Norse)
• Eiven (Sami)
• Eivind/Eyvind (Scandinavian)
• Evin (Scandinavian)
• Önder (Swedish)
• Önnert (Swedish)
• Öyvind (Swedish)