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Baby names

10th Sep 2018

11 stunning baby names inspired by norse mythology

Trine Jensen-Burke

Many have been inspired by names from a bygone era when picking a moniker for their brand new little bundle.

New parents have been borrowing from Greek and Roman mythology for ages, and with stunning options like Luna, Paris and Orion, who can blame them?

Norse mythology names, on the other hand, are not as well-known – but that does not mean there aren’t some really great choices lurking in there. Granted, some of the more hard-to-pronounce-in-English names might be a bit out there, but we have compiled a list of 11 names we think new parents could totally get on board with.

Are you ready? Here are some fabulous moniker to celebrate Scandinavian heritage, flaxen haired Nordics and really hunky Gods (Think Thor in the movie!)

1. Eir

A goddess of healing and medicine, her name means mercy; it’s pronounced ire.

2. Magnus

Thor’s son was called Magni, meaning strong, but kings of Norway and Sweden have answered to Magnus for centuries, which is why the name is very popular in Scandinavia. (Oh, and Will Ferrell has a son called Magnus too!)

3. Saga

A goddess often depicted drinking with Odin, she is the source of the word saga, meaning, of course, ‘story’ or ‘fable’.

4. Alvis

A dwarf who courted Thor’s daughter, until the god tricked him out of marriage.

5. Embla

Embla was the Norse equivalent of Eve, created from a tree along with her partner Ask.

6. Tyr

It looks like a creative respelling of tire, but Tyr was Thor’s brother and a god of justice.

7. Freya

Her name can also be spelled Freja/Frøya. Freya was the goddess of love and beauty, the name is becoming increasingly popular.

8. Odin

In Norse mythology, Odin was the chief god.

9. Eisa

A daughter of trickster god, Logi. The first syllable sounds like ice.

10. Njal

The name is said to come from an Icelandic saga based on  real ruler. Internationally, this name was changed to the easier to pronounce Neil, or the Gaelic Niall.

11. Signe

A Norse princess who meets a tragic end – but the name is still a thing of beauty.

For more brilliant baby name inspiration, make sure you are following us on Pinterest too.