Norwegian / old norse names and places
Every now and then I come across a book, movie, TV-series, fanfic, game or whatever, that mention a fictional "Norwegian" or "norse" place or person, and it just sounds so wrong it makes me either cringe or ROFL. Really. I still haven't recovered from the 1995 X-files episode, "Død Kalm", which took us to the port of "Tildeskan" where we met "Henry Trondheim", "Halverson" and "Olafsson".
Hopefully this list will keep others from being that “creative” with names. :)
Common names for places, towns and villages in Norway
These names are very generic and suitable for a place, village or town anywhere (and pretty much any time) in Norway. Mix and match prefixes with suffixes for diversity.
Bonus: All of these can also be used as surnames.
Name (meaning) - usage
Nes (headland, cape, ness) - Standalone
Bø (fenced-in field on a farm) - Standalone
Fjell (mountain) - Standalone or prefix/suffix: Fjell- / -fjell
Haug (small hill / large mound) - Standalone or prefix/suffix: Haug- / -haug
Vik, Viken, Vika (inlet, the inlet, the inlet) - Standalone or prefix/suffix: Vik- / -viken / -vika
Ås, Åsen (hill, the hill (larger than "Bakken")) - Standalone or prefix/suffix:
Dal, Dalen (valley, the valley) - Standalone or prefix/suffix:
Berg (small mountain) - Standalone or prefix/suffix: Berg(s)- / -berg
Sand (sand) - Standalone or prefix/suffix: Sand- / -sand
Strand (beach) - Standalone or prefix/suffix: Strand- / -strand
Li (hill) - Standalone or prefix/suffix: Li- / -li
Gran (spruce) - Standalone or prefix: Gran-
Bratt (steep) - prefix only: Bratt-
Myr (bog, mire) - prefix only: Myr-
Neset, Nesset (the headland, the cape, the ness) - Standalone or suffix: -neset / -nesset
Odden (foreland, headland) - Standalone or suffix: -odden
Våg (cove, bay) - Standalone or suffix: -våg
Lund (grove) - Standalone or suffix: -lund
Sund (sound, strait) - Standalone or suffix: -sund
Skog (forest) prefix/suffix: Skog- / -skog
Øy (island) prefix/suffix: Øy- / -øy
øya (the island) - suffix only: -øya
bakken (the hill) - suffix only: -bakken
gard / gård / gården (farm / farm / the farm) - suffix only: -gard / -gård / -gården
elv, -elva (river, the river) suffix only: -elv / -elva
stad (old word for town/place) suffix only: -stad
vannet (the lake) - suffix only: -vannet
Common words that can be used as prefix to any of the suffixes above
Svart- (black)
Lille- (little/small)
Sol- (sun)
Brei-/Bred- (wide)
Stor- (big)
Lang- (long)
Common Norwegian surnames (contemporary)
Heredatory surnames didn't become mandatory in Norway until 1923. Many took the name from the farm or place they lived, or just changed their primary patronyms into hereditary patronyms. Example: Helgessønn/Helgesdatter (son of Helge / daughter of Helge) became Helgesen.
