by Tanya Glover
Norse names for your little Viking
When we trace our family history, most of us will find that our people did not originate in the United States of America. In fact, many of us will find that we have had family ties to the Vikings. If this is you, or if you just love Viking history, than you may want to give your baby a name to express it.
Some Viking names are ordinary and some are unique and unusual. Take for instance the name Eric — or Erick. This is a traditional Viking name. Legends of Scandinavia say that there was a hardcore Viking named Ericson, who was the son of Eric the Red, that made landfall on what is now The United States of America well before Columbus ever did. As he was roving the seven seas causing mayhem he just happened upon this land we know live in today.
Another good male Viking name that is not well known but not unheard of either is Leif. The Viking Leif Ericksson was also said to have landed on American soil before Columbus – 500 years before to be exact. Some more male Viking names include Odin — known as the fearless fighter, Gunnar, Dane, Oscar — also spelled Oskar, Bjorn, Himlar, Egill, Halldor, Snorri, Breki, Olaf and Sigurd.
The Vikette
While most people think of Vikings as being men, there had to have been Viking women in order to get the Viking men! So, if you are having a little girl there are lots of interesting and beautiful names to choose from as well. As with the male names, some of them are ordinary while others will turn heads.
Here are a few to start you out with: Emma, Ella, Freya, Matilda, Liva, Astrid, Nanna, Eydna, Gerda, Freja, Sunna, Helga, Elva, Harpa, Ingrid, Siri and Saga. Many of the female (and male for that matter) names are pretty out there for Americans but you have to admit that they are so unique that your child will surely not share a name with another child in their class.
Traditional Norse names
While not all Vikings were Norse, all Norse were connected to the Vikings at some point in history. So, maybe you want to choose a traditional Norse name for your little one. There are many Norse names to choose from so I will give you just a taste to ponder over.
For your Viking you may want to consider Bergids (meaning protection by spirits), Gunnolf (the fighting wolf), Halvard (defender of rocks), Im (a giant of mythical stories), Kiarr (meaning of the marsh) and Oysten (meaning happy). For your Vikette you may want to consider Bregdis (female form of Bergids), Bergthora (spirit of Thor), Gimle (meaning a new heaven), Gro (a farmer or gardener), Hallfrid (meaning half beautiful, though I am not sure where the compliment fits in with this one), Mista (meaning being a Valkyrie) and Osk (the mother of Hild).
Yes, these are all unusual names indeed, but isn’t that what we are looking for in naming our children?
Sure, some parents want plain and well known names, but for those Viking lovers out there, there are plenty of name choices that are neither plain nor well known. If you are reading this article, you probably don’t want a common name anyway. Happy pillaging…err…searching!
