Complete Guide 2026
Baby Name Laws in Iceland
Iceland has one of the most unique and restrictive naming systems in the world. Every name must fit Icelandic grammar, use only the Icelandic alphabet, and appear on an official approved list — or be individually approved by a government committee.
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The Mannanafnaskrá: Iceland's official name register
At the heart of Icelandic naming law is the Mannanafnaskrá — the Personal Names Register. This is an official, publicly searchable list of all approved given names in Iceland. If a name appears on the Mannanafnaskrá, it can be used without any additional approval. As of 2026, the register contains roughly 1,888 male names and 1,991 female names.
If the name you want is not on the list, you must apply to the Mannanafnanefnd (the Icelandic Naming Committee) for approval. This committee, established under the Personal Names Act (Lög um mannanöfn, No. 45/1996, updated in 2019), evaluates each request against strict linguistic and cultural criteria.
The rules: what Iceland allows and doesn't
The name must be declinable in all four Icelandic grammatical cases
Icelandic is a heavily inflected language with four cases: nominative, accusative, dative, and genitive. A name must work naturally within this grammatical system. This is the single biggest reason foreign names get rejected.
Only letters in the Icelandic alphabet are permitted
The Icelandic alphabet does not include the letters C, Q, W, or Z. Names containing these letters — like "Cecilia", "Quentin", or "Zara" — are automatically rejected. The alphabet does include special characters like Ð (ð), Þ (þ), and accented vowels (Á, É, Í, Ó, Ú, Ý, Ö).
The name must not cause the bearer embarrassment
Names that could be considered ridiculous or harmful in Icelandic society are rejected. This includes names with negative meanings or unfortunate associations in the Icelandic language.
Names must match the child's gender
The Mannanafnaskrá divides names into male and female categories. A boy cannot be given a name from the female list and vice versa. A 2019 update added a small category of gender-neutral names (middle names).
Names already on the Mannanafnaskrá are always accepted
If your chosen name appears on the official register, there is no approval process needed. You can check the list at the Registers Iceland website or use our checker.
Foreign names can be approved if they meet the grammar rules
A name from another language can be added to the register if it can be written with the Icelandic alphabet and conjugated in all four cases. "Alexander" (Icelandic: Alexander) works; "Christopher" does not because of the C.
The patronymic system: why Icelanders don't have family names
Iceland is one of the few countries in the world that still uses the patronymic system as the norm. Instead of a family surname passed down through generations, most Icelanders carry a last name derived from their father's (or sometimes mother's) first name plus the suffix -son (son) or -dóttir (daughter).
For example, if a man named Jón has a son, the son's last name would be Jónsson (Jón's son). If Jón has a daughter, her last name would be Jónsdóttir (Jón's daughter). This means siblings of different genders have different last names, and children do not share a surname with their mother.
A small number of Icelandic families have inherited family names from before the patronymic system was codified in 1925, but no new family names can be adopted. Some parents now choose matronymic names (based on the mother's first name), which became legally recognized in 2006.
Famous rejected names in Iceland
The Naming Committee regularly makes headlines for rejecting names that would be perfectly normal in other countries:
Harriet
Rejected — cannot be declined in Icelandic grammar
Duncan
Rejected — contains no Icelandic declension pattern
Enok
Rejected — does not adapt to Icelandic cases
Camilla
Rejected — contains the letter C
Bambi
Approved — after a court overturned the committee
Blær
Approved — after a famous 2013 court case (means "light breeze")
The case of Blær Bjarkardóttir Rúnarsdóttir made international news when a 15-year-old girl sued the Icelandic state for the right to use her own name. She had been referred to as "Stúlka" ("Girl") on official documents for years because the Naming Committee had rejected "Blær" as a female name (it was classified as masculine). In 2013, a court ruled in her favor.
How to petition the Naming Committee
If your desired name is not on the Mannanafnaskrá, you can submit a petition to the Mannanafnanefnd:
- Submit an application — File a request through Registers Iceland (Þjóðskrá Íslands) with the proposed name and the child's gender.
- The committee evaluates — The three-member committee (appointed by the Minister of Justice) reviews the name against grammatical and cultural criteria. They typically respond within a few weeks.
- If rejected, appeal to court — You can challenge the decision in district court. Several parents have successfully overturned committee decisions this way, as in the Blær case.
Most popular baby names in Iceland
Icelandic naming trends show a strong preference for traditional Nordic names:
Boys
Guðmundur, Jón, Sigurður, Gunnar, Ólafur, Magnús, Einar, Kristján, Björn, Stefán, Helgi, Arnar, Bjarni, Ragnar, Alexander
Girls
Guðrún, Anna, Kristín, Sigríður, Margrét, Helga, Sigrún, Ingibjörg, Jónína, Ragnheiður, Hildur, Katrín, Elín, Lilja, Hrafnhildur
Legal basis
Icelandic naming law is governed by the Personal Names Act (Lög um mannanöfn, No. 45/1996), which was significantly amended in 2019. The act establishes the Naming Committee, defines the criteria for name approval, and sets out the patronymic/matronymic surname system. Registers Iceland (Þjóðskrá Íslands) administers the Mannanafnaskrá and handles name registrations.
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Check a Name →Last updated: April 2026. This article is for informational purposes only. Always consult Registers Iceland (Þjóðskrá Íslands) for definitive answers.