Norway (Norge)

Capital : Oslo

Akershus fylke, Aust Agder fylke, Vest Agder fylke, Baskerud fylke, Finnmark fylke, Hedmark fylke, Hordaland fylke, Møre og Romsdal fylke, Sogn og Fjordane fylke, Telemark fylke, Nord Trondelag fylke, Vestfold fylke, Østfold fylke, Oppland fylke, Nordland fylke, Troms fylke

History

Vikings from the Norwegian fjords made some of the longest voyages of exploration recorded in the C9th and C10th. They invaded and colonised much of Ireland, western and island Scotland and northern England as well as reaching Iceland, Greenland and probably America. Large numbers left Norway at this time, possibly due to overcrowding and poor harvests resulting from climactic variations. Norwegians founded the Kingdom of Dublin in 841 and the Orkney and Shetland islands with part of northern Scotland were the Norse Earldom of Orkney. King Erik Bloodaxe also ruled the Viking Kingdom of York but this did not survive his death in 964 although Scandinavian settlers remained in the area, influencing placenames and customs until modern times.

Harald Finehair ruled most of southern Norway after the battle of Hafrsfjord in the 890s but the rise of Denmark in the C10th led to Norway coming under occasional Danish rule, including that of King Cnut (Canute) of Denmark, who also ruled England. After Cnut's death, a Norwegian king succeeded him but there were still periods of Danish control. Under the Union of Kalmar (1397-1523) Norway, Sweden and Finland joined Denmark in an alliance. As Sweden challenged Denmark for supremacy in the Baltic, Norway became gradually smaller and disputes with the powerful merchants of the Hanseatic League caused further problems.

Norway did not become an entirely separate state again until 1905 and even then her new king, Haakon VII, was a son of the Danish king, Frederik VIII. The country retained its independence after both World Wars and is now a member of the European Free Trade Association.

Norwegian Names

Although there has been a revival of the old Norse names during the last century, until about 1900 their use was discouraged by the church due to their heathen connotations. There were quite strong regional variations until spelling was standardised in the 1890s so some of the different versions of names in use today may result from this.

Male

Aadne	Åke	Alf	Alf-Inge	Alfred	Algot
Amund	Anders	Andreas	Anton	Arne	Aron
Artur	Arve	Arvid	Asbjørn	Asmund	Atle
Bernt	Bjarne	Bjarte	Bjoern	Borge	Christian
Dag	Edvard	Egil	Eilert	Einar	Ejlert
Erik	Erling	Espen	Eyolf	Finn	Finn-Christian
Fridtjof	Fritjof	Frode	Gaute	Geir	Georg
Gerd	Gjurd	Gregers	Gunnar	Håkon	Halldor
Hallstein	Hallvard	Hallvor	Halvard	Halvdan	Halvor
Hans	Harald	Henning	Henrik	Herlof	Inge
Ingvar	Ivar	Iver	Jakob	Jan	Jan-Aage
Jarle	Jens	Joakim	Johan	Johannes	Jokkum
Jomar	Jon	Jörgen	Josef	Julius	Kåre
Karl	Kjell	Kjetil	Knut	Kosmo	Kristen
Kristian	Kristoffer	Lars	Leif	Leiv	Lennart
Ludvig	Ludvik	Mads	Markus	Martin	Martinus
Maurits	Mikkel	Mons	Morten	Niels	Nils
Njord	Odd	Ola	Olaf	Olav	Ole
Olof	Osvald	Ove	Øystein	Oyvind	Pål
Paul	Peder	Peer	Per	Peter	Petter
Ragnar	Reder	Reidar	Rikard	Roald	Roar
Rolf	Sanne	Sigurd	Simen	Sjurd	Stein
Steinar	Stellan?	Stian	Stig	Sture	Svein
Svend	Sverre	Terjeulv	Theodor	Thomas	Thor
Thorleif	Tobias	Torbjorn	Tore	Torgeir	Torkjell
Torolv	Torstein	Torvald	Tov	Tove	Valdemer
Valter	Vebjorn	Verner	Vidkun	Viggo	Vilfred
Vilhelm	Yngvar

Female

Many girls' names were formed by adding the feminine suffix '-e' (pronounced like English '-a') to a male name.

