Vikings didn't have surnames as we do. A Viking was known by their father's name (Leif Eriksson was Leif, son of Erik) or by a byname that said something about them: Erik the Red, Harald Fairhair, Ivar the Boneless. This Viking name generator uses real Old Norse first names, the kind found in the sagas and on rune stones, and builds full names both ways.
Patronymics: son of, daughter of
The usual way to tell two Viking Leifs apart was to name their fathers. A son added -son to his father's name and a daughter added -dóttir: Leif Eriksson, Freydis Eiríksdóttir. (The exact spelling of the father's name changes in Old Norse grammar; the generator keeps it simple by adding -sson and -sdóttir.)
Iceland still uses this system today, which is why an Icelandic father and daughter usually have different last names.
Bynames: Erik the Red and friends
Bynames are where Viking names come alive. They described looks, character or deeds, and some were not flattering:
- Erik the Red, for his red hair (and, some say, his temper).
- Harald Fairhair, who is said to have sworn not to cut his hair until he ruled all of Norway.
- Ivar the Boneless, a name nobody has ever fully explained.
- Ketil Flatnose, Thorfinn Skull-Splitter and Aud the Deep-Minded from the sagas.
- Eric Bloodaxe, last Viking king of York.
The first names
Every first name in this generator is a real Old Norse name. Many were built from words for animals and gods: Bjorn means bear, Ulf means wolf, Orm means serpent, and names beginning with Thor- (Thorstein, Thora) honour the god Thor.
For Skyrim's Nords, who are modelled on Vikings, see the Nord Name Generator.