Brandt

Meaning: (Sword, Torch, Fiery Torch, Beacon, Dweller on a Burned Clearing, topographic name for someone who lived in an area that had been cleared by fire, Middle High German Brant (from Brennen 'to Burn').)

Origin: (Middle High German, Old Norse, Scandinavian, Old English)

Pronunciation: (BRahNT)

Gender: Male

I saw this on TV but I forget where but I thought it was pretty nice when I saw its spelling on the screen so I decided to add this to my list. The meanings are all nice and strong as is the name in general. It seems a name that would do well in a fairy tale retelling or perhaps in a story with a strong German mythology in it.

Galia

Meaning: (God Shall Redeem, Calm, Single, My Father Rejoices, Joy of My Father, Variant of Gal which means Wave.)

Origin: (Hebrew, Old Greek, Old Norse)

Pronunciation: (GAHL-yah, GAH-lee-ah, gah-lyah, Gaa-LIY-aa, GAA-LYaa)

Gender: Female

I totally forget where I saw this name but I really liked it when I saw it. The meanings are really great and it’s a beautiful name that seems very ancient but also a bit of out of this world. The look is simple and is seemingly easily pronounceable. It’s just lovely and elegant and seems a very ancient Lady or Princesses name. I think it would look awesome if paired with an ancient name like Aristides *see on list of posts*! Like Galia Aristides!

Olaf / Olav / Olof

Meaning: (Relic; Ancestral Heritage. From the Old Norse name Áleifr meaning "Ancestor's Descendant", derived from the elements Anu "Ancestor" and Leifr "Descendant". St. Olaf is the patron saint of Norway, and there were many kings in Scandinavia named Olaf. The name has long been used in Scandinavian countries. It was introduced into England by the Vikings before the Norman Conquest, and later saw a revival in the 19th century from Scandinavian immigrants in the USA.)

Origin: (Norwegian, Old Norse, Scandinavian, Danish, German, Dutch, Polish)

Pronunciation: (O-lahf (German, Dutch), OW-LaeF (English), OW-LaaF (Dutch, German))

Gender: Male

When I was looking at the blog Blog of Characters run by Apolla 13 she had added this name to her blog as part of adding names from Lemony Snickets A Series of Unfortunate Events novels. If you care to look at her blog it is https://apolla13.wordpress.com/ .When I see and hear this name I think of the fun loving snow man from the movie Frozen. The meanings I like a lot and it’s a nice older foreign looking name. It seems like the name Otto *see on list of posts* to me, short, easily pronounced and has a sexy appeal to it. Like I can see a handsome buff guy with a hot accent and rock hard abs when I see this name, lol, way too specific there but I am a writer so I think all out, lol! ;~) I prefer the spelling Olaf or Olav whereas Olof seems off putting to me.

Eydis

Meaning: (Goddess of the Island, Derived from the Old Norse elements Ey "Good Fortune" or "Island" and Dís "Goddess".)

Origin: (Ancient Scandinavian, Icelandic, Old Norse)

Pronunciation: (AYDiy-Z, EY-dees)

Gender: Uni-sex

This is the name of an outfit on I think Pearson Renaissance Shoppe or Arm Street websites. This does have a very Medieval or Renaissance look which I love. The meaning is absolutely divine. I could see an actual island being named this as it would be kind of cool or even having a Kingdom or World being named this would be really pretty as well.

The name because of the spelling is one I might not remember but I mean if I saw it in a novel I would definitely think it was unique and awesome and at least I would know how to pronounce it, which is a plus.

Elfaeryn / Elfarin

Meaning: (Spring, Arin: Mountain of Strength, Enlightened, High Mountain, Exalted)

Origin: (Latin, Hebrew, Old Norse)

Pronunciation: (EL-FAYR-in, Elf: ELF Arin: AARIHN Elfarin: ELF-AARIHN)

Gender: Female, Possibly Uni-Sex

I don’t know where I first saw this name but when I saw Elfarin I thought to make the spelling Elfaeryn to be an alternative spelling. I had hard time finding information on this name so I am not sure how popular this name is. I think this would be cool if used on a medieval character because many names then started with Elf. I like the meanings and the look is interesting.

Odense

Meaning: (Odense is derived from Odins Vé, meaning "Odin's sanctuary" as the area was known as a sanctuary for worshippers of the Nordic god, Odin)

Origin: (Old Norse, Norse Mythology, Icelandic, Danish)

Pronunciation: (O-den-se, Oh-den-ss)

Gender: Male, Possibly Uni-Sex

There is city with this name and I either saw it in a travel book or perhaps in this novel I was reading a few months ago. In the novel it talked about a few places in Norway so I probably read it in that novel. I think this is a pretty cool name with pretty cool meanings. I have used Odin *see on list of posts* before in a novel I wrote, so Odense means Odin’s Sanctuary.

