Find out how popular the first name Einar has been for the last 50 years (from 1975 to 2024) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Einar by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Einar is exclusively a male name.

For the most recent data in 2024, there were 37 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Einar.

The history of the first name Einar

Einar is a masculine given name of Old Norse origin, derived from the elements "ein" meaning "lone" or "unique" and "arr" meaning "warrior" or "soldier." The name can be interpreted to mean "lone warrior" or "unique soldier." It is believed to have originated among the ancient Norse and Germanic tribes, who inhabited the Scandinavian regions of Europe, particularly Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

The earliest known recorded use of the name Einar dates back to the Viking Age, around the 8th to 11th centuries. It is mentioned in various Old Norse sagas and literary works, such as the Icelandic Sagas and the Poetic Edda. These ancient texts often portrayed Einar as a strong and valiant warrior, reflecting the name's meaning.

One of the most notable historical figures bearing the name Einar was Einar Thambarskelfir (c. 920-990), a Norwegian chieftain and warrior who played a significant role in the unification of Norway under King Harald Fairhair. Einar was also the name of several Icelandic poets and skalds from the medieval period, including Einar Gilsson (c. 1235-1319) and Einar Haflidason (c. 1295-1359).

During the Middle Ages, the name Einar spread beyond Scandinavia and was adopted in other parts of Europe. One prominent example is Einar Munksgaard (c. 1338-1408), a Danish scholar and theologian who served as the Bishop of Viborg in Denmark.

In more recent history, Einar Jónsson (1874-1954) was a renowned Icelandic sculptor and artist, known for his monumental sculptures and contributions to the Icelandic art scene. Another notable figure was Einar Gerhardsen (1897-1987), a Norwegian politician who served as the Prime Minister of Norway from 1951 to 1955 and again from 1963 to 1965.

Other historical figures bearing the name Einar include Einar Benediktsson (1864-1940), an Icelandic poet and writer; Einar Jansen (1892-1987), a Norwegian painter and illustrator; and Einar Övergaard (1902-1946), a Swedish actor and film director.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Einar was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Einar, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!