Viking names for dogs

A good dog name is short, clear and easy to shout, and Old Norse is full of them. The Vikings also happened to tell some of the best wolf and hound stories ever written, so there is plenty to choose from whether your dog is a noble guardian or a small agent of chaos.

Names from the gods

• Thor, the thunder god, for a dog that is strong, loyal and not subtle.
• Odin, the wise one eyed chief of the gods.
• Loki, the trickster, for the dog that steals socks and looks pleased about it.
• Freya, the goddess of love, and the most popular Norse name for a female dog.
• Tyr, the brave god who lost a hand to a wolf.
• Baldur, the best loved and most handsome of the gods.
• Sif, the golden haired wife of Thor, ideal for a retriever.
• Idun, keeper of the apples of youth, for a dog that never grows up.
• Heimdall, the watchman of the gods, who could hear grass growing.
• Saga, a goddess whose name is short, pretty and easy to call.

Wolves and hounds of Norse myth

• Fenrir, the giant wolf bound by the gods with a magic ribbon.
• Garm, the hound that guards the gates of Hel, and the closest thing to a true Norse dog name.
• Geri and Freki, the two wolves that sit at Odin's feet. Both names mean something like the greedy one, which makes them perfect for a pair of Labradors.
• Skoll and Hati, the wolves that chase the sun and the moon, for two dogs that never stop running.

Warrior names

• Bjorn, which means bear.
• Ulf, which means wolf.
• Ragnar, after the legendary raider Ragnar Lothbrok.
• Ivar, after Ivar the Boneless.
• Leif, after the explorer Leif Eriksson, for a dog that wanders.
• Rollo, the Viking who founded Normandy.
• Harald, a name borne by several Viking kings.
• Erik, after Erik the Red, a good fit for a red setter or a fox red Labrador.
• Knut, the Viking king of England.
• Gunnar, which means fighter.
• Sten, which means stone, for a dog that will not be moved.
• Orm, which means serpent, for a dachshund.

Names from heroines

• Astrid, divinely beautiful.
• Hilda, which means battle.
• Freydis, the fearless daughter of Erik the Red.
• Sigrid, beautiful victory.
• Helga, holy or blessed.
• Liv, shelter or protection.
• Runa, secret lore.
• Embla, the first woman in Norse myth.
• Lagertha, the legendary shieldmaiden.
• Thora, the feminine form of Thor.

Names from the Viking world

• Mjolnir, Thor's hammer, or Mo for short.
• Rune, after the Norse letters.
• Skal, the Scandinavian word for cheers.
• Jarl, the Norse word for an earl, for a dog with airs.
• Hugin and Munin, Odin's two ravens, whose names mean thought and memory. A fine pair of names for two black dogs.
• Sleipnir, Odin's eight legged horse, for the fastest dog in the park.
• Valhalla, shortened to Val or Halla.
• Fjord, for a dog that loves water.

The dogs the Vikings really kept

Dogs were part of everyday Viking life. They herded sheep and cattle, guarded the farm and went hunting, and they mattered enough to follow their owners into the grave. The great ship burial at Gokstad in Norway included the remains of several dogs alongside horses, and dog bones turn up in graves across the Viking world.

Most were spitz types, with pricked ears, thick coats and curled tails. Several modern Nordic breeds descend from them, including the Norwegian Elkhound, the Norwegian Buhund, the Icelandic Sheepdog, which travelled to Iceland with the first settlers, and the short legged Swedish Vallhund, which looks remarkably like a corgi and may share ancestors with it.

Tips for choosing

One or two syllables work best, because a dog picks out a short, sharp sound more easily. Try calling the name out loud a few times before you commit, and avoid anything that sounds like a command you plan to teach. Bjorn, Thor, Freya and Loki all pass that test with ease.

For the full meanings behind these names, see our lists of male Viking names and female Viking names.

Last reviewed 12 November 2026