60+ Viking Girl Names That Convey Strength And Power

If we were to ask a group of people to draw a Viking from memory, we’d be willing to bet that most of them would sketch a stocky, middle-aged man with red or blond hair, and a long beard to match. He’d likely be wearing some type of metal helmet — perhaps with horns — and be surrounded by dudes on a longboat, where they’re all singing fish songs while one keeps the beat with his fishing spear. OK, maybe not exactly that, but probably close.

But contrary to what we see in a lot of pop culture, women were Vikings, too. Not only that, but they had some pretty great names. (If you’ve ever seen an episode of The Golden Girls, you’ve probably heard at least a few of these in Rose’s St. Olaf stories.) Before we get into those, let’s talk about Vikings.

The first thing to keep in mind is that the term “Vikings” refers to the seafaring Norse people who lived in the southern parts of modern-day Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Eventually, the term “Scandinavian” replaced “Norse,” which should give you a better idea of the part of the world we’re talking about. Although, at the same time, given their propensity for sea travel and exploration, Vikings ended up on all kinds of expeditions in and around Europe, Northern Africa, the Middle East, the Arctic, and even all the way to North America (specifically, parts of Canada that they named “Vinland”).

So what do we know about Viking girl names? First of all, Vikings took baby-naming very seriously but did not have the benefit of online listicles for ideas and inspiration. Instead, they often gave children names associated with the qualities they wanted them to have (strength, resilience, grace, etc.), or animals or Norse gods who possessed these qualities. Like in other cultures, it was not uncommon for certain Viking girl names to become popular in a royal family and passed down through the generations.

The Viking Age lasted from approximately 793–1066 A.C.E., and by the end of that era, Christianity was on the rise, and Biblical names began replacing those of Norse deities and animals. But those aren’t our focus today. Here are dozens of popular Viking girl names, including their meaning and origin.

1. Áma

Origin: Ancient Scandinavian, Greenlandic Meaning: Eagle

1. Åse

Origin: Norwegian, Swedish Meaning: God

1. Astra

Origin: Norwegian, Swedish Meaning: As beautiful as a god

1. Astrid

Origin: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish Meaning: Beautiful goddess, divine strength

1. Borghild

Origin: Norwegian Meaning: Battle fortification

1. Brynhild

Origin: Norse Mythology Meaning: A maiden who was rescued by a man pretending to be her husband

1. Eir

Origin: Icelandic, Norwegian Meaning: Mercy

1. Elli

Origin: Norse Mythology Meaning: Old age personified

1. Embla

Origin: Icelandic, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish Meaning: Uncertain

1. Erica

Origin: Swedish Meaning: Mighty ruler

1. Frea

Origin: Norse Mythology Meaning: Love, beauty, war, and death

1. Grid

Origin: Norse Mythology Meaning: Frost giantess

1. Heidrun

Origin: Norse Mythology Meaning: A goat that would eat the leaves from the tree of life and produce mead in her udder

1. Helga

Origin: Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Icelandic, German, Dutch, Finnish, Hungarian Meaning: Sacred

1. Hilda

Origin: Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish Meaning: Battle

1. Idunn

Origin: Norse Mythology Meaning: Spring and immortality

1. Kara

Origin: Norse Mythology Meaning: A valkyrie

1. Liv

Origin: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish Meaning: Protection

1. Revna

Origin: Faroese Meaning: Raven

1. Roar

Origin: Norwegian Meaning: Warrior

1. Rúna

Origin: Ancient Scandinavian, Icelandic, Faroese Meaning: Secret lore

1. Sigrid

Origin: Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Finnish Meaning: Beautiful victory

1. Svanhild

Origin: Norse Mythology Meaning: Daughter of Sigurd and Gudrun

1. Urd

Origin: Norse Mythology Meaning: Past destiny

1. Verdandi

Origin: Norse Mythology Meaning: Present destiny

More Viking Girl Names

Looking for some more? Don’t worry: there are plenty of Viking girl names to go around.

1. Anneli

Origin: Finish Meaning: Grace, favor, or “my God is an oath.”

1. Bodil

Origin: Danish Meaning: Commanding

1. Dahlia

Origin: Swedish/Scandinavia Meaning: Valley

1. Darby

Origin: Old English Meaning: Deer park

1. Frida

Origin: German Meaning: Peaceful

1. Gale

Origin: Middle English Meaning: Jovial, rowdy, light, pleasant, or merry

1. Gertrud

Origin: Germanic Meaning: Spear or strength

1. Gro

Origin: Norse Meaning: Gardener

1. Estrid

Origin: Old Norse Meaning: fair and beautiful goddess

1. Gudrun

Origin: Old Norse Meaning: Rune or secret lore

1. Gunhild

Origin: Old Norse Meaning: War or battle

1. Halldora

Origin: Old Norse Meaning: Half spirited

1. Inga

Origin: Scandanavian or Old Norse Meaning: Guarded by Ing. Ing is also a god of fertility or peace.

1. Jord

Origin: Old Norse Meaning: Daughter of night

1. Kelby

Origin: Old Norse Meaning: Farm near the spring

1. Nanna

Origin: Old Norse Meaning: Daring or brave

1. Mista

Origin: Italian Meaning: A Valkyrie.

1. Kirsten

Origin: Scandinavian and Latin Meaning: Follower of Christ

1. Kelda

Origin: Old Norse Meaning: Spring or fountain

Even More Viking Names

1. Noma
2. Rana
3. Randi
4. Rinda
5. Saga
6. Signe
7. Sif
8. Siv
9. Thelma
10. Tora
11. Tove
12. Thyra
13. Thurid
14. True
15. Yrsa
16. Ulfhild
17. Valen

Viking Goddess Names

Vikings have a strong history and their goddesses are no different. Below, we’ve gathered the names of several female deities from Norse culture that will make you think Vikings are even cooler!

1. Frigg

Frigg is Odin’s wife. She was the queen of Asgard and the goddess of beauty, fertility, and fate.

1. Freya

In Norse mythology she is the goddess of sensuality, passion, fertility and beauty. Her sister is Fryre.

1. Hel

This goddess ruled the Norse underworld. She was also referred to as Helheim and had pale skin. Although she is associated with death, she takes care of any soul that enters her realm.