Agata	Agna	Agnes	Agot	Alfhild	Aline
Alvide	Andrine	Ane	Anette	Anitra	Anna
Anna-Maria	Anna-Sofie	Anne	Anne-Lisbet	Anne-Lise	Annfrid
Astrid	Aud	Beate	Bente	Bergitta	Bergitte
Bergliot	Berit	Berta	Berte	Birgitte	Bjørg
Borghild	Brit	Camilla	Cecilia	Delfin	Dordei
Doret	Dorte	Dortea	Eilif	Elen	Elin
Elisa	Elisabet	Elisabeth	Elise	Ellen	Elsa
Else	Emma	Froydis	Gerd	Ghita	Gierine
Gislaug	Gjertrud	Gorun	Grete	Gro	Gudrun
Gunn	Gunnhild	Gunn-Rita	Gunvor	Guro	Haldis
Hanna	Hanne	Hedda	Heid	Helene	Helge
Hilda	Hilde	Hjørdis	Hulda	Inga	Ingeborg
Inger	Irmild	Jenny	Jensina	Jensine	Johanna
Johanne	Johnine	Jorun	Josefina	Josefine	Juliane
Julle	Kaisa	Kara	Karen	Kari	Karolina
Karoline	Kirsten	Kirsti	Kristianna	Kristianne	Kristina
Kristine	Laila	Lajla?	Lillian	Lisbet	Lisbeth
Lise-Lone	Liv	Lovise	Malena	Malene	Maren
Margaret	Margit	Margrete	Maria	Marianne	Marit
Marta	Marte	Martine	Matilda	Matilde	Merete
Mia	Mina	Nikolina	Nikoline	Nora	Ola
Olava	Olina	Oline	Patricia	Pernilla	Pernille
Petra	Petrine	Ragnhild	Rakel	Randi	Rebekka
Regine	Reidun	Rut	Sara	Selma	Sidsel
Signe	Sigrid	Sigrun	Sina	Siri	Sissel
Siv	Sofia	Sofie	Solveig	Sonje	Stine
Susanna	Susanne	Suzannah	Synnøve	Tekla	Thea
Tobine	Tonetta	Torill	Tova	Tove	Trine
Trude	Turid	Ulla	Ulrika	Valbjorg	Veronika
Vibeke	Vigdis	Viktoria	Vilhelmina	Yvonne

Surnames

Aamodt	Aasgaard	Abel	Alsgaard	Alving	Amundsen
Amundson	Andersen	Andresen	Antonisen	Arup	Åsheim
Bakke	Balle	Bjoerndalen	Bjordal	Bjørlo	Björnson
Blix	Böcklin	Borkman	Bø	Brack	Brandes
Brat	Brataas	Bredesen	Brenden	Brøgger	Brovik
Buraas	Daehle	Daehlie	Dahn	Dahue	Dybendahl
Eftevang?	Elieson	Ellingsen	Elvsted	Engen	Enger
Englund	Engstrand	Fagernes	Falck	Fjærestad	Fjortoft
Flemmen	Flo	Folkow	Fosli	Franck	Fretheim
Fuglesang	Fuglestad	Furuseth	Gabler	Garborg	Gjelland
Gjessing	Grieg	Grimseth	Grimsmo	Gritdal	Grodas
Guidon	Gundersen	Gunderson	Gunnestad	Gylfason	Haakonsen
Haarberg	Haarland	Haartz	Halskar	Hammer	Hanevold
Hanke	Hanstveit	Hartmark	Hasso?	Hasund	Hauge
Haugen	Haugland	Haugsrud	Heiberg	Helmer	Herdal
Heyerdahl	Hoan	Hoeg	Hoen	Holmann	Holm-Hansen
Hopen	Horn	Hultgreen	Ibsen	Ingstad	Iversen
Jagge	Jasperson	Jelesens	Jensen	Jevne	Johansen
Juell	Kaland	Karlan	Karlsen	Kildal	Kjeldaas
Kjelstrup	Kjorestad	Kjørsvik	Kløvstod	Koht	Koss
Krafft	Krogstad	Kvarme	Landa	Langslet	Lanser
Larsen	Leirfall	Lid	Lier	Lind	Lindahl
Linde	Listow	Ljoekelsoey	Loevaas	Lövborg	Ludwigsen
Lyen	Malmros	Malmstrom	Manders	Marken	Martinsen
Mathiesen	Meling	Meyer	Midttun	Mikkelsplass	Mo
Moen	Mostue	Munch	Myhre	Myrland	Naustvik
Nerhus	Njerve	Njos	Noberg	Nore	Odegard
Oedegaard	Oesten	Olsen	Omholt	Orden	Orthe
Ottesen	Paldan	Pederssen	Poulsen	Prydz	Ramsfeld
Ramsfjell	Rank	Ratkje	Resi	Retter	Ribur
Rodahl	Rovlund	Ruud	Salvesen	Schei	Schjerven
Schrøder	Schwane	Schytte	Selle	Selling	Selvik
Sikveland	Sivertsen	Sivlee	Sjo	Sjøvold	Skarsgaard
Skarsgard?	Skavlan	Skjelbraid	Skjölsvold	Skovgaard	Skreien
Smilla	Solness	Solskaer	Sondral	Stamsø	Steen
Stensrud	Stianson	Stirner	Storelid	Strom	Svåsand
Svenoy	Syversen	Tesman	Thonstad	Thoresen	Thue
Thulesius	Thune	Thymann	Tobiassen	Tonder	Tonsberg
Torgereen	Traa	Tunold	Ulstein	Ulving	Utskjoer
Veitberg	Vik	Vind	Waldum	Wangel	Wullum
Yons	Ytterhus	Zakariassen