Alm
Andersen
Anderssen
Antonsen
Aspelund
Bakke
Bakken
Bang
Berg
Bjerkan
Bråthen
Christensen
Corneliussen
Dahl
Dahlberg
Danielsen
Dyrnes
Dørum
Eide
Ellingsen
Erdal
Eriksen
Falch
Fredriksen
Foss
Fure
Fylling
Gabrielsen
Gran
Grønning
Halvorsen
Hansen
Hanssen
Hay
Hoff
Holm
Holt
Husby
Isaksen
Iversen
Jacobsen
Jensen
Jenssen
Johansen
Karlsen
Klausen
Konradsen
Kristensen
Kristiansen
Larsen
Larssen
Lie
Lien
Lund
Løvold
Magnussen
Meyer
Mikalsen
Mo
Moen
Myhre
Myklebust
Mørk
Ness
Nilsen
Olavsen
Olsen
Paulsen
Pettersen
Prestegård
Rasmussen
Riise
Rogstad
Ruud
Simonsen
Solbakken
Solli
Stokke
Strøm
Sund
Svendsen
Thorvaldsen
Torp
Thune
Tønnesen
Ueland
Ulven
Urdal
Vik
Vinje
Wahl
Wik
Wilhelmsen
Zakariassen
Ødegård
Årseth
Årvik
Ås, Aas
Åsen, Aasen
Common Norwegian names -- 1980 - present
Men
Anders
André
Andreas
Are
Arne
Atle
Bjørn
Cato
Chris
Christian, Kristian
Christoffer, Kristoffer
Daniel
David
Dennis
Elias
Emil
Espen
Erik, Eric
Eirik
Fredrik
Filip
Geir
Harald
Helge
Hans
Henning
Håkon, Haakon
Håvard
Isak
Jan
Joachim
Johan
Johannes
John, Jon
Johnny
Jonas
Jonathan
Kim
Kristian, Christian
Kristoffer, Christoffer
Lars
Lucas, Lukas
Mads, Mats
Magnus
Martin
Michael, Mikael
Morten
Niklas
Nils
Odin
Ole
Ove
Paul
Per
Peter, Petter
Preben
Pål
Richard, Rikard
Roger
Sebastian
Simen
Simon
Sindre
Sondre
Stian
Terje
Thomas
Thor, Tor
Thore, Tore
Vegard
Werner
William
Øystein
Åge
Åsmund
Women
Andrea
Ane, Anne
Anette, Annette
Annika, Anniken
Astrid
Bente
Camilla
Carina
Cathrine
Celine
Charlotte
Christin, Kristin
Christina, Kristina
Christine, Kristine
Elin, Eline
Elise
Elisabeth
Emilie
Eva
Frida
Grete, Grethe
Hanne
Hege
Heidi
Helene
Hilde
Ida
Ine
Ingrid
Ingvill, Ingvild
Isabel, Isabell, Isabelle
Iselin
Jannicke
Janine
Jeanette
Jennie, Jenny
Julia, Julie
Karoline (Kine)
Katrin, Katrine
Kristin, Christin
Lea, Leah
Lena, Lene
Linda
Line
Linn
Linnea
Lise, Lisa
Liv, Live
Mai, May
Maja
Malin
Margrete, Margrethe
Mari, Maria, Marie
Mariann, Marianne
Marte, Marthe
Mette
Monica
Nina
Nora
Oda
Pia
Ragnhild
Randi
Rikke
Sara, Sarah
Silje
Siv
Stina, Stine
Susann, Susanne
Tanja
Tina, Tine
Tiril
Tone
Trine
Vilde
Vera
Veronica
Wenche
Åse
Åshild
Common Norwegian names - 1800 - 1980
Men
Aksel
Albert
Anders
Andreas
Anker
Ansgar
Arne
Arnt
Arve
Asle
Atle
Birger
Bård
Charles
Edmund
Edvard
Egon
Erling
Even
Fred
Fredrik
Frode
Geir
Georg
Gunnar
Gunvald
Gustav
Harald
Helge
Hilmar
Håkon, Haakon
Ivar
Ingvar
Jens
Jesper
Jørgen
Joakim
Karl
Karsten, Karstein
Kjell
Klaus
Kolbein
Kolbjørn
Kristian
Kåre
Lars
Lavrans
Leif
Lossius
Ludvig
Magne
Magnus
Nikolai
Nils
Odd
Oddvar
Odin
Ola
Olai
Olaf
Olav
Ole
Omar
Oscar, Oskar
Peder
Per
Petter
Philip, Phillip
Pål
Ragnar
Rikard
Roald
Roar (also Hroar)
Rolf
Rune
Sigurd
Sigvard, Sigvart
Simon
Svein
Sverre
Tarjei
Terje
Toralf, Thoralf
Torbjørn, Thorbjørn
Torleif, Thorleif
Torstein, Thorstein
Torvald, Thorvald
Trond
Ulf
Ulrik
Valdemar
Wilhelm
Willy
Åge
Women
Albertine
Alice, Alise
Alma
Anita
Anna
Annbjørg
Asbjørg
Astrid
Aud
Bente
Berit
Birgit
Birgitte
Bjørg
Bjørgun
Bodil
Borghild
Dagny
Dagrun
Edel
Ella
Ellen
Elsa
Fredrikke
Frida
Gerd
Gjertrud
Gunhild
Gyda
Hanna, Hannah
Helga
Henny
Herdis
Hilda
Hilde
Hjørdis
Ingeborg
Inger
Irene
Johanna, Johanne
Jorun, Jorunn
Josefine
Judith
Kari
Karin
Kirsten
Kitty
Kjersti
Laila
Lilli, Lilly
Lisa, Lise
Liv
Lovise
Mathilde
Margaret
Marit
Martha
Molly
Nanna
Oddrun
Oddveig
Olga
Ragna
Ragnhild
Rigmor
Sara
Signe
Sissel
Solbjørg
Solveig
Solvår
Svanhild
Sylvi
Sølvi
Tora
Torhild, Toril, Torill
Torun, Torunn
Tove
Valborg
Ylva
Åse
Åshild
Names usage
Double names, like Ragnhild Johanne or Ole Martin are common in Norway. Just keep them as two names and don't use "-", and you'll be safe, even if it ends up a tongue twister. Using only one of two given names is also common practice.
