150 Viking Dog Names With Old Norse Roots
Dog Names
Some dogs arrive looking as though they have already crossed a cold sea and won. A thick ruff and a fearless stare deserve a name with some history, and Viking dog names have plenty: gods, wolves, shieldmaidens, kings and the plain Old Norse words for bear and eagle. Every one of the 150 names here comes with its meaning. For styles beyond the Norse world, this bigger collection of dog names covers the rest.
The list moves from gods and legendary beasts to warrior names, famous Vikings, saga heroines and gender-neutral picks, with pronunciation help at the end. If two finalists are tied, the dog name generator is a quick way to break it.
Viking God Dog Names From Norse Mythology
The Norse gods were loud, loyal, clever and occasionally very naughty, which describes a fair number of dogs. Several of them also stand watch among these guard dog names for fearless protectors.
Norse God Names for Boy Dogs
- Odin - chief of the gods, who gave an eye for wisdom.
- Thor - god of thunder, never far from his hammer.
- Loki - the shape-shifting trickster.
- Tyr - god of war and justice, brave enough to lose a hand to a wolf.
- Baldur - the bright, gentle god everyone loved.
- Heimdall - watchman of the gods, said to hear grass grow.
- Vidar - the silent god, strong and steady.
- Bragi - god of poetry. For a dog who sings.
- Njord - god of the sea and the wind.
- Freyr - god of sunshine and good harvests.
- Ull - god of winter, skiing and the bow.
- Forseti - god of fair judgment.
- Vali - a son of Odin, grown in a single day.
- Hod - the blind god, brother of Baldur.
Thor and Loki have a second life in the comics, and both turn up again among these Marvel dog names.
Norse Goddess Names for Girl Dogs
- Freya - goddess of love, who rode a chariot pulled by cats.
- Frigg - Odin's wife and queen of Asgard.
- Sif - Thor's wife, famous for her golden hair.
- Idun - keeper of the apples of youth.
- Skadi - goddess of winter, mountains and the hunt.
- Hel - ruler of the underworld. For a dark coat.
- Saga - goddess linked with stories and memory.
- Eir - goddess of healing.
- Nanna - Baldur's devoted wife.
- Sigyn - Loki's endlessly loyal wife.
- Ran - goddess of the sea, who gathered sailors in her net.
- Sol - the sun, driven across the sky.
- Gefjon - the goddess who plowed an island out of the sea.
- Fulla - Frigg's handmaid and keeper of her secrets.
Mythical Wolves, Ravens and Beasts
- Fenrir - the giant wolf even the gods feared.
- Geri - one of Odin's two wolves. Means greedy.
- Freki - Odin's other wolf. Means ravenous.
- Hati - the wolf who chases the moon.
- Skoll - the wolf who chases the sun.
- Garm - the great hound at the gates of the underworld.
- Huginn - Odin's raven. Means thought.
- Muninn - Odin's second raven. Means memory.
- Sleipnir - Odin's eight-legged horse. For fast dogs.
- Ratatosk - the gossiping squirrel of the world tree.
- Jormungand - the world serpent, long enough to circle the earth.
- Fafnir - the dragon who guarded a hoard of gold.
- Ymir - the first giant, from whom the world was made.
- Valkyrie - Odin's warrior maidens. Means chooser of the slain.
Badass Viking Dog Names for Bold Pups
For the dog who patrols the fence like a jarl, or the tiny one who believes she is twice her size.
Warrior Titles From the Viking World
- Viking - the word itself, from those who went raiding.
- Berserker - a warrior who fought in a wild fury.
- Jarl - an earl or chieftain.
- Hersir - a local war leader.
- Huskarl - a chieftain's sworn bodyguard.
- Drengr - a bold, honorable young man.
- Skald - a court poet who sang of heroes.
- Einherjar - the fallen warriors who feast with Odin.
- Ironside - the nickname of the legendary Bjorn Ironside.
Legendary Weapons and Places of Battle
- Mjolnir - Thor's hammer. For a heavy-pawed puppy.
- Gungnir - Odin's spear, which never misses.
- Gram - the sword the hero Sigurd used against a dragon.
- Tyrfing - a cursed magic sword from the sagas.
- Dreki - dragon, and the dragon-headed longships.
- Valhalla - Odin's great hall of heroes.
- Ragnarok - the final battle of the gods. For chaos on four legs.
Old Norse Dog Names From Nature and the Nine Worlds
The Vikings lived close to wolves, ice and open water, and their everyday words still make strong, simple names. Any of these would sit comfortably among these nature dog names for outdoorsy pups.
Old Norse Words for Animals, Ice and Fire
- Ulf - wolf.
- Bjorn - bear. For big, soft dogs.
- Orn - eagle.
- Hrafn - raven. For black coats.
- Fjord - a long, narrow sea inlet.
- Jokull - glacier. For white coats.
- Hekla - Iceland's famous volcano.
- Stein - stone. Steady and solid.
- Isa - the rune for ice.
- Sunna - the sun, in old poetry.
- Eldur - fire, in Icelandic. For red coats.
Names From the World Tree and the Nine Worlds
- Yggdrasil - the great ash tree holding the nine worlds.
- Ask - the first man, made from an ash tree.
- Embla - the first woman, made from an elm.
- Asgard - home of the gods.
- Midgard - the world of people.
Male Viking Dog Names for Boys
Viking-age boy names are short, sturdy and carry a meaning worth living up to.
Famous Vikings, Kings and Explorers
- Ragnar - the legendary hero Ragnar Lothbrok.
- Ivar - Ivar the Boneless, Ragnar's fearsome son.
- Ubbe - another of Ragnar's legendary sons.
- Halfdan - a Danish leader in England.
- Leif - Leif Erikson, who reached North America.