Rulers

Name	Reign	Descent	Spouse
Harald I Finehair	c 890-942	son of Halfdan the Black of Vestfold
Haakon I	c 945-61	son of Harald Finehair
Erik Bloodaxe	933-63 + York	son of Harald Finehair
Harald II Greycloak	963-70	son of Erik Bloodaxe
Olaf I Trygvasson	995-1000	greatgrandson of Harold Finehair
Svein of Denmark	1000-	killed Olaf I
Olaf II The Saint	1014-30	Haraldsson
Cnut the Dane	-1035
Magnus I 'Carolus Magnus'	1035-47 Den 1042	son of Olaf II
Harald III Hardrada	1045-66	half-brother of Olaf II
Olaf III The Peaceful	1067-93	son of Harald III
Magnus II	c 1069
Magnus III Barelegs	1093-1103	son of Olaf III
Olaf IV	1103-16	son of Magnus III
Eysten I	1103-22	son of Magnus III
Sigurd I The Crusader	1103-30	son of Magnus III
Magnus IV the Blind	1130-5
Harald IV Gille	1130-5
Sigurd II + Inge I	1135-61	sons of Harald IV
Haakon II	1161-2
Magnus V	1162-84	son of Jarl Erling, the Regent
Waldemar I	1157-82
Wars of Pretenders	c 1155-1230
Sverrir Sigurdson	1184-1202	defeated Magnus V
Haakon III	1202-4
Gottorm	1204
Inge II	1204-17
Haakon IV	1217-63 + Orkney	son of of Haakon
Magnus VII 'Law Reformer'	1263-80	son of Haakon IV
Erik II	1280-99	son of Magnus VI
Haakon V	1299-1319	brother of Erik II
Magnus VIII	1319-43	grandson of Haakon V
Haakon VI	1343-80	son of Magnus VIII
Karl VI	1380-22	son of Haakon VI
Margaret	1387-1412 regent
Erik VIII	1397-1459 D+S+N	of Pomerania	Philippa, daughter of Henry IV of England
Karl VIII Swe	1449-50
Danish Rule
Haakon VII	1905-57	Carl, son of Frederik VIII of Denmark	Maud, daughter of Edward VII of England
Olaf V	1957-91	son of Haakon VII	Martha of Sweden
Harald V	1991-

Return to Scandinavian Names index

Return to main index

This collection of names compiled by Kate Monk. Copyright January 1997, Kate Monk. Last updated February, 98. Copies may be made for personal use only.