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I am working on a creative writing project and made the mistake of coming up with everything but the name first, and am now stuck not sure where to go. Would it be easier to rethink my character idea or can anyone help me pick a name? Set in 1050-1095 AD in Greenland. I have a character around the age of 40 and have a whole idea of his personality and his life birth to death planned out, but cannot find a name that works. I liked the idea of being a loud and fussy baby at birth, and being named for that characteristic which follows him into life, ie "loud" or "noise" or "song" or "thunder"? Is that realistic? I'm not shy to admit I am not fluent in Norwegian/ Viking history and may have too modern of a mindset to approach this idea well. For a little more context, this character is gregarious and lively and viewed as a bit of a wild one by his family and peers. He is not foolish, just very unserious and loud. Extroverted. I have been having a lot of trouble finding a name that captures that meaning and energy, but also is as historically considerate as I would like. Help!
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Have you looked through lists like these?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dwarfs_in_Norse_mythology
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_j%C3%B6tnar_in_Norse_mythology
Here you go:
https://www.behindthename.com/names/usage/ancient-scandinavian
...
https://www.behindthename.com/submit/browse.php?operator_gender=&value_gender[]=masculine&operator_usage=&value_usage[]=ancient-scandinavian&operator_meaning=isany&value_meaning[]=storm&value_meaning[]=sea&value_meaning[]=wave&value_meaning[]=ocean&value_meaning[]=water&value_meaning[]=rain&value_meaning[]=thunder&value_meaning[]=scream&value_meaning[]=noise&value_meaning[]=shout&value_meaning[]=loud&value_meaning[]=anger&grammar_meaning=1&synonyms_meaning=1&narrower_meaning=1
You could look at Grænlendinga saga, to see some of the caracters' names.
You should probabky give him a nickname. Everyone had nicknames back then.
Very nordic to just name the baby the direct meaning or a ironic opposite ( ex. the high, when in fact fat or very low).
Tor/Thor/Thorr/Torr/ is already a norwegian name for the Tunder god male, but its a civilian name also.
Bråk-Noise(could be physical too)
Støy-Noise(usually audio)
Lyd-Sound
Melodi-Melody
Sang-Song
But they would write in futhark, with Old Norse phonetics. Are you writing in English?
I made some i could use myself:
Tore(casual), Thorgrim(Thunder-ugly/anger), Thorag (Thunder-naw), Tori (Thor, but a feminine twist, maybe a beautiful man, or his nickname), Thormod (Thunder-brave), Torrvis (Thunder-wise), Torlyd (Thunder-sound), Torfe (Tunder-cow), Thorrmag (Thunder-strength)
den Stille(the silent/introvert but used ironically), den gale(the crazy), den sjuke (the insane), den bråkete (the noisy/thug),
I also say that thugs on the low level was very frowned upon in the viking age and still is. It is very unmannly to do civil unorder, but it was cool to drink ale fight, do sports, play games, compete and go viking.
The plan is for it to be written and spoken in English but with acknowledgement to whatever the native tongue is/was. Thank you for these ideas and the comment, very helpful!
Then I would personally probably have gone with somrthing like either Björn/Bjorn or Tor/Thor, maybe even Ragnar
Storm - meaning Storm... is a not an unusual name both then, and now.
You could give him the byname "gjallandi" (the yelling/bellowing). So for example Þórir gjallandi - Thorir the bellowing.
Thank you!