Viking Female Names: Real Norse Women's Names and Meanings
Viking women's names were built from the same elements as men's, but they are not interchangeable. Old Norse names carry grammatical gender, and everything attached to them has to agree. A man is inn gamli; a woman is in gamla. Get that wrong and the name is not Norse.
These are attested names from Landnámabók, the family sagas and Heimskringla, each with its meaning and source.
Generate a Norse woman's name, or read on for the full lists.
The Endings, and What They Mean
| Ending | Meaning | Names built on it |
|---|---|---|
| -dís | lady, goddess | Ásdís, Vigdís, Herdís, Freydís |
| -gerðr | enclosure, protection | Hallgerðr, Þorgerðr, Ásgerðr |
| -hildr | battle | Brynhildr, Ragnhildr, Svanhildr |
| -unnr | wave; also love | Jórunn, Steinunn, Ingunn, Þórunn |
| -fríðr | fair, beautiful | Hólmfríðr, Málmfríðr, Snæfríðr |
| -veig | strength, a strong drink | Rannveig, Hallveig, Solveig |
| -björg | help, rescue | Þorbjörg, Ingibjörg, Arnbjörg |
| -laug | consecrated | Áslaug, Guðlaug, Geirlaug |
Attested Viking Women's Names
| Name | Meaning | Attested in |
|---|---|---|
| Guðrún | god's secret lore | Laxdæla saga |
| Auðr | wealth, fortune | Laxdæla saga |
| Unnr | wave; love | Laxdæla saga |
| Helga | holy, consecrated | Gunnlaugs saga ormstungu |
| Þórdís | Þórr's lady | Landnámabók |
| Þórgunna | Þórr's battle | Eyrbyggja saga |
| Þórhildr | Þórr's battle | Njáls saga |
| Þórunn | Þórr's love | Landnámabók |
| Þóra | of Þórr | Landnámabók |
| Ásdís | god-lady | Grettis saga |
| Ásgerðr | god-protection | Egils saga |
| Áslaug | god-consecrated | Ragnars saga loðbrókar |
| Bergþóra | helping Þórr | Njáls saga |
| Bergljót | protected beauty | Heimskringla |
| Björg | help, rescue | Landnámabók |
| Droplaug | dew-consecrated | Droplaugarsona saga |
| Freydís | Freyja's lady | Grœnlendinga saga |
| Gró | to grow | Landnámabók |
| Gunnhildr | battle-battle | Heimskringla |
| Hallgerðr | rock-protection | Njáls saga |
| Hallbera | rock she-bear | Landnámabók |
| Hallveig | rock-strength | Landnámabók |
| Herdís | army-lady | Landnámabók |
| Hildigunnr | battle-battle | Njáls saga |
| Hildr | battle | Poetic Edda |
| Ingibjörg | Ing's help | Landnámabók |
| Ingigerðr | Ing's protection | Heimskringla |
| Jófríðr | horse-fair | Gunnlaugs saga ormstungu |
| Jórunn | horse-love | Laxdæla saga |
| Katla | kettle, cauldron | Eyrbyggja saga |
| Kolfinna | dark Finn | Landnámabók |
| Melkorka | (Gaelic loan) | Laxdæla saga |
| Oddný | new spear-point | Landnámabók |
| Ólöf | ancestor's heir | Landnámabók |
| Ragnheiðr | bright counsel of the gods | Sturlunga saga |
| Ragnhildr | battle of the gods | Heimskringla |
| Rannveig | house-strength | Njáls saga |
| Sigríðr | victory-rider | Heimskringla |
| Sigrún | victory-lore | Poetic Edda |
| Signý | new victory | Völsunga saga |
| Snæfríðr | snow-fair | Heimskringla |
| Steinunn | stone-love | Landnámabók |
115 more attested names are in the name generator, each with its meaning and source.
Bynames for Women
Women carried bynames exactly as men did, in the feminine form. Auðr in djúpúðga, Aud the Deep-Minded, was one of the most powerful settlers in Iceland.
| Byname | Meaning | Borne by | Attested in |
|---|---|---|---|
| in djúpúðga | the deep-minded | Auðr in djúpúðga | Laxdæla saga |
| kolbrún | coal-brow | Þorbjörg kolbrún | Fóstbrœðra saga |
| in ríka | the powerful | Þorbjörg in ríka | Landnámabók |
| in væna | the fair, the promising | Helga in væna | Laxdæla saga |
| in fagra | the fair | Helga in fagra | Gunnlaugs saga ormstungu |
| in spaka | the wise | Þuríðr in spaka | Íslendingabók |
| in auðga | the wealthy | Þorbjörg in auðga | Landnámabók |
| in svarta | the black | Þórdís in svarta | Landnámabók |
| in hvíta | the white | Þóra in hvíta | Landnámabók |
| in gamla | the old | Þórunn in gamla | Landnámabók |
| in mikla | the great | Þórdís in mikla | Landnámabók |
| in unga | the young | Guðrún in unga | Landnámabók |
| in langa | the tall | Þórelfr in langa | Landnámabók |
| in digra | the stout | Þórdís in digra | Landnámabók |
| sundafyllir | sound-filler | Þuríðr sundafyllir | Landnámabók |
| in mjóva | the slender | Þóra in mjóva | Landnámabók |
Which Are Still in Use
A large number never went out of use. Ingrid, Astrid, Sigrid, Helga, Thora, Freya, Solveig and Ragnhild are all direct descendants of names in the list above, which is what makes this list useful for baby naming as well as for reading the sagas. For the full picture of how these names were assembled, see our guide to Viking names.
Frequently Asked Questions
What were common Viking women's names?
Guðrún, Þórdís, Helga, Sigríðr, Ingibjörg, Þóra, Auðr and Hallgerðr are among the best attested. Names built on Þór- and Ás- were extremely common for women as well as men.
Are Viking female names gendered grammatically?
Yes. Old Norse names carry grammatical gender, and the byname must agree: a man is inn gamli, a woman is in gamla. A generator that ignores this produces broken Norse.
What does the -dís ending mean?
Lady or goddess. Names like Ásdís, Vigdís, Herdís and Freydís are built on it, and the dísir were female protective spirits.
Were there real shieldmaidens?
The sagas name women who fought, and the Birka chamber grave Bj 581 held a person buried with a full weapon set who was genomically female in 2017. What weapons in a grave say about a life is still debated. The names here are ordinary women's names, not warrior titles.
Can I use these as baby names?
Many are in ordinary use across Scandinavia: Ingrid, Astrid, Sigrid, Helga, Thora and Freya all descend from names in this list.