Viking Name Generator

Viking names: History, structure, and meaning

Whether you hear the horn or see their longboats appearing on the horizon, there are few sounds as fearsome in history as the Viking name. Long associated with Norse names, the Viking name has a distinct Scandinavian and medieval bent.

From How to Train Your Dragon to the Poetic Edda and Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, there’s no end to the influence of Viking lore on modern-day entertainment and character naming conventions.

Viking naming conventions

Although the Norse gods were typically known by a mononym (think Odin or Loki), Viking naming conventions often adhered to the tried-and-true structure of a first name and a surname–with a few twists. Vikings were fond of epithets that followed great deeds and noted patrilineal associations in the last name, which is why Leif Erickson had his name as son of Erik the Red (Erick’s son). 

Viking name inspiration

Viking names were usually chosen by the parents, though epithets could often change that fact, similar to the way Roman names might include “the Great.” Erik “the Red,” for example, had famously red hair and a red beard. Viking names like Bjorn (Bear) also tend to represent the fearsome enemies of the Norse gods.

Unleash your inner Viking today! Try our Viking name generator and step through a portal to a time when names carried all the might and majesty of Norse legends.

List of Viking names

From Erik and Ragnar to Halfthor and Bjorn, Viking names tend to reflect a strong warrior culture and the Norse mythology the Vikings followed. Expect to find a lot of fearsome hidden name meanings in these Viking names, which you can browse for inspiration below.