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> Viking girl names
Aslaug, Gyritha, Hild, Sigrid, Tyre, Yigdis...
> Viking boy names
Alsting, Eysteinn, Gunnar, Holger, Ragnar, Vidar... |
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Who were the Vikings and what were their names?
The stereotypical viewpoint of Norsemen or Ostmen as they called themselves
otherwise known as Vikings are bearded, barbaric, pagan and reprehensible
men from Scandinavia that plundered and destroyed. Ruthless warriors or just
another crowd in a tough and ruthless age living peacefully as farmers.
But are they just all that?!
No, the fascinating Scandinavians were also great explorers, merchants,
fishermen and farmers. The Vikings skill as a seafaring nation was central
to their culture and achievements.
The Viking people could write and read and used a non-standardized alphabet,
called runor, which was built upon sound values. Sports were also widely
practised and encouraged by the Vikings as were dice and board games which
were played at all levels of society. Music was considered as an art form.
What does the word 'Viking' actually mean?
The origin of the word is debated. In the old Norse language 'víkingr' means
a man from 'vik'. 'Vik' might be a bay or the specific bay called 'Víkin' in the south
of Norway.
The word 'víkingr' appears in both noun and verb forms on several rune
stones found in Scandinavia.
Old Norse fara í víking means 'to go on an expedition'.
The Word 'víkingr' in a nuon form refers to a seaman or warrior traveling, taking
part in an exploration. The verb form of 'víking' refers to travel or participation in
one of these overseas expeditions.
What were Vikings called and how did they choose
the names for their children?
Vikings believed that in some way a child would inherit with the name the gifts
or personality of their namesake. Parents would name their children after
a deceased relative, hero or after the gods.
Viking names related to their Gods:
Goð-(God), Ás-(god), Þór ('Thórr'), Frey-(Freyr), Regin- (power, the gods)
Viking animal names:
Refr (Fox), Orm (Serpent), Bjørn (Bear), Úlfr (Wolf), Hrafb (Raven)
or simply everyday nouns in the everyday language of the Vikings:
Frida (Peace), Steinn (Rock), Hild (Battle), Ljótr (Ugly), Auðr (Treasure),
Drífa (Snowdrift), Geirr (spear)...
or word combinations:
Gunn Hild = Gunnhild war battle, Vigdís = battle goddess, Þórólfr = Thor wolf
or nicknames or bynames:
These could, for example, indicate a kinship (son of or daughter of)
or the place that a person came from:
Keik (bent backwards) in Kexby, Sleng (idler) in Slingsby...
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