Eric Boy
EHR-ik
“ever ruler” · Old Norse
#273
Old Norse Baby Names
124 names
The Vikings left a lasting mark on the map of Europe, and they left a mark on baby names too. Old Norse, the language of Scandinavia during the Viking Age, produced names drawn from mythology, nature and warrior culture. Some were carried to England and Normandy by settlers, some survived in Iceland almost unchanged, and others returned to fashion much later through a revival of interest in Norse myth and history.
On the girls' side, Freya takes its name from the Norse goddess associated with love, beauty and fertility, and it has become one of the best-known Norse names worldwide. Erica and Erika are feminine forms of Eric, while Shelby reached modern use by way of an English place name with a Norse element. Boys' names include Odin, the chief of the Norse gods, and Gunnar, linked to the Old Norse word for battle.
Expect plenty of spelling variation here. The Norse sounds have been adapted differently in each country, so you will see Eric, Erik and Erick all on the same page. If you like the mythological connection, look up the story behind a name before you commit, since some figures in the sagas have darker tales than their gentle-sounding names suggest.
Most popular right now
Finn Boy
FIN
“fair, white” · Irish
#206
Erick Boy
ER-ik
“eternal ruler (variant of Eric)” · Old Norse
#366
Shelby Girl
SHEL-bee
“willow farm” · Old Norse
#649
Erik Boy
AIR-ik
“ever ruler” · Old Norse
#546
Ari Unisex
AH-ree
“lion; also eagle” · Hebrew
#393
Gunner Boy
GUH-nur
“bold warrior; one who fires a gun” · Old Norse
#506
Freya Girl
FRAY-uh
“lady” · Old Norse
#176
Colby Boy
KOHL-bee
“from an English place name” · English
#615
Ronald Boy
RAH-nuhld
“ruler with counsel” · Scottish
#638
All 124 names
Sorted by current popularity. US rank uses 2025 data for the name's most common sex; the trend compares births with five years earlier. Tap a column heading to re-sort.
| Name | Sex | Meaning | Origin | US rank 2025 | 5-yr trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eric | Boy | ever ruler | Old Norse | 273 | ↓ -34% |
| Finn | Boy | fair, white | Irish | 206 | ↓ -21% |
| Erick | Boy | eternal ruler (variant of Eric) | Old Norse | 366 | ↓ -22% |
| Shelby | Girl | willow farm | Old Norse | 649 | ↓ -27% |
| Erik | Boy | ever ruler | Old Norse | 546 | ↓ -22% |
| Ari | Unisex | lion; also eagle | Hebrew | 393 | → +3% |
| Gunner | Boy | bold warrior; one who fires a gun | Old Norse | 506 | ↓ -44% |
| Freya | Girl | lady | Old Norse | 176 | ↑ +9% |
| Colby | Boy | from an English place name | English | 615 | → +4% |
| Ronald | Boy | ruler with counsel | Scottish | 638 | ↓ -13% |
| Dustin | Boy | from a surname, perhaps 'Thor's stone' | English | 729 | ↓ -10% |
| Odin | Boy | fury, inspiration | Old Norse | 502 | ↓ -39% |
| Gunnar | Boy | bold warrior | Old Norse | 612 | ↓ -15% |
| Erica | Girl | ever ruler | Old Norse | 1,399 | ↓ -29% |
| Erika | Girl | ever ruler | Old Norse | 1,109 | ↓ -14% |
| Brenda | Girl | uncertain; possibly sword | Old Norse | 1,527 | ↓ -23% |
| Bo | Boy | to live, dwell (Scandinavian) | Scandinavian | 449 | ↑ +33% |
| Astrid | Girl | divinely beautiful | Old Norse | 376 | ↑ +19% |
| Halle | Girl | uncertain; several possible origins | German | 596 | ↑ +57% |
| Sky | Unisex | sky | English | 949 | ↓ -19% |
| Ronnie | Boy | short for Ronald, ruler's counsel | English | 1,067 | ↑ +8% |
| Liv | Girl | protection; also life | Scandinavian | 896 | ↓ -32% |
