110+ Norse Viking Dog Names (With Definitions)

Author:
James Livingood
Updated date:
Apr 11, 2022

James Livingood has been a dog sitter for several years. He has written numerous articles and a book about the topic because he loves dogs.

The simple truth is that Vikings loved their dogs. Many graves of Viking heroes included the skeleton of their faithful canines. Breeds of Old Norse dogs include the Elkhound, Lundehund, Buhund, and more.

This ancient relationship mainly relied on two types of dogs: hunters and herders. The hunting dogs were so big that they could take down elk, moose, and bears. The herding dogs were energetic and were often with them as they discovered new lands.

As you start your relationship with your dog, honor them with a Viking dog name!

Viking Dog Names: A–E


Name	Definition
Aegir	a sea god, husband of Ran, and host at feast of the gods spoiled by Loki.
Agnar	awe, terror and edge of a sword
Alfheim	the domain of elves.
Alfhild	elf and battle
Alfvin	elf and friend
Algautr	elf and Geat, Goth
Alvar	elf and warrior
Arvid	eagle and tree
Asgard	the home of the Aesir and location of Valhalla
Asger	god and spear
Aslaug	figure in Norse mythology, the third wife of Ragnar Lodbrok
Astrid	divine strength
Audhild	wealth, fortune and battle
Axel	Medieval form of ABSALOM.
Baggi	bag, pack
Balder	a god, a son of Odin and Frigg and the twin brother of Hod, by whom he was killed.
Bergljot	protection, help and light
Berserker	Old Norse warriors fighting in a fury
Bestla	Norse mythical character
Birger	help, save, rescue
Bjarte	bright
Bodil	remedy and battle
Bodolf	Norwegian politician
Borghild	fortification and battle
Borr	Norse mythical character
Bragi	the god of poetry and eloquence, son of Odin, husband of Idun: may be an apotheosis of the 9th-century poet Bragi Boddason.
Brandr	sword or fire
Brynhildr	She accused Sigurd of taking her virginity, spurring Gunnar to arrange Sigurd's murder.
Brynja	armour
Brynjar	armour and warrior
Buri	the first of the gods, revealed when the cow Audhumla licked away the salty ice that covered him.
Dag	day
Dagmar	day and maid
Dagny	day and new
Draugr	Undead creature from Norse mythology
Einar	one, alone and warrior
Eirik	Norwegian form of ERIC
Eric The Red	Norse explorer
Eysteinn	island or good fortune and stone

F–L


Name	Definition
Fenrir	Monstrous wolf in Norse mythology
Folke	people
Freya	the goddess of love and fertility, sister of Frey, daughter of Njord; one of the Vanir.
Frigg	wife of Odin and chief of the goddesses.
Fritjof	thief of peace
Frode	learned, wise
Garmr	A wolf or dog described as a guardian of Hel's gate.
Geir	spear
Gunnar	the husband of Brynhild: corresponds to Gunther in the Nibelungenlied.
Gunne	war
Hallr	rock
Halstein	rock and stone
Halvard	rock guardian
Heimdallr	the god of dawn and light.
Hel	the goddess ruling Niflheim: a daughter of Loki and Angerboda.
Helge	holy, blessed
Herja	valkyrie
Herleifr	army and son, descendant
Hildr	In Norse legend this was the name of a valkyrie.
Hjalmar	helmeted warrior
Hoenir	a god, one of the Aesir, companion of Odin and Loki, hostage to the Vanir.
Holger	island and spear
Hrafn	raven
Hrafnhildr	raven and battle
Hugi	a young man, a personification of thought, who defeated Thialfi in a race.
Huginn	Pair of birds in Norse mythology
Hugleikr	heart, mind, spirit and leikr play
Idun	a goddess, keeper of the apples of youth and wife of Bragi
Ingrid	Old Norse name meaning Ing is beautiful
Ironside	a strong person with great power of endurance or resistance.
Ivar	Scandinavian form of IVOR.
Ivar The Boneless	King of Jorvik
Jormungandr	sea serpent in Norse mythology
Jotun	any of a race of giants frequently in conflict with the gods.
Kraken	a legendary sea monster causing large whirlpools off the coast of Norway.
Lagertha	Legendary Viking shieldmaiden and ruler
Laufey	Norse mythical character
Loki	a trickster god, born of Jotun ancestry but accepted among the Aesir

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Viking Dog Names: M–Z


Name	Definition
Magnus	the Great Year: a cycle of years, usually a thousand, that begins with a Golden Age
Mani	another name for Manes.
Mjollnir	Hammer of the god Thor in Norse mythology
Muninn	Pair of birds in Norse mythology
Nanna	the wife of Balder.
Njord	One of the Vanir, a group of gods within Norse mythology
Norns	an extinct Norse dialect, spoken until early modern times
Odin	the ruler of the Aesir and god of war, poetry, knowledge, and wisdom; Wotan: the chief god.
Olaf	ancestor's descendant
Osborn	god and bear
Ragna	advice, counsel
Ragnarok	End times in Norse mythology
Raider	a person or thing that raids.
Randolf	rim (of a shield) and wolf
Ratatoskr	Norse mythical animal
Reidar	nest, home and warrior
Rollo Of Normandy	9th- and 10th-century Viking and later count of Normandy
Rune	a script used for writing the Germanic languages, especially of use in Scandinavia and Britain
Saga	Prose stories, mostly concerning ancient Nordic history
Sigrid	victory and beautiful, fair
Sigurdr	Fictional character in Germanic and Norse mythology
Sigyn	wife of Loki, who held a cup over Loki after his imprisonment
Skadi	Norse goddess associated with bowhunting, skiing, winter, and mountains
Skirnir	the servant of Frey: symbol of the sun.
Skoll	animal in Norse mythology
Solveig	sun and strength
Steinn	Old Norse and Icelandic form of STEN.
Surtr	Norse mythical character
Thiazi	Norse mythical character
Thor	the god of thunder, rain, and farming, represented as riding a chariot drawn by goats and wielding the hammer Mjolnir
Tyr	the god of strife.
Urd	fate
Valkyrie	any of the beautiful maidens attendant upon Odin who bring souls to Valhalla
Vallhalla	City & Municipality in Norway
Varg	wolves in Norse mythology
Varulv	Mythological human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolflike creature
Vegard	holy and enclosure
Vidar	a son of Odin, who will survive Ragnarok after killing Fenrir.
Vili	Norse gods
Ymir	Primeval being in Norse mythology

3 Tips for Choosing a Norse Dog Name

With so many choices it can become very difficult to find the name that fits your hound. This quick synopsis will aim to help you determine how to better isolate the name that suits your dog.

1. Role in a Legend

The most common way to choose a name is to find which legend you best identify with. If you love how Thor interacts with the other pantheon, perhaps that is worthy of note. Maybe you love how tricky Loki is, and that reflects how smart and adaptive your canine is.

2. Old Norse Ancient Words

Many of the suggestions on this list are based on the ancient dialect that Vikings once spoke. Those Old Norse words often had meanings smooshed together. For example, they may smoosh together "battle" and "shield" to help emphasize strong determination. Looking to this ancient dialect can help find the best name.

3. Look to Nature

The stories and legends of ancient times were often inspired by the beauty that surrounded these people. This same natural beauty exists today and can be a wonderful source of inspiration. From crashing beach waves to snow-capped mountains, to pristine lakes, Norway is a beautiful country with amazing scenery.

Now that you've reviewed these tips, feel free to take a fresh look at the names above. Alternatively, if you prefer to watch a video to help with name selection, take a look at the video below.