Norse mythology names are the names of the gods, goddesses, giants, valkyries and heroes of the Viking Age myths, such as Odin, Thor, Freya, Loki, Baldr, Frigg, Iðunn, Týr and Sigurd. Most of them have meanings, so Thor is thunder, Freyja is lady and Odin is frenzy, and several are popular baby names. Freya was Scotland’s most popular girls’ name in 2025, given to 268 babies, according to National Records of Scotland.
This guide is part of our Scottish Names collection. See the full Scottish Names directory and our Viking names hub for everyday Old Norse names and how they were built.
This is for parents looking for a name with a story behind it, and for anyone who wants to know who Iðunn or Heimdall actually were before naming a dog, a boat or a character after them. Every name has its Old Norse spelling, a meaning from a named source, the myth it comes from, and real counts from Norway, Scotland and Iceland. Some of these are proper baby names. Others are better kept for the dog.
Most of the stories come from the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda, both dated to the 13th century, well after the Viking Age. The meanings below come mainly from Wikipedia’s list of Germanic deities, which flags the ones scholars still argue about.
Two Scots Abroad · Scottish names
Norse mythology name finder
86 names from Norse myth with the Old Norse form, meaning and story. Filter by gods, goddesses, giants, valkyries and heroes, by boy or girl, and by whether anyone actually uses the name today.
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Which Norse mythology names are used as baby names?
More than you might expect. Freya tops the Scottish charts, and in Norway the gods are back in the nursery: Statistics Norway counted 195 baby boys called Odin and 161 called Brage in 2025, plus 152 girls called Saga and 114 called Frøya. In Iceland, Baldur, Sindri, Freyja and Embla each have hundreds of bearers.
| Name | Norwegian babies, 2025 | Scottish babies, 2025 | People in Iceland, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freya (Freyja, Frøya) | 149 | 287 | 621 |
| Odin | 195 | 24 | outside top 100 |
| Brage (Bragi) | 161 | fewer than 3 | outside top 100 |
| Saga | 152 | fewer than 3 | outside top 100 |
| Sigurd | 145 | fewer than 3 | 4,073 |
| Ask | 90 | fewer than 3 | outside top 100 |
| Embla | 62 | fewer than 3 | 506 |
| Thor (Tor) | 42 | fewer than 3 | outside top 100 |
| Balder (Baldur) | 20 | fewer than 3 | 818 |
| Loki (Loke) | 15 | 4 | outside top 100 |
| Sindri (Sindre) | 15 | fewer than 3 | 722 |
| Idun (Iðunn) | 13 | fewer than 3 | outside top 100 |
So the honest answer to whether these names are wearable is aye, some of them. Freya, Saga, Embla, Ask and Brage sit comfortably in a modern classroom. Odin and Loki are a bolder call, and nobody is naming a bairn Fenrir, though plenty of dogs will answer to it.
Norse god names
The gods fall into two families: the Æsir, Odin’s family, and the Vanir, the family of Freyja and Freyr. These are the boys’ names with the best stories.
Odin
Meaning: frenzy; lord of frenzy. Old Norse: Óðinn. Say it: OH-din.
Odin gave up one eye for wisdom. The ravens Huginn and Muninn sit on his shoulders and report what they see, he feeds his wolves Geri and Freki from his table, and he gathers the slain warriors at Valhalla until Ragnarök, where the wolf Fenrir kills him. In 2025 Odin went to 195 Norwegian and 24 Scottish boys.
Thor
Meaning: thunder. Old Norse: Þórr. Say it: TOR.
Thor carries the hammer Mjölnir, rides in a cart pulled by two goats and is married to the golden-haired Sif. At Ragnarök he kills the world serpent Jörmungandr, walks nine steps and dies from its venom. Thor names are everywhere in Scandinavia: Tor alone belongs to 19,643 Norwegian men.
Loki
Meaning: contested. Old Norse: Loki. Say it: LOH-kee.