Odin was the supreme Norse God in Norse Mythology, so the Norse Equivalent of Zeus in Greek Mythology and Jupiter in Roman Mythology. He ruled over Valhalla like Zeus over Mount Olympus. Both Odin and Odense are awesome names with a cool look.

Thorin

Meaning: (Thunder, Chief, Variant of Torin. Variant of Thor. Thor was the Norse God of Thunder and Power, One of the Sons of Odin.)

Origin: (Old Norse, Norse Mythology, Irish Gaelic, English)

Pronunciation: (toh-rehn, Tor-in, Thor-en)

Gender: Male

So a few months back I saw the Hobbit movies again and the main Dwarf is named Thorin Oakenshield. I really like the name a lot and the strong meanings are great too. It is a nice more unique name that still has a connection to the name Thor. Thorin is a name that could be a male alternative to Thor and Thora *see on list of posts* the female alternative.

Aslaug

Meaning: (God, Promise, Vow, Betrothed Woman, One Who is Devoted to God, Scandinavian Mythology: Warrior Queen who was married to Ragnar.)

Origin: (Old Norse, Icelandic, Norwegian)

Pronunciation: (AHS-lowg, AHSLAO-G)

Gender: Female, possibly Uni-Sex

I saw the TV series Viking advertised, though I don’t watch it I saw the information for it and this was one of the characters. There is quite an interesting mythology history to this name which bears looking up. I couldn’t put it all here as there is much to it but definitely an intriguing myth revolving around this name. Aslaug has a connection I will say to Ragnar *see on list of posts* which Ragnar is a character name I have used in the current novel I am writing. Aslaug has lovely meanings and a unique look to English speakers but is quite common in Norway, Iceland, ect. With such a long history of use it could be used in many different eras.

Astrid

Meaning: (Devine Strength, Fair, Beautiful Goddess, Beautiful as a Goddess, Use in the English-speaking world is influenced by 20th-century Queen Astrid of the Belgians.)

Origin: (Old Norse, Scandinavian)

Pronunciation: (AS-trid, AHS-trid (Germany), AHS-tree (Norway), AH-strid (Swedish), AH-stree (Norwegian), AHS-trit (German))

Gender: Female

So I was watching one of those Locked Up prison shows and one of the inmates was named Astrid. Now I have seen Astrid only one other time on the movie Oleander. I think the meanings are beautiful and it has a nice use as well as royal use which might be a good reason for an author to use this name. I however have not been a huge fan of this name. It seems a hippie outer space name to me for some reason. It is lovely and beautiful don’t get me wrong but I don’t think I will use this name, but I never say never and I didn’t set up this blog for me only. I am sure an author will find this name perfect and I would indeed love to read a story where this is a name just to see how it is used.

Odin

Meaning: (Inspiration, Frenzy, Devine Creative Inspiration, To Blow, To Inspire, Anglicized form of Old Norse Óðinn which was derived from óðr "inspiration, rage, frenzy". It ultimately developed from the early Germanic *Woðanaz. In Norse mythology Odin was the highest of the gods, presiding over art, war, wisdom and death. He resided in Valhalla, where warriors went after they were slain. Odin was the chief god of Norse mythology, identified with art and culture, war, and the dead. The Norse warriors known as Vikings fought without fear, believing Odin would receive them into Valhalla, the heroes' paradise, if they died in battle.)

Origin: (Norse Mythology, Old Norse, Scandinavian)

Pronunciation: (O-din, OH-din, OWDihN)

Gender: Male

I have used this as the name of a main characters son’s name. I really love this name. The Norse mythology is very interesting as well. I decided to use this name because the child’s father Havelock *see on list of posts* and uncle Ragnar *see on list of posts* have Viking or Nordic names so I found Odin fitting. It is a very strong name with good strong meanings. The pronunciations are super easy and the name looks interesting as well. 

Arendelle / Arendell

Meaning: (Aren: Eagle, Ruler, Exalted, Enlightened, Mountain of Strength, High Mountain, Variant of Aaron Delle / Dell: Small Valley, From an English surname which originally denoted a person who lived in a dell or valley.)

Origin: (Hebrew, Old Norse, Old English)

Pronunciation: (Aren: AARahN, AIR-en Delle / Dell: DEL Arendelle / Arendell: AIR-en-DEL)

Gender: Female

I have seen the movie Frozen advertised of late. The kingdom that the two princesses are from is called Arendelle. The meanings are strong and good. I really liked the name when I first read about the movie. It has a very fantasy like look which I love. It is however a real name, a surname to be exact, so it can be used by other authors in their novels. Good Nicknames: Aren, Elle, Delle.