In Norway everyone is on a first name basis. Students call teachers and other kids' parents by their first name, workers call their boss by their first name, we call our Prime Minister by her first name (journalists will use her title when speaking to her though). Some senior citizens still use surnames and titles when speaking of or to people their own age.
There are some exceptions. For example, a doctor may be referred to as Dr. Lastname when we speak of them, but first name is used when speaking to them. A priest is "the priest" when speaking of him/her and their first name is used when spaking to them. In the millitary only surnames (and ranks) are used. If you meet Harald, the King of Norway, in an official setting you will refer to him as "Kongen" (the king). If you run into him at the gas station, or while hiking, he is "Harald".
If you don't know someone's name it is okay to use their title, or just say "you".
Names for pets (contemporary)
Dogs
Laika (f)
Bamse (m) (bear)
Tinka (f)
Loke/Loki (m)
+ characters from TV/film/books...
Cats
Melis (m/f) (powdered sugar)
Mango (m/f) (mango)
Pus (f) (kitty)
Mons (m) (tomcat)
Nala (f)
Pusur (m) (Garfield)
Felix (m)
Simba (m)
+ characters from TV/film/books...
Horses
Pajazz (m)
Mulan (f)
Balder (m) - cold blood
Kompis (m) (pal)
Freya (f) - cold blood
+ characters from TV/film/books...
Rabbits
Trampe (m) (Thumper)
Trulte (f)
+ characters from TV/film/books...
Cows (yes, I am serious)
Dagros
Rosa
Mira
Luna
Sara
+ characters from TV/film - Disney is popular, as are the Kardashians :)
Road and street names
Storgata (usually the main street)
Kongens gate (the king's street)
Dronningens gate (the queen's street)
Jernbanegata (railroad street)
Jernbaneveien (railroad road)
Sjøgata (ocean street)
Sjøveien, Sjøvegen (ocean road)
Skolegata (school street)
Torvgata (plaza street)
Industrigata (industrial street)
Industriveien (industrial road)
Prefixes
Bl��bær- (blueberry)
Bringebær- (raspberry)
Bjørke- (birch)
Aspe- (asp)
Kastanje- (chestnut)
Solsikke- (sun flower)
Blåklokke- (blue bell)
Nype- (rosehip)
Kirke- (church)
Park- (park)
Suffixes
-veien, -vegen (the road)
-stien (the path)
Other
Torvet (the plaza) - standalone or suffix: -torvet
Havna (the port) - standalone or suffix: -havna
Kaia (the port) - standalone or suffix: -kaia
Safe solution: use a first name or surname as prefix.