| Ingrid | Girl | Ing is beautiful | Old Norse | 1,121 | ↓ -17% |
| Kolby | Boy | from an English place name | English | 1,225 | → -3% |
| Crosby | Boy | village with a cross | English | 1,235 | ↓ -44% |
| Harold | Boy | army ruler | Old English | 993 | → -3% |
| Leif | Boy | heir, descendant | Old Norse | 917 | → +5% |
| Ralph | Boy | counsel wolf | Old Norse | 1,048 | ↑ +17% |
| Freyja | Girl | lady | Old Norse | 772 | ↑ +31% |
| Colbie | Girl | form of Colby; Koli's farm | English | 881 | ↑ +47% |
| Beck | Boy | stream, brook | English | 913 | ↑ +32% |
| Bjorn | Boy | bear | Old Norse | 829 | → -1% |
| Darby | Girl | deer village | English | 2,564 | ↓ -17% |
| Ronaldo | Boy | ruler's counsel (form of Ronald) | Portuguese | 1,988 | ↓ -7% |
| Lathan | Boy | variant of Latham, at the barns | English | 2,700 | ↓ -48% |
| Lamont | Boy | lawman | Scottish | 2,739 | ↓ -47% |
| Ericka | Girl | eternal ruler; feminine of Eric | Scandinavian | 2,624 | ↑ +16% |
| Loki | Boy | uncertain; Norse trickster god | Old Norse | 1,858 | ↓ -37% |
| Tyra | Girl | uncertain; possibly linked to the god Tyr | Scandinavian | 4,450 | → -3% |
| Thorin | Boy | related to Thor | Old Norse | 1,379 | → 0% |
| Rafe | Boy | short form of Ralph, counsel wolf | English | 1,165 | ↑ +156% |
| Thor | Boy | thunder | Old Norse | 2,875 | ↓ -49% |
| Kirk | Boy | church | Scottish | 2,551 | ↓ -22% |
| Kirby | Unisex | church settlement; English place name | English | 3,278 | ↓ -31% |
| Brant | Boy | sword; fire | Old Norse | 3,321 | ↓ -33% |
| Iverson | Boy | son of Ivar | Scandinavian | 1,413 | ↑ +37% |
| Kolbie | Girl | variant of Colby, coal farm | American (modern coinage) | 1,905 | ↑ +23% |
| Olga | Girl | holy, blessed | Russian | 3,201 | ↓ -7% |
| Kelby | Unisex | farm by the spring | Old Norse | 5,313 | ↓ -18% |
| Oden | Boy | Swedish form of Odin, chief Norse god | Old Norse | 2,033 | ↓ -9% |
| Copeland | Unisex | surname meaning purchased land | English | 1,359 | ↑ +97% |
| Yerik | Boy | variant of Erik: ever ruler | Old Norse | 3,235 | ↓ -68% |
| Ronny | Boy | pet form of Ronald, ruler's counsel | English | 3,434 | ↓ -31% |
| Valkyrie | Girl | chooser of the slain | Old Norse | 1,925 | ↓ -21% |
| Roscoe | Boy | roe deer wood | Old Norse | 2,248 | ↓ -21% |
| Dusty | Unisex | pet form of Dustin | English | 3,532 | ↓ -16% |
| Aric | Boy | variant of Eric: ever ruler | Old Norse | 4,259 | ↓ -33% |
| Colston | Boy | surname meaning Kol's town | English | 1,933 | ↑ +40% |
| Arik | Boy | variant of Eric, "ever ruler" | Old Norse | 3,316 | ↓ -24% |
| Siri | Girl | short form of Sigrid, beautiful victory | Scandinavian | 14,700 | ↓ -46% |
| Viggo | Boy | battle, war | Old Norse | 1,697 | ↑ +137% |
| Ron | Boy | short form of Ronald, "ruler's counsel" | Scottish | 4,361 | ↓ -25% |
| Ivar | Boy | bow warrior | Old Norse | 1,384 | ↑ +68% |
| Shelbie | Girl | variant of Shelby, "willow farm" | English | 8,279 | ↓ -32% |
| Dagny | Girl | new day | Old Norse | 5,279 | ↓ -35% |
| Sven | Boy | young man, boy | Old Norse | 3,645 | ↓ -42% |
| Iver | Boy | variant of Ivar, bow warrior | Old Norse | 2,170 | ↑ +83% |
| Ashby | Unisex | ash tree farm; English place name | English | — | ↓ -100% |
| Kolbi | Unisex | variant of Colby, coal farm | English | 3,617 | ↑ +31% |
| Erich | Boy | German form of Eric; ever ruler | German | 5,937 | ↓ -6% |
| Shelbi | Girl | variant of Shelby, willow farm | English | 8,278 | ↑ +30% |
| Alva | Unisex | uncertain; Hebrew or Old Norse "elf" | Hebrew | 5,567 | ↓ -46% |
