60+ Viking Girl Names That Convey Strength & 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 blonde hair and a long beard to match. He’d likely be wearing some type of metal helmet — likely 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 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 (like strength, resilience, or grace), or animals or Norse gods who possessed these qualities. As in other cultures, it was not uncommon for certain Viking girl names to become popular in a royal family and be 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; 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, along with their meanings and origins.

Áma

This is a beautiful ancient Scandinavian and Greenlandic name that means “eagle.” It’s perfect if you want a name with a strong meaning and soft sound, and one that won’t be difficult to pronounce for new people throughout your daughter’s lifetime.

Astrid

The most famous Astrid in recent history is probably the character from How to Train Your Dragon, but hey, she is kind of the best. Her name has Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish roots. It means “beautiful goddess” or “divine strength.”

Sigrid

Here’s a name that all but screams “Viking” while also being completely pronounceable. Sigrid is a Norwegian name that means “beautiful victory.”

Saga

If something about word names speaks to you, you have to consider Saga. In Norse mythology, Saga is the goddess of history, poetry, and storytelling, and the word itself means a long, detailed story, often following one family or group.

Yrsa

This name means “wild,” “mad,” or “furious,” which maybe isn’t how you want your baby or toddler to feel, sure. But honestly, this world could use more strong women harnessing their feminine rage for change, don’t you think?

More Viking Girl Names

• Anneli: “my God is an oath”
• Åse: “God”
• Astra: “as beautiful as a god”
• Bodil: “commanding”
• Borghild: “battle fortification”
• Brynhild: In Norse mythology, a maiden who was rescued by a man pretending to be her husband
• Dahlia: “valley”
• Darby: “deer park”
• Eir: “mercy”
• Elli: “Old age personified”
• Embla: “Uncertain”
• Erica: “Mighty ruler”
• Estrid: “fair and beautiful goddess”
• Frea: “love,” “beauty,” “war,” or “death”
• Freya: In Norse mythology, the goddess of sensuality, passion, fertility and beauty
• Frida: “peaceful”
• Frigg: queen of Asgard, Odin’s wife, and goddess of beauty, fertility, and fate
• Gale: “jovial,” “rowdy,” “light,” “pleasant,” or “merry”
• Gertrud: “spear” or “strength”
• Grid: “Frost giantess”
• Gro: “gardener”
• Gudrun: “rune” or “secret lore”
• Gunhild: “war” or “battle”
• Halldora: “half-spirited”
• Heidrun: In Norse mythology, a goat that would eat the leaves from the tree of life and produce mead in her udder.
• Hel: goddess of the Norse underworld
• Helga: “sacred”
• Hilda: “battle”
• Idunn: “spring” or “immortality”
• Inga: “guarded by Ing” (the Norse god of fertility and peace)
• Jord: “daughter of night”
• Kára: one of the famous Valkyries of Norse mythology whose name means “the wild,” “stormy one” or “the curly one”
• Kelby: “farm near the spring”
• Kelda: “spring” or “fountain”
• Kirsten: “follower of Christ”
• Liv: Origin: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish Meaning: Protection
• Mist: one of the famous Valkyries of Norse mythology
• Nanna: “daring” or “brave”
• Noma: “fate”
• Rana: “queenly”
• Randi: “shield wolf”
• Revna: “raven”
• Rinda: a giantess from Norse mythology
• Roar: “warrior”
• Rúna: “secret lore”
• Sif: “bride”
• Signe: new victory
• Siv: “bride” or “kinship” (also the name of Thor’s wife)
• Svanhild: In Norse mythology, the daughter of Sigurd and Gudrun
• Thurid: “beautiful thunder”
• Thyra: a derivative of Tyr, the Norse god of war
• Tora: “thunder”
• Tove: “beloved of Thor”
• Ulfhild: “wolf battle maiden”
• Urd: “past destiny”
• Verdandi: “present destiny”
• Valen: “strong,” “healthy,” “valiant”

Does one of these Viking girl names sound just right for your little warrior?