- Erik - Erik the Red, who settled Greenland.
- Harald - Harald Hardrada, the last great Viking king.
- Rollo - the first ruler of Normandy.
- Cnut - king of England, Denmark and Norway.
- Sigurd - the dragon-slaying hero of the sagas.
- Egil - Egil Skallagrimsson, warrior and poet.
- Floki - the sailor who gave Iceland its name.
- Ingolf - Iceland's first permanent settler.
- Sweyn - Sweyn Forkbeard, king of Denmark.
- Olaf - Olaf Tryggvason, king of Norway.
- Guthrum - the Danish king who fought Alfred the Great.
- Grettir - the strong, unlucky outlaw of his own saga.
Classic Old Norse Boy Names
Several of these still sound like a wise old farmer, which suits a dog with a gray muzzle as well as any of these old man dog names.
- Arne - eagle.
- Bjarni - little bear.
- Dag - day. For a sunny temperament.
- Einar - lone warrior.
- Erling - descendant of a chief.
- Gunnar - bold warrior.
- Hakon - high-born son.
- Halvard - rock guardian.
- Kjell - helmet or cauldron.
- Knut - knot. Short and sturdy.
- Orm - serpent.
- Rune - secret lore.
- Sven - young man.
- Thorin - a dwarf named in an Old Norse poem.
- Torsten - Thor's stone.
Female Viking Dog Names for Girls
Norse girl names are anything but delicate. Many belong to women who sailed, ruled and fought.
Shieldmaidens, Queens and Saga Heroines
- Lagertha - the legendary shieldmaiden.
- Freydis - Leif Erikson's sister, who sailed west.
- Aud - Aud the Deep-Minded, a settler of Iceland.
- Gudrun - a heroine of the Volsung saga.
- Brynhild - a valkyrie of the sagas.
- Gunnhild - a queen known as Mother of Kings.
- Thyra - a Danish queen remembered on rune stones.
- Astrid - divine beauty. The mother of a Norwegian king.
- Sigrid - Sigrid the Haughty, a proud queen.
- Hervor - a shieldmaiden who claimed her father's sword.
- Aslaug - Ragnar's clever wife in the sagas.
- Ragnhild - a queen and mother of Harald Fairhair.
- Thorbjorg - the seeress of the Greenland saga.
- Volva - a wise woman who could see the future.
- Alfhild - a princess who, in legend, became a sea raider.
Classic Old Norse Girl Names
- Liv - life.
- Inga - named for the god Ing.
- Runa - secret lore.
- Solveig - strength of the sun.
- Sigrun - victory rune.
- Thora - a girl's form of Thor.
- Ylva - she-wolf.
- Hilda - battle.
- Dagny - new day.
- Gerd - the giantess Freyr fell in love with.
- Hulda - the hidden one.
- Signy - new victory.
- Tove - a Danish favorite from the Old Norse Tofa.
- Ragna - counsel of the gods.
- Alva - elf.
Gender-Neutral Viking Names for Any Pup
Names from fate, poetry and far-off harbors suit a boy or a girl equally well.
Fate, Poetry and Old Norse Words
- Urd - the Norn who weaves the past.
- Verdandi - the Norn of the present.
- Skuld - the Norn of what is still to come.
- Edda - the books that preserve Norse myth.
- Kari - gust of wind.
- Volsung - the legendary family of the hero Sigurd.
- Hundr - the Old Norse word for dog.
Viking Towns and Far Shores
- Vinland - the Vikings' name for the land they found in North America.
- Thule - the far north at the edge of the map.
- Hedeby - a busy Viking trading town.
- Birka - a Swedish trading town on an island.
- Jorvik - the Viking name for York.
- Uppsala - the old heart of Swedish kings.
- Kaupang - Norway's first market town.
Choosing a Viking Name Your Dog Will Answer To
The best Viking dog names are short and clear and suit the dog in front of you. For a boy, Odin, Thor, Bjorn, Leif and Ragnar are the classics. For a girl, Freya, Astrid, Sif, Liv and Ylva are hard to beat. Fenrir, Ulf and Garm suit a wolfish dog, and Hundr, the Old Norse word for dog, is a quiet joke for anyone who knows.
Pronouncing Old Norse Dog Names
Old Norse used letters English has dropped, so these names appear here in plain letters. Freya is FRAY-uh, Heimdall is HAME-dahl and Mjolnir is MYOLL-neer. Fenrir is FEN-reer, Sleipnir is SLAYP-neer and Yggdrasil is IG-druh-sil. Any of them shortens happily: Yggdrasil becomes Iggy, and Ragnarok becomes Rags.
Names That Sound Like a Cue
A dog learns a name as a sound that predicts good things, so say it brightly and reward the moment your dog looks up, starting from day one of a new puppy routine. Watch for names that echo everyday cues. Sif is close to sit, and Leif, said the English way, can blur with leave it.
Viking Names for Nordic Breeds
A Norse name feels especially at home on a Nordic breed. The Norwegian Elkhound is an ancient Scandinavian hunting dog often linked with the Viking age. The Swedish Vallhund, a sturdy little herder, is sometimes called the Viking dog, and the Icelandic Sheepdog is thought to have reached Iceland with the first Norse settlers.
Larger dogs with a northern look carry the bigger names best, and this guide to big dog breeds covers several of them.
Dogs in the Viking Age
Dogs guarded Viking farms, herded and hunted, and were sometimes laid to rest beside their people. In Northern Norway, archaeologists recently excavated a Viking-age boat grave where a high-status woman had been buried with a small dog placed at her feet, and dogs are the animals most often found in graves of that era in the region.
A thousand years on, the bond looks much the same. Whichever name wins, Thor or plain little Liv, it will soon mean one thing to your dog: someone who loves them is calling.
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