Tag Archives: Norwegian Names

Eimyrja

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a woman in red sweater sitting under a furry blanket while sitting in front of a bonfire
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  • Origin: Old Norse
  • Meaning: “embers.”
  • Gender: Female
  • Pron: (i-MEER-yah)

From the Old Norse word for “embers,” in Norse Mythology, this was the daughter of the jötunn known as Logi (fire), the latter who is considered the personification of fire, a long with his wife Glöð (glowing embers). He fathered another daughter Eisa (glowing ember), both of whom were said to be stunningly beautiful.

Its status as a given-name in most Scandinavian countries is a relic from the past but may appeal to parents drawn to authentic early Nordic names.

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Eisa

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  • Origin: Old Norse
  • Meaning: “glowing ember.”
  • Gender: Female
  • I-sah

The name comes directly from the Old Norse word meaning “glowing ember.” In Norse Mythology, this is the name of one of the beautiful daughters of Logi (fire), and Glöð (glowing embers).

Later, it came to be associated as a pet form of Elizabeth or a German form of Aise (short form of any Nordic name beginning in the Egg-, Agi– element.)

Note: the name can also be an Arabic form of Jesus.

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Logi

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  • Origin: Old Norse
  • Meaning: “flame; blaze.”
  • Gender: Male
  • LOH-gee

The name comes directly from the Old Norse word for “flame; blaze,” and is also used as a poetic word for a sword. It is born in Norse Mythology by Logi, a jötunn and the personification of fire. He was the son of Fornjótr. He is known for winning a meat eating competition against Loki.

A Swedish variation is Loge

It is a cooler and fresher alternative to Logan, with a spark.

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Gǫndul, Göndul

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  • Origin: Old Norse
  • Meaning: “magic, magic wand; magical animal werewolf.”
  • Gender: Female

The name is either derived from the Old Norse gandr (magic wand; magic staff), or the Old Norse gǫndul meaning, “magical animal; werewolf.”

In Norse Mythology, this is the name of one of the Valkyries. She appears in several early sources, including the Heimskringla, in which it is written:

“Gǫndul and Skögul sent out / to choose among kings.”
Their presence seals Hákon’s fate, and they greet him after death — both destroyers and honour-givers.”

In the Poetic Edda, specifically Hákonarmál, she is again one of the Valkyries who welcome Hákon to Valhalla, confirming her dual role as harbinger of death and divine escort.

In the Norse sagas and Skaldic poetry, gǫndul can also function as a kenning (poetic metaphor) for “valkyrie” or “battle-witch,” used interchangeably with other names like Skögul, Hildr, and Mist.

Its rarely used these days in Nordic countries, but whose to say it won’t become popular with the rise of other Norse myth names. However, in modern Icelandic, it may sound a touch to close to the Icelandic slang term, göndull (cock, dick, penis), which yes, shares the same etymology as the name, referring to a staff or a wand, but other Nordic languages wouldn’t have the same associations.

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Jorid, Jofrid

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  • Origin: Old Norse
  • Meaning: “beautiful horse.”
  • Gender: Female

Derived from the Old Norse jór (horse) and fríðr (beautiful).

Other forms include:

  • Iófríðr, Jófríðr, Jóríðr (Old Norse)
  • Jofrid (Danish, Norwegian, Swedish)
  • Jori (Danish, Norwegian, Swedish)
  • Jorit (Danish, Norwegian)
  • Jófríður (Icelandic)
  • Jofrida (Norwegian, Swedish)
  • Joreid (Norwegian)
  • Jurid (Norwegian)
  • Jofridh (Old Swedish)

The designated name-day in Norway is September 12.

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Tollak

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  • Origin: Norwegian
  • Meaning: “Thor’s play.”
  • Gender: Masculine

The name is derived from the Old Norse, Þórleikr, which is composed of the elements Þór (Thor) and leikr (play).

A notable bearer is American musician, Tollak Ollestad.

Other forms include:

  • Torlak (Danish, Norwegian, Swedish)
  • Torleik/Thorleik (Danish, Norwegian)
  • Torlek (Danish)
  • Tollakur, Torlakkur (Faroese)
    • Þorlákur, Þorleikur (Icelandic)
  • Thorlacius, Torlacus (Late Latin)
  • Þollak, Þórleikr (Old Norse)
  • Tallak, Tollek (Norwegian)

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Eliel

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Finnish Architecht, Eliel Saarinen
  • Origin: Hebrew
  • Meaning: “my God is God.”
  • Gender: Masculine
  • Pronunciation: Eng (EL-ee-yel; ee-LYE-yel)

The name is composed of the same Hebrew word אל (‘el) meaning “God,” hence, some translate it to mean “my God is God.” The name is borne by several minor characters in the Old Testament.

