- Origin: Old Norse
- Meaning: “arrows.”
- Gender: Male
Örvar (modern spellings often drop the umlaut to Orvar) is an Old Norse name meaning “arrow.” It comes from the Old Norse noun örvar (plural of ör “arrow, dart”).
The name is best known from the legendary Icelandic saga hero Örvar-Oddr (“Arrow-Odd”), a famous 13th-century saga recounting the adventures of a far-traveling archer and warrior.
The name was used across the Norse world and carried into later Scandinavian naming traditions
Its designated name-days are July 8th in Finland and September 18th in Sweden.
Notable bearers include Swedish football player, Orvar Bengmark (1930-2004) and Icelandic musician, Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason (b. 1977).
Other forms include:
- Ørvar (Faroese, Norwegian)
- Orvar (Finnish, Icelandic, Scandinavian)*
- Örvar (Icelandic)
- Orwar (Swedish)
*Note: I use this term to designate Danish, Norwegian, Swedish)
Sources