Loki is the trickster who engineers Baldr’s death. He is the father of Hel, Fenrir and Jörmungandr, and, after a run-in with a stallion while in the shape of a mare, the mother of Sleipnir. The gods bind him, and his wife Sigyn holds a bowl over him to catch the dripping venom. Loke, the Norwegian spelling, went to 15 baby boys in 2025.
Balder
Meaning: contested; the Old English form means shining day. Old Norse: Baldr. Say it: BAL-der.
Baldr is the son of Odin and Frigg. Loki makes a spear of mistletoe, and Baldr’s blind brother Höðr kills him with it. After Ragnarök, Baldr and Höðr come back to rule the new earth together. Baldur is the Icelandic spelling, with 818 bearers.
Brage
Meaning: linked to bragr, poetry. Old Norse: Bragi. Say it: BRAH-geh.
Bragi is the god of poetry and the husband of Iðunn. Most scholars think he started out as a real 9th-century poet, Bragi Boddason, who was raised to a god after his death. Brage is now properly popular in Norway: 161 boys in 2025.
Tyr
Meaning: god. Old Norse: Týr.
Týr sacrificed his right hand to the wolf Fenrir, who bit it off when he realised the gods had bound him. Tuesday is named after him, through Old English Tīwesdæg, and so is the T-rune.
Heimdall
Meaning: world-brightener. Old Norse: Heimdallr.
Heimdallr guards the rainbow bridge Bifröst and will blow the Gjallarhorn to announce Ragnarök, where he and Loki kill each other.
Vidar
Meaning: possibly wide ruler. Old Norse: Víðarr. Say it: VEE-dar.
Víðarr is the silent god, a son of Odin, who avenges his father by killing Fenrir and survives the end of the world. In Norway Vidar is an everyday name, held by 8,745 men.
Norse goddess names
The goddesses give the best girls’ names in the whole mythology, and several are short, easy to spell and already in use. For everyday Norse girls’ names beyond the myths, see our list of female Viking names.
Freya (Freyja)
Meaning: lady, mistress. Old Norse: Freyja. Say it: FRAY-ah.
Freyja rides a chariot pulled by two cats, owns the necklace Brísingamen and takes half of those who die in battle to her field, Fólkvangr; the other half go to Odin. She is the daughter of Njörðr and the twin sister of Freyr. In Scotland she is the number one girls’ name, and Iceland has 621 Freyjas.
Frigg
Meaning: from a root meaning love. Old Norse: Frigg.
Odin’s wife and Baldr’s mother. Her name comes from an old root meaning love, and it is rare as a modern name, which is part of its appeal.
Idun
Meaning: ever young, or the rejuvenating one. Old Norse: Iðunn. Say it: EE-dun.
Iðunn keeps the apples the gods bite into when they start to grow old. The giant Þjazi, in the shape of an eagle, carries her off after Loki lures her out of Asgard with the promise of better apples. Idun is used in Norway by 693 women and went to 13 baby girls in 2025.
Siv
Meaning: in-law relationship, kinship. Old Norse: Sif. Say it: SEEV.
Sif is Thor’s golden-haired wife, and Siv is the Norwegian spelling, held by 6,999 women. The name is about family ties: kinship, or an in-law relationship.
Saga
Meaning: possibly to see; story, history. Old Norse: Sága. Say it: SAH-ga.
Sága may come from a word meaning to see, and Store norske leksikon reads it as story or history. It went to 152 Norwegian girls in 2025, and it is hard to think of a better name for a child of two writers.
Skadi
Meaning: uncertain; possibly linked to Scandinavia. Old Norse: Skaði.
Skaði is a giantess of skiing, bowhunting, winter and mountains. Offered a husband as compensation for her father’s death, she had to choose by looking only at the gods’ feet. She picked the best pair, hoping for Baldr, and got Njörðr. Her name may be linked to the name Scandinavia itself, though that is not settled.
Gerd
Meaning: fenced in. Old Norse: Gerðr.
Gerðr, whose name means fenced in, is the giantess Freyr falls in love with from a distance. He sends his servant Skírnir to win her, and after some threats she agrees to meet him nine nights later. Gerd is an everyday Norwegian name, held by 9,475 women.
