300+ Viking Names

Skadi is an anglicized spelling of Skaði, a Scandinavian goddess associated with winter, skiing, bowhunting and mountains. This mythological choice is enjoying the limelight of names like Odin and Thor: it first appeared in the US charts in 2017 and is given to a few more girls each year.

Works better as a full name than Arnie does as a nickname.

The connection to Freud is a strong one, but this German name has a strong and interesting sound and great nickname potential: Ziggy, Iggy, Sim, Sid...

Manly almost to the point of macho.

Mythological son of Odin, powerful and mute.

A crystalline name that retains its loveliness far past its prime. Its biggest downside: Eternal confusion over spelling and pronunciation. Kristen? Kirsten? It can be so confusing that many parents today opt to bypass it.

A Basque and Scandinavian form of Michael, pronounced MEE-kel. In the US, it is sometimes chosen as a modern alternative spelling of Michael.

Ymir comes from Norse mythology, he is a giant and forebear of all the Norse gods and goddesses. A moon of Saturn is named Ymir.

Ten years ago we would have advised people to steer clear of this name (and maybe choose the similar sounding Walter instead); but with the rise of other Nordic and Eastern European names like Viggo and Casimir, maybe its time to re-thing Valdemar. It's a big name, but with enough penache, it could be pulled off. Valdemar was introduced to Scandinavia in the 12th Century by a Danish king named for his Ukrainian grandfather, and is currently in the Danish Top 20.

Tora is the female version of Tor or Thor, the name of the Norse god of thunder. Actress Jeanne Tripplehorn chose it for her daughter.

Mattis was most popular in Scandinavia in the 2000s and 2010s, and is now seeing success in Germany. In the US, it's most familiar as a surname.

Ubbe or Ubba was a 9th-century Viking and one of the commanders of the Great Heathen Army that invaded Anglo-Saxon England in the 9th century.

This particular spelling was chosen by Will Ferrell for his son, brother to Magnus. These names are both popular in Sweden, birthplace of their mother, Viveca Paulin.

Siggy can be a short form of any name that starts with Sig-. Most Sig- names have Germanic origins, like the Scandinavian names Signe and Sigrid. In this context, Siggy means "victory".

Kali is a popular girls' name in the US with dark origins: She is the Hindu goddess of death and destruction, though we'd wager many parents see the name as simply a respelling of Callie.

It looks unfamiliar at first, but we think this strong Danish name is worthy of further consideration. It has a great meaning and is unusual without being a mouthful or too challenging. To us it feels like an arty or creative name, perhaps because one famous bearer, Asger Jorn, was an avant-garde sculptor and painter.

Nikolas is a sleek and international spelling of this longtime favorite, chosen by parents who might like the Nik or Niko short form.

This common Scandinavian name, also spelled Osmund, is only occasionally heard in this country.

The Icelandic form of the internationally popular Magnus, currently ranked in the Top 50 over there.