Old norse
Men’s names
Agnarr (Agnar)
Alfr (Alf)
Ámundi (Amund)
Ánarr
Árngrimr (Arngrim)
Askr (Ask)
Auðun (Audun)
Baldr (Balder)
Beinir
Bjørn
Burr
Borkr
Dagfinnr (Dagfinn)
Davið (David)
Drengr
Durinn
Einarr (Einar)
Eirikr (Eirik)
Eivindr (Eivind)
Erlingr (Erling)
Fafnir
Flóki
Freyr (Frey)
Fuldarr
Galinn
Gautarr (Gaute)
Gegnir
Geirr (Geir)
Glóinn
Grímarr (Grimar)
Hafli
Hakon
Hallsteinn (Hallstein)
Haraldr (Harald)
Haukr (Hauk)
Heðinn (Hedin, Hedinn)
Helgi (Helge)
Hrafn, Hrafni (Ravn)
Hrafnkell (Ravnkjell)
Iarl (Jarl)
Ingolfr (Ingolf)
Iuar (Ivar)
Jafnhárr
Jón
Jóngeirr
Kál
Kiaran
Klaus
Knútr (Knut)
Kolgrimr (Kolgrim)
Kolr (Kol)
Leifr (Leif)
Loki
Lyngvi
Magnus
Mikjáll (Mikal, Mikkel)
Mór
Morði
Nesbjørn
Nokkvi
Oddr (Odd)
Oddbjørn
Oðin (Odin)
Olafr (Olaf)
Ormr (Orm)
Otr
Ouden
Pálni
Pedr
Ragnarr (Ragnar)
Ragnvaldr (Ragnvald)
Randr (Rand)
Róaldr (Roald)
Rólfr (Rolf)
Salvi
Sigarr (Sigar)
Sigbjørn
Sigurðr (Sigurd)
Skarpe
Snorri (Snorre)
Steinn (Stein)
Sveinn (Svein)
Teitr
Þor (Thor/Tor)
Þórbjørn (Thorbjørn/Torbjørn)
Þorsteinn (Thorstein/Torstein)
Tryggr (Trygg)
Týr
Ulfár
Ulfheðinn (Ulvhedin)
Ulfr (Ulf)
Vakr
Vani
Veigr
Viðarr (Vidar)
Yngvarr (Yngvar)
Æsi
Women's names
Anna
Arnfriðr (Arnfrid)
Ása
Bera
Bergdís (Bergdis)
Biørg (Bjørg)
Cecilia
Cecilie
Christina
Dagný (Dagny)
Dagrún (Dagrun)
Dís
Dísa
Edda
Elin
Ellisif (Ellisiv)
Freyja (Freya)
Friða (Frida)
Frigg
Gerðr (Gerd)
Gertrud
Grima
Gyða (Gyda)
Hadda
Hallbéra
Hallkatla
Herdís (Herdis)
Hildigunnr (Hildegunn)
Huld
Hvít
Ida
Iðunn (Idun, Idunn)
Ingríðr (Ingrid)
Johanna
Jórunn (Jorun, Jorunn)
Juliana
Katla
Katrine
Kristín (Kristin)
Leikný (Leikny)
Lif (Liv)
Magnhildr (Magnhild)
Mjøll
Myrgiol
Nál
Nanna
Nótt
Oda
Oddný (Oddny)
Ólaug (Olaug)
Rafnhildr (Ragnhild)
Rán
Rannveíg
Ríkví (Rikvi, Rikke)
Rúna (Runa)
Roskva
Sága (Saga)
Sif (Siv)
Sigriðr (Sigrid)
Skaði (Skadi)
Skuld
Svana
Sýn
Solveig
Tekla
Tóra (Tora)
Trana
Ulfhildr (Ulfhild)
Una
Urðr (Urd)
Valborg
Vigdís (Viigdis)
Vírún
Yngvildr (Ingvill, Ingvild)
Yrsa
Bynames
Bynames, or nicknames, could be neutral, praising or condescending. Usually bynames described a person's
body, bodyparts, bodily features
age
kinship and descent
territorial origin
knowledge, belief, spirituality
clothing, armour
occupation, social position
nature
Examples:
Eirik Blodøks (Eirik Blood-Axe), Gammel-Anna (old Anna), Halte-Ása (limping Ása).
I suggest that you stick with English for bynames, or use (relatively) modern language if you are writing in Norwegian.
Surnames
Surnames weren't really a thing until 1923 when they became mandatory. Before 1923 patronyms (son/daughter of) were used, and the name of the farm you lived on was often added as an address.
For instance: Helgi Eiriksøn (Helgi, son of Eirik), who lived at the farm called Vollr (grass field), would be called Helgi Eiriksøn Vollr. If he moved to the farm called Haugr his name would change to Helgi Eiriksøn Haugr.
Patronyms
Men: Use father's first name and add -sen /-son /-sønn
Women: Use father's first name and add -dotter / -dottir / -datter
Farm names
Farm names were usually relevant and derived from either the location, a nearby landmark, nature or from occupation.