Other goddess names on the list are wee, sharp and almost unused: Eir (peace or mercy), Nanna (possibly mother, or the daring one), Sigyn (victorious girlfriend), Snotra (the clever one), Vár (beloved), Lofn (praise), Sjöfn (love), Fulla (possibly bountiful), Hnoss (treasure) and Gersemi (relic). Hel, ruler of the dead, has a name meaning a concealed place, which explains why nobody uses it.
Valkyrie names and meanings
A valkyrie, valkyrja in Old Norse, is literally a chooser of the slain, from valr, the slain on the battlefield, and kjósa, to choose. Their names are almost all about noise, war and weapons, which makes them some of the most striking girls’ names in Norse myth.
| Name | Old Norse | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Hild | Hildr | battle |
| Gunn | Gunnr | war |
| Sigrun | Sigrún | victory-rune |
| Brynhild | Brynhildr | mail-shirt + battle (Store norske leksikon) |
| Mist | Mist | cloud |
| Hrist | Hrist | shaker |
| Skogul | Skögul | shaker |
| Gondul | Göndul | wand-wielder |
| Thrud | Þrúðr | power |
| Reginleif | Reginleif | power-truce |
| Randgrid | Randgríð | shield-truce |
| Radgrid | Ráðgríð | council-truce |
| Svanhvit | Svanhvít | swan-white |
| Olrun | Ölrún | possibly beer rune |
| Goll | Göll | tumult |
| Skuld | Skuld | possibly debt or future |
Three of them are living names. Hilde, the everyday form of Hild, belongs to 17,762 Norwegian women; Gunn to 8,505; and Sigrún is the seventh most common woman’s name in Iceland, with 2,466 bearers. Mist is the one that would turn heads in a Scottish nursery, especially on a dreich morning.
The Norns, the first humans and the world tree
The three Norns live by the Well of Urðr beneath the world tree, and each day they sprinkle it with water and clay so it will not rot. Urðr means fate and is often read as what has happened, Verðandi as what is happening, and Skuld as what should come. The page is careful to say these may not really mean past, present and future.
Ask and Embla are the first man and woman. In the Prose Edda, Odin, Vili and Vé find two trees on a beach and carve them into people. Ask simply means ash tree. Embla is uncertain: elm and vine have both been suggested. As a matching pair for twins they are hard to beat, and in 2025 Norway had 90 baby boys called Ask and 62 girls called Embla.
The world tree itself, Yggdrasil, is usually read as Odin’s horse, a kenning, or poetic riddle-name, for the gallows. A squirrel called Ratatoskr runs up and down it carrying malicious messages between an eagle at the top and the dragon Níðhöggr gnawing the roots. Ratatoskr is a braw name for a hyperactive dog.
Heroes of the Völsung saga
The Völsunga saga, a late 13th-century prose telling of older legends, gives the heroic names. If you want a myth name that does not belong to a god, this is the family to raid. Our male Viking names guide covers the historical Vikings who carried the same names.
Sigurd
Meaning: victory + guardian. Old Norse: Sigurðr. Say it: SIG-urd.
Sigmund’s son, who kills the dragon Fáfnir and wins its cursed treasure, riding Grani, a horse descended from Sleipnir, with the sword Gram reforged from his father’s broken blade. Sigurður is Iceland’s second most common man’s name, and 145 Norwegian boys got Sigurd in 2025.
Brynhild
Meaning: mail-shirt + battle. Old Norse: Brynhildr. Say it: BRIN-hild.
The woman Sigurd wakes, who is tricked into marrying Gunnar and later kills herself. The name means mail-shirt and battle, and 473 Norwegian women still carry it.
Gudrun
Meaning: god + secret lore. Old Norse: Guðrún. Say it: GOOD-roon.
Sigurd’s wife and Gunnar’s sister, who later marries the Hun king Atli and takes her revenge on him. Guðrún is Iceland’s second most common woman’s name, with 4,472 bearers.
Aslaug
Meaning: god + promised, dedicated. Old Norse: Áslaug. Say it: AS-lowg.