| Dustyn | Boy | variant of Dustin, "Thor's stone" | American (modern coinage) | 4,901 | ↑ +67% |
| Arika | Girl | variant of Erika, "ever ruler" | American (modern coinage) | 6,142 | ↑ +27% |
| Thora | Girl | feminine of Thor, 'thunder' | Old Norse | 6,093 | ↓ -56% |
| Sigrid | Girl | beautiful victory | Old Norse | 4,445 | ↓ -11% |
| Erykah | Girl | variant of Erica, 'eternal ruler' | Old Norse | 13,733 | ↓ -40% |
| Eryk | Boy | Polish form of Eric, 'eternal ruler' | Polish | 11,074 | ↓ -60% |
| Tait | Boy | variant of Tate, 'cheerful' | Old Norse | — | ↓ -100% |
| Olan | Boy | uncertain; possibly Irish or Norse | Irish | 6,345 | ↓ -33% |
| Solveig | Girl | sun strength | Old Norse | 6,791 | ↓ -19% |
| Inga | Girl | short form of names with Ing | Old Norse | 9,714 | ↓ -17% |
| Signe | Girl | new victory | Old Norse | 11,789 | ↓ -56% |
| Dain | Boy | uncertain; possibly worthy or from Norse | English | 6,197 | ↑ +180% |
| Thurston | Boy | Thor's stone | English | 13,695 | ↓ -54% |
| Ole | Boy | ancestor's heir | Norwegian | 4,820 | ↓ -9% |
| Einar | Boy | lone warrior | Old Norse | 2,724 | ↑ +147% |
| Garth | Boy | enclosure, garden | Old Norse | 9,183 | ↓ -60% |
| Taft | Boy | homestead | English | 8,171 | ↓ -33% |
| Ronal | Boy | variant of Ronald, counsel ruler | Spanish | 5,797 | ↑ +46% |
| Olaf | Boy | ancestor's heir | Old Norse | 13,369 | ↓ -29% |
| Eryka | Girl | variant of Erika | Old Norse | — | new |
| Alvis | Boy | all-wise | Old Norse | 6,466 | ↑ +62% |
| Kirkland | Boy | church land | Scottish | — | ↓ -100% |
| Tora | Girl | feminine form of Thor | Scandinavian | 10,839 | ↓ -25% |
| Osborne | Boy | god bear | English | 4,663 | → 0% |
| Thurman | Boy | from a surname, Thor's protection | English | — | ↓ -100% |
| Dusti | Girl | variant of Dusty | English | 10,315 | → 0% |
| Erling | Boy | descendant of the jarl | Old Norse | 4,291 | ↑ +380% |
| Lamon | Boy | variant of Lamont, lawman | Scottish | — | new |
| Rosco | Boy | variant of Roscoe, roe deer wood | Old Norse | 10,469 | ↓ -12% |
| Errick | Boy | variant of Eric, ever ruler | Old Norse | — | new |
| Arvid | Boy | eagle tree | Old Norse | 8,323 | ↓ -36% |
| Haskell | Boy | from Old Norse or from Ezekiel | Old Norse | — | ↓ -100% |
| Dusten | Boy | variant of Dustin | Old Norse | — | new |
| Arne | Boy | eagle | Old Norse | 9,794 | → 0% |
| Thyra | Girl | uncertain; Old Norse Thyri | Danish | 11,838 | ↓ -27% |
| Ronney | Boy | variant of Ronnie, pet form of Ronald | English | — | new |
| Kerby | Boy | variant of Kirby, church settlement | Old Norse | 13,020 | → 0% |
| Dustan | Boy | variant of Dustin or Dunstan | Old English | — | new |
| Corby | Boy | from an English place name | Old Norse | 12,417 | new |
| Duston | Boy | variant of Dustin | English | — | new |
| Rolf | Boy | famous wolf | German | 13,496 | ↓ -17% |
| Dagmar | Girl | day maiden, or from Slavic Dragomir | Danish | — | new |
| Ronna | Girl | feminine of Ron | English | — | new |
| Helga | Girl | holy, blessed | Old Norse | — | ↓ -100% |
| Therman | Boy | variant of Thurman | Old Norse | — | new |
| Thurmond | Boy | variant of Thurman | Old Norse | — | new |
| Inger | Girl | Scandinavian name linked to the god Ing | Scandinavian | — | new |
| Alf | Boy | short form of Alfred; elf | Old English | — | new |
| Irby | Boy | farmstead of the Irish | English | — | new |
| Harrold | Boy | variant of Harold, army ruler | Old English | — | new |
| Gerda | Girl | enclosure, protection | Old Norse | — | new |
| Thurmon | Boy | variant of Thurman | English | — | new |