I suggest you stick with the modern forms for farm names.
Old Norse (meaning) - modern
Bekkr (stream) - Bekk, Bekken
Dalr (valley) - Dal, Dahl
Horn (horn) - Horn
Vollr (field) - Vold, Volden
Lundr (grove) - Lund
The list of common names for places/villages/towns is still valid, although the spelling is modern. Just keep it simple and make "clever" combos based on meaning.
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Headcanon file: Meteorfall, and the origin of the W.R.O. —
Although Reeve is generally a very proactive person who deals with stress by working harder, there are some things that shake him to the core and render him temporarily immobile.
He doesn’t form the W.R.O. immediately in the wake of Meteorfall. In one fell swoop he loses his home ( his Midgar apartment gets completely annihilated and he loses everything he had in it ), his job, his city, his mother ( he believes she perished in the event itself until he has that conversation with Denzel four years later ), ( depending on verse, his significant other ), many other coworkers and acquaintances ( his years-loyal secretary Margaret among the casualties of Meteorfall ), and faith in what he’s been doing with his life for the past eighteen years ( i.e., building mako reactors ). This is absolutely too much for him to just pick up the pieces and start rebuilding right away.
Instead, he retreats to Junon, where he has a secondary apartment on the top tiers of the city. The fact that he still has some shelter, some belongings, and some money ( because the funds in Midgar banks are probably inaccessible, throwing the world into economic chaos as well as every other kind of chaos ) gives him some aid that post-event life would otherwise be much more difficult without, but it does next to nothing to alleviate the massive amounts of grief that he is experiencing at this time.
But ShinRa had a presence in Junon, and the Urban Development Department had a Junon-based branch that oversaw Junon-based matters. While the population of Junon wasn’t scathed nearly as bad as Midgar had been ( they suffered some extreme flooding and tidal waves, but that was mostly the lower city ), many had relatives in Midgar and otherwise keenly felt the impact of this worldwide event. Those who had worked under Reeve naturally looked to him for answers and some leadership, and he had scant amounts of either one to offer them.
But he knew the guidance they were seeking was more about making people feel like they were in the good hands of someone capable, even if Reeve was truly anything but at the moment, so he made a phone-in effort at organizing some reconstruction of Lower Junon.
Meanwhile, the beginnings of what would later become the city of Edge was being formed by the surviving residents of Midgar and Kalm. Rufus gets involved in this and puts Shinra money behind it, and part of Reeve knows he should be there instead. He sends Rufus some workers from Junon and some construction materials, but otherwise keeps a stark distance from the remainders of the company. The donation is half a gesture of goodwill, half a diplomatic move, and half a message that he and whatever he is leading in Junon is now a separate entity from ShinRa and whatever Rufus is leading from Healen. And that Edge is neutral ground.
It’s around this time that Reeve’s father, who had been safe from Meteorfall due to working a job in Kalm at the time, falls ill to the same mysterious disease claiming refugees left and right. Reeve goes to him in Kalm, but little can be done except to provide some comfort at the end of his life.
Losing his father to Geostigma prompts Reeve to formally organize his operation into the World Regenesis Organization and he builds its Headquarters between Edge and Kalm, where most of the refugees are located. Some of these early W.R.O. members stay in Junon, retaining a small presence there, but many move north with intentions of lending aid to the Midgar refugees, who are in far greater need than the residents of Junon. From here, the W.R.O. assumes a larger role in the construction of Edge, with its highly organized task force and the leadership of the former Director of Urban Development, and suddenly his and Rufus’s positions are reversed. Now it’s Rufus lending aid to the W.R.O. and the W.R.O. that is the face of the rebuilding efforts.
Under Reeve and the W.R.O., Edge becomes less of a shanty town and more of a city. The roads get properly paved and painted, a transit system gets established ( primarily buses; it will be years yet before a subway system is installed ), vital infrastructure such as a postal system, law enforcement, schools, etc. are organized and established...all around the statue that Rufus had erected to establish ShinRa’s presence in the area. And while no one knows that the W.R.O.’s money comes from Rufus ( Reeve, by the way, most certainly does, regardless of what he might otherwise claim ), ShinRa continues to more visibly support larger building projects in order to get the ShinRa name on things and establish their new public image.
Geostigma, however, continues to plague them for some time...
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