A notable bearer was Finnish Architect, Eliel Saarinen (1873-1950).

Though an obscure Jewish name, it experienced a peak in popularity in Finland and other Scandinavian countries at the end of the 19th-century.

Eliel recently entered the U.S. Top 1000 Most Popular Male Names in 2019, currently ranking in at #664.

The designated name day in Finland is April 9th

A Dutch form is Eliël.

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Freya

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Old Norse
Meaning “lady; mistress”
(FRAY-yah)

The name is derived from the proto-Germanic word, *frawjōn, which designates a woman of noble birth. The modern German word of Frau is a modern cognate. Many scholars argue whether Freya was originally the name of the goddess or a title used in reference to her; it has even been suggested that the goddess had an actual given that has been lost to history.

In Norse mythology, Freya was believed to be the most beautiful goddesses ever created. Scholars believe that Freya was essentially a fertility goddess who assisted in the growth of wildlife, agriculture and human reproduction; along with birth and life, she was also associated with death. In Norse legend, it was Freya who received half the slain warriors into her heavenly hall.

She is often times the subject of the poetic eddas along with her numerous epithets, which are as follows:

  • Vanadis (beautiful goddess)
  • Mardoll (sea bright)
  • Horn (flaxen)
  • Gefn (the giver)
  • Syr (sow) which illustrates Freya’s association with pigs and fertility.

Today the name has survived in modern Germanic lexicons; the English word Friday means “Freya’s day” likewise the same in German with Freitag; the Danish/Swedish/Norwegian Fredag and the Dutch Vrijdag.

There are a few plants named for the goddess, such as Freyja‘ Hair and Freyja’s Tears, and the chemical Vanadium is derived from her epithet, Vanadis.

Today, Freya, and its alternate forms are still very common throughout Scandinavia and she even appears in the British top 100. Her rankings are as follows:

  • # 8 (Freja, Denmark, 2010)
  • # 19 (England/Wales, 2010)
  • # 19 (Scotland, 2010)
  • # 41 (Freja, Sweden, 2010)
  • # 53 (Northern Ireland, 2010)
  • # 61 (Ireland, 2010)

Other forms include:

  • Frea (Anglo-Saxon/Lombard)
  • Fröe (Danish: obscure form)
  • Freya (English/Modern German/Dutch)
  • Froya (Faroese)
  • Freija (Finnish)
  • Frya/Frija (Frisian)
  • Freja (German/Scandinavian)
  • Fráujo (Gothic)
  • Frėja (Lithuanian)
  • Frieja (Low Saxon)
  • Frøya (Norwegian)
  • Freyja (Old Norse/Icelandic)
  • Frīa/Frija (Old High German)
  • Frowa (Old High German)
  • Fröa (Swedish: very obscure form)
  • Fröja (Swedish: very obscure form)
The designated name-day in Sweden is January 23rd.

Emmerich

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Gender: Masculine
Origin: German
Meaning: “industrious ruler or universal ruler.”
(EH-meh-RIKH)

This ancient Germanic name is composed of the elements ermen or amal (its debated) and ric which means ruler and is a common component in many ancient Germanic names. If the first element is from ermen then it would mean “whole; universal” + ric. If it is derived from amal then it would mean “labour; work; industry” + ric. In Germany, its designated name-day is September 2nd. The names Amerigo and America are distant relatives and cognates include the Hungarian Imre, the Swedish/Norwegian Emerik and the French Émeric.

Update: As of 2009, Émeric was the 476th most popular male name in France. While its Hungarian form of Imre was the 70th most popular male name in Hungary.

Other forms of the name include:

  • Imrich (Czech/Slovak)
  • Emmerik (Dutch)
  • Emerico (Italian/Spanish)
  • Emeryk (Polish)
  • Américo (Portuguese)
  • Emeric (Romanian)
  • Emérico (Spanish)

America shares the same etymology.

Eivind

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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)
Feminine forms include:
  • Evena (Norwegian)
  • Evina/Evine (Norwegian)
  • Evinda (Norwegian)
  • Øivine/Øyvine (Norwegian)