🇮🇸 Iceland
4,866
Total names
2,298
Male names
2,568
Female names
Iceland's Mannanafnanefnd (Naming Committee) maintains the Mannanafnaskrá, the official register of approved first names. Every name must fit Icelandic grammar — it needs a genitive form — and use only the Icelandic alphabet (no C, Q, W, Z). Families wanting a new name can submit it for committee review, which typically takes 4–12 weeks.
Iceland is the keeper of Old Norse naming traditions. The register is dominated by Viking and saga names: Þór, Óðinn, Freyja, Sigríður, Ragnar, Helga. For a deep dive into which Viking names are still legally registrable today across Iceland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden, see our Viking & Norse baby names guide.
Iconic Icelandic names include Björk (Guðmundsdóttir), Halldór (Laxness, Nobel laureate), Vigdís (Finnbogadóttir, first elected female head of state), and the singer Ásgeir. Iceland's patronymic system (Jónsson = "Jón's son", Jónsdóttir = "Jón's daughter") means surnames change every generation.
Naming Rules
Names must be compatible with Icelandic grammar
Names must be declinable in Icelandic's four grammatical cases and use only letters in the Icelandic alphabet.
Official naming committee reviews new names
The Mannanafnanefnd (Personal Names Committee) approves or rejects names not already on the approved list.
Patronymic/matronymic system for surnames
Iceland uses patronymics (father's name + son/dottir) rather than family surnames.
No names that could cause embarrassment
Names deemed likely to cause the bearer difficulty or ridicule are rejected.
Legal basis: Mannanafnalög (Personal Names Act), No. 45/1996 (updated 2019).
Authority: Mannanafnanefnd (Personal Names Committee)
Popular Names in Iceland
Top 15 Boy Names
1.Aron
2.Alexander
3.Gunnar
4.Viktor
5.Jon
6.Olafur
7.Sigurdur
8.Bjarki
9.Kristjan
10.Arnar
11.Gudmundur
12.Magnus
13.Stefan
14.Ragnar
15.Einar
Top 15 Girl Names
1.Gudrun
2.Sigridur
3.Kristin
4.Anna
5.Margret
6.Helga
7.Birta
8.Katrin
9.Brynja
10.Embla
11.Hekla
12.Idunn
13.Freyja
14.Saga
15.Ragnheidur
Check a specific baby name in Iceland
50 of the most popular European baby names with full legal-status pages for Iceland. Click any name to see its meaning, Iceland spelling, registration process, and FAQ.
Further reading
Check a name in Iceland
Search 4,866 names in our Iceland database — plus 24 more European countries.
Check a Name →Last updated: April 2026. For informational purposes only. Always consult your local Mannanafnanefnd (Personal Names Committee) for definitive answers.