Eric / Erik / Aeric / Aerick / Aerric

Meaning: (Eternal Ruler, Forever or Alone, Ruler, The original form is Erik, which has been borne by nine Danish Kings. Scandinavian legend relates that the Viking sea rover Ericson (son of Eric the Red) landed on the shores of America 500 years before Christopher Columbus. The name was not widely used among English speaking people until 19^th Century British fiction writers Frederic Farrar (in “Eric”, or “Little by Little”) and H. Rider Haggard (in “Eric Brighteyes”) used it in popular literature. Eriq is the French spelling; Erich is a popular German form.)

Origin: (Old Norse)

Pronunciation: (AIR-ik)

Gender: Male

This is a common male name but seems to be a name that is used more than once as the name of a prince in a fairy tale or modern variants of fairy tales. I sort of like the original form Erik a bit more I don’t know why the change of a letter matters. Whereas I prefer Aeric / Aerick / Aerric for a sci-fi / fantasy based novel. It has a very unique out of this world look.

Ragnar

Meaning: (Strong Army, Judgment Warrior, Army Rule, Related to German and Scandinavian names like Reginald and Rainer.)

Origin: (Old Norse, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Scandinavian, German)

Pronunciation: (RAG-nahr, R-AW-NG-n-ah-r, RAA-JHNaa-R)

Gender: Male

I saw the TV series Viking advertised and apparently one of the main characters is named Ragnar. I have recently decided to use this name in one of my short stories. It is a very strong masculine name that I really do love.

Havelock

Meaning: (Sea Competition, Sea Contest, Sea Sport, Is a form of the English and German name Oliver, Author Havelock Ellis.)

Origin: (Scandinavian, Old Norse, Welsh, German)

Pronunciation: (HHAEVLAAK)

Gender: Male, Possibly Uni-Sex

I was adding new quotes to my list of inspirational quotes and I came across some new writing quotes on the internet. While scanning the list I saw one of the quotes was from an author Havelock Ellis. I instantly liked the name. It is a name you don’t often see or hear especially in an English speaking country. It has decent meanings and seems a strong name as well. This would have to be well placed by an author to work especially in English speaking countries but I think it could be done.

Elvie

Meaning: (Happy, Good Elf, Elf, Supernatural Being, Noble Friend, Noble, Truly Lively, Truly Foreign, True to All, White, Bright, Blond, Diminutive of Elvina.)

Origin: (Old English, Irish, Scandinavian, Germanic, Old Norse, Latin, Gothic)

Pronunciation: (EL-vee, EHLViy)

Gender: Female

I saw this in a magazine about recent and upcoming books. I didn't care about the book details but the name Elvie I liked. Elvie is also a diminutive of Elvina *see on the list of posts.* The meaning is good and its a pretty name.

Elvina

Meaning: (Friend of Elves, Elfin, Good Elf, Magical Being, Friend, Noble Friend, True to All, Truly Foreign, Truly Lively, Blond, Also possibly a place name or from an Old German name meaning Foreign, True.)

Origin: (Old English, Latin, Old Norse, Gothic)

Pronunciation: (ehLVIY-Naa, el-vine-uh)

Gender: Female

I was reading something the other day and I came across this name. I loved the meanings when I researched them. It's a beautiful name with a beautiful look. It has an exotic look but also a very Fantasy aspect to it as well.

Roscoe

Meaning: (From the Deer Forest, Roe Deer Wood, From an English surname, originally derived from a place name, which meant "doe wood", Transferred use of the surname derived from a place-name in Lancashire, on the northwestern coast of England. The name is derived from the Old Norse elements rá (a roe deer) and skógr (a wood).)

Origin: (English, Old Norse, Old German)

Pronunciation: (RAHS-ko, RAHS-koh)

Gender: Uni-Sex

I saw this in a movie the other day. It was a woman's name in the movie so I suppose this can be a uni-sex name. I don't know which gender I like it on more though. It has a good meaning and a decent look and sound to it.

Vidar

Meaning: (Tree Fighter, Lumberjack, Wide Ruler, Forest Warrior, Mythology: a son of Odin who was immensely strong, and did not speak.)

Origin: (Old Norse, Scandinavian)

Pronunciation: (vih-dar, 'Vi' is pronounced 'Vi' in victory 'dar' is pronounced as 'dar' in dart, Go to this site and run your cursor over Vidar to hear how it is said: http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=Vidar)

Gender: Male

The other day I was watching a show about these young woman who had killed and the high profile cases involving them. One of the families (the mother, father, daughter) were killed (and the son was injured) were Jehovah's Witnesses *The same religion as I am*. It was an extremely sad case. The father's name was Vidar which I really love the name. The name might seem different to English speakers but I am sure it is common to other cultures that use this name. I think the guy was from Sweden so this is probably common there, but not entirely sure about that.