Fenris
A masculine name of Norse mythology, meaning "monstrous wolf".
Name Census estimates that about 149 living Americans carry the first name Fenris. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Fenris today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Fenris births was 2022 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Fenris. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
149
~ 1 in 2,300,365 Americans
Peak year
2022
19 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,242
Tracked since 2011
Popularity
Fenris: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Fenris from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 77 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Fenris by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Fenris during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Fenris
The given name Fenris finds its origins in Norse mythology, with roots dating back to the Viking Age of Scandinavia, approximately between the 8th and 11th centuries AD. The name is derived from the Old Norse word "fenrir," which translates to "he who dwells in the marshes." It is closely associated with the monstrous wolf Fenrir (or Fenrisúlfr) from Norse legend, who was prophesied to play a significant role in the events of Ragnarök, the apocalyptic battle that would lead to the destruction and subsequent rebirth of the world.
Fenrir was the son of the mischievous god Loki and the giantess Angrboða. In the Poetic Edda, an Old Norse collection of poems, Fenrir is described as a terrifying beast, bound by the gods with an unbreakable magical chain called Gleipnir. According to the prophecy, Fenrir would break free from his bonds during Ragnarök and engage in a fierce battle with the god Odin, ultimately devouring him.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Fenris can be traced back to the Viking era, with the name appearing in various Norse sagas and historical accounts. One notable individual who bore the name was Fenris Ásbjörnsson, a Viking warrior and chieftain from Iceland who lived in the 10th century. He is mentioned in the Icelandic sagas, particularly the Landnámabók (Book of Settlements), for his role in the settlement of Iceland.
In later centuries, the name Fenris gained popularity among Scandinavian and Germanic communities, likely due to its association with Norse mythology and the fearsome wolf. Notable historical figures with the first name Fenris include:
1. Fenris Blåklo (c. 1570-1638), a Norwegian Lutheran minister and author known for his work on Sami language and culture.
2. Fenris Gottlieb Böhmer (1669-1744), a German jurist and legal scholar who made significant contributions to the field of public law.
3. Fenris Falconer (1783-1848), a Scottish botanist and horticulturist, known for his work on the cultivation of exotic plants.
4. Fenris