The daughter of Sigurd and Brynhild, raised by Heimr and later, in other sagas, the wife of Ragnar Lodbrok. 1,955 Norwegian women and 533 Icelandic women are called Aslaug or Áslaug.
Gunnar, Sigmund, Signý and Svanhild complete the cast, and all four are still used in Norway. Gunnar is the safest pick for a British birth certificate.
Norse myth names for pets, boats and stories
Some of the best names in Norse myth belong to animals and objects. Nobody needs a baby called Jörmungandr, but a dog, a boat or a role-playing character might.
- Fenrir: the giant wolf, Loki’s son, who bites off Týr’s hand and kills Odin.
- Sleipnir: Odin’s eight-legged horse.
- Huginn and Muninn: Odin’s two ravens, a good pair for two cats.
- Geri and Freki: Odin’s wolves, which makes them obvious dog names.
- Ratatoskr: the gossiping squirrel on Yggdrasil.
- Sindri: the dwarf who, with his brother Brokkr, forged Mjölnir. Wikipedia reads the name as slag; Store norske leksikon links it to sparkling. Sindre is an everyday Norwegian boys’ name, held by 7,672 men.
- Mjölnir, Gram and Gungnir: Thor’s hammer, Sigurd’s sword and Odin’s spear.
Norse mythology in Scotland
Scotland’s link to these myths runs through Orkney and Shetland, which were Norse for centuries. In Lerwick, Up Helly Aa puts a Norse figure at the head of the festival, and in 2020 the Guizer Jarl rode as Odin, Lord of the Gallows, an epithet that echoes the gallows kenning hidden in the name Yggdrasil. Most years the jarl plays a saga Viking instead: Eystein Magnusson in 2025 and Knut the Great in 2026.
The islands also kept their own Norse creatures. Trows are the mischievous fairies of Orkney and Shetland, fond of fiddle music, who live in mounds called trowie knowes; their name is thought to come from troll, mixed with drow, a Norn word from Old Norse draugr. Selkies shed their seal skins to come ashore, and the word is Scots, from selch, a grey seal. The Finfolk of Orkney are sorcerous sea people who winter in Finfolkaheem and summer on Hildaland, the hidden island, which tradition links to the real island of Eynhallow.
None of those are baby names, but they are a peedie reminder, as Orkney folk would say, that Norse myth did not stop at the Eddas. For the island names people actually use, see our Shetland and Orkney names guide, and for Thor hiding in family names such as Thorsen and Thorburn, our guide to Viking surnames.
How to choose a Norse mythology name
- Ken the story first. Loki is fun until someone reads out what he did to Baldr. Hel rules the dead. Skaði is brilliant but chose her husband by his feet.
- Pick a spelling that works where you live. Freya is easier in Britain than Freyja; Idun than Iðunn; Balder or Baldur than Baldr; Thor than Þórr.
- Check the numbers. Freya is common in Scotland now. Saga, Embla, Ask and Brage are popular in Norway but rare in Britain.
- Look past the big gods. Valkyrie names such as Mist and Sigrun, and saga names such as Aslaug and Gudrun, have the same mythology with less baggage.
- Keep the beasts for the beasts. Fenrir, Geri and Freki are better on a dog lead than a birth certificate.
Watch out for: meanings copied from site to site. Where a name’s meaning is contested or simply not recorded, as with Loki, Njörðr, Fenrir and Huginn, the finder above says so rather than inventing one.
Quick list: all 86 Norse mythology names
| Name | Old Norse | Who | Meaning | In use today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ask | Askr | Norn or first human | ash tree | Given to babies in 2025 |
| Aslaug | Áslaug | Saga hero | god + promised, dedicated | Used in Norway or Iceland |
| Balder | Baldr | God | contested; the Old English form means shining day | Given to babies in 2025 |
| Brage | Bragi | God | linked to bragr, poetry | Given to babies in 2025 |
| Brynhild | Brynhildr | Valkyrie | mail-shirt + battle | Used in Norway or Iceland |
| Byggvir | Byggvir | God | barley | Myth only |
| Dag | Dagr | God | day | Given to babies in 2025 |
| Eir | Eir | Goddess | peace, clemency; or help, mercy | Given to babies in 2025 |
| Embla | Embla | Norn or first human | uncertain; perhaps elm or vine | Given to babies in 2025 |
| Fenrir | Fenrir | Creature or thing | not recorded | Myth only |
| Forseti | Forseti | God | chairman | Myth only |
| Freki | Freki | Creature or thing | not recorded | Myth only |
| Frey | Freyr | God | lord | Myth only |
| Freya | Freyja | Goddess | lady, mistress | Given to babies in 2025 |
| Frigg | Frigg | Goddess | from a root meaning love | Myth only |
| Fulla | Fulla | Goddess | possibly bountiful | Myth only |
| Gefjon | Gefjun | Goddess | related to giving | Myth only |
| Gerd | Gerðr | Giant | fenced in | Used in Norway or Iceland |
| Geri | Geri | Creature or thing | not recorded | Myth only |
| Gersemi | Gersemi | Goddess | relic | Myth only |
| Gondul | Göndul | Valkyrie | wand-wielder | Myth only |
| Gram | Gram | Creature or thing | not recorded | Myth only |
| Grani | Grani | Creature or thing | not recorded | Myth only |
| Gudrun | Guðrún | Saga hero | god + secret lore | Used in Norway or Iceland |
| Gunn | Gunnr | Valkyrie | war | Used in Norway or Iceland |
| Gunnar | Gunnarr | Saga hero | battle + warrior | Given to babies in 2025 |
| Heimdall | Heimdallr | God | world-brightener | Myth only |
| Hel | Hel | Giant | concealed place, the underworld | Myth only |
| Hermod | Hermóðr | God | war-spirit | Used in Norway or Iceland |
| Hild | Hildr | Valkyrie | battle | Used in Norway or Iceland |
| Hlin | Hlín | Goddess | possibly protects | Myth only |
| Hnoss | Hnoss | Goddess | treasure | Myth only |
| Hod | Höðr | God | warrior | Myth only |
| Hrist | Hrist | Valkyrie | shaker | Myth only |
| Huginn | Huginn | Creature or thing | not recorded | Myth only |
| Idun | Iðunn | Goddess | ever young, or the rejuvenating one | Given to babies in 2025 |
| Jormungandr | Jörmungandr | Creature or thing | not recorded | Myth only |
| Lofn | Lofn | Goddess | potentially praise | Myth only |
| Loki | Loki | God | contested | Given to babies in 2025 |
| Magni | Magni | God | strength | Myth only |
| Mani | Máni | God | moon | Myth only |
| Mimir | Mímir | God | rememberer | Myth only |
| Mist | Mist | Valkyrie | cloud | Myth only |
| Mjolnir | Mjölnir | Creature or thing | not recorded | Myth only |
| Modi | Móði | God | courage | Myth only |
| Muninn | Muninn | Creature or thing | not recorded | Myth only |
| Nanna | Nanna | Goddess | possibly mother, or the daring one | Given to babies in 2025 |
| Nidhogg | Níðhöggr | Creature or thing | not recorded | Myth only |
| Njord | Njörðr | God | contested | Myth only |
| Od | Óðr | God | the frenzied one | Myth only |
| Odin | Óðinn | God | frenzy; lord of frenzy | Given to babies in 2025 |
| Olrun | Ölrún | Valkyrie | possibly beer rune | Myth only |
| Ran | Rán | Giant | theft, robbery | Myth only |
| Randgrid | Randgríð | Valkyrie | shield-truce | Myth only |
| Ratatoskr | Ratatoskr | Creature or thing | not recorded | Myth only |
| Reginleif | Reginleif | Valkyrie | power-truce | Myth only |
| Rind | Rindr | Giant | uncertain | Myth only |
| Saga | Sága | Goddess | possibly to see; story, history | Given to babies in 2025 |
| Sigmund | Sigmundr | Saga hero | victory + protector | Given to babies in 2025 |
| Signy | Signý | Saga hero | victory + new | Given to babies in 2025 |
| Sigrun | Sigrún | Valkyrie | victory-rune | Given to babies in 2025 |
| Sigurd | Sigurðr | Saga hero | victory + guardian | Given to babies in 2025 |
| Sigyn | Sigyn | Goddess | victorious girlfriend | Myth only |
| Sindri | Sindri | Creature or thing | slag (Wikipedia) or to sparkle (Store norske leksikon) | Given to babies in 2025 |
| Siv | Sif | Goddess | in-law relationship, kinship | Used in Norway or Iceland |
| Sjofn | Sjöfn | Goddess | love | Myth only |
| Skadi | Skaði | Giant | uncertain; possibly linked to Scandinavia | Myth only |
| Skogul | Skögul | Valkyrie | shaker | Myth only |
| Skuld | Skuld | Norn or first human | what should become; also possibly debt or future | Myth only |
| Sleipnir | Sleipnir | Creature or thing | not recorded | Myth only |
| Snotra | Snotra | Goddess | the clever one | Myth only |
| Svanhild | Svanhildr | Saga hero | swan + battle | Used in Norway or Iceland |
| Svanhvit | Svanhvít | Valkyrie | swan-white | Myth only |
| Thor | Þórr | God | thunder | Given to babies in 2025 |
| Thrud | Þrúðr | Goddess | power | Myth only |
| Tyr | Týr | God | god | Myth only |
| Ull | Ullr | God | something like glory | Myth only |
| Urd | Urðr | Norn or first human | fate; often read as what has happened | Myth only |
| Valhalla | Valhǫll | Creature or thing | hall of the slain | Myth only |
| Vali | Váli | God | chosen | Myth only |
| Var | Vár | Goddess | beloved | Given to babies in 2025 |
| Verdandi | Verðandi | Norn or first human | often read as what is happening | Myth only |
| Vidar | Víðarr | God | possibly wide ruler | Given to babies in 2025 |
| Vili | Vili | God | will | Myth only |
| Vor | Vör | Goddess | possibly the careful one | Myth only |
| Yggdrasil | Yggdrasill | Creature or thing | generally read as Odin’s horse, a kenning for gallows | Myth only |
Norse mythology names FAQ
What is the most popular Norse mythology name?
Freya. It was the most popular girls’ name in Scotland in 2025, with 268 babies plus 19 spelled Freyja, and Frøya and Freya went to 149 girls in Norway. For boys, Odin is the most popular myth name in Norway, with 195 babies in 2025.
What are the best Norse god names for a boy?
Odin, Thor, Brage, Vidar, Balder and Ask are all used as real boys’ names today. Týr, Heimdall and Ull are rarer, and Loki is a bold choice given his record.
What does Odin mean?
Odin, Óðinn in Old Norse, means frenzy. Wikipedia translates the reconstructed older form as lord of frenzy or leader of the possessed.
Which Norse goddess names mean love?
Sjöfn means love, Vár means beloved, and Frigg comes from a root meaning love. Freyja means lady or mistress.
Are valkyrie names good baby names?
Some are. Hild, Sigrun, Gunn and Brynhild are all still carried by women in Norway or Iceland. Mist (cloud) and Svanhvit (swan-white) are softer, and Skögul and Göll are probably best left to fiction.
Final thoughts on Norse mythology names
For a wee lass, Freya is the safe bet and Saga or Embla the less common one. For a boy, Brage and Ask are the names Norwegian parents are actually choosing, and Odin is the one with the swagger.
If the story matters more than the god, look at the saga heroes and valkyries, and filter the finder by what the name means. Then check how it sounds shouted across a park, because that is where every name ends up.
Sources
- List of Germanic deities, Wikipedia
- Valkyrie, Wikipedia
- Norns, Wikipedia
- Ask and Embla, Wikipedia
- Yggdrasil, Wikipedia
- Völsunga saga, Wikipedia
- Statistics Norway, Names (tables 10467 and 10501), 2025
- National Records of Scotland, Babies’ First Names 2025
- Statistics Iceland, names 1 January 2023
- List of Lerwick Up Helly Aa Guizer Jarls, Wikipedia
- Trow (folklore), Wikipedia
- Finfolk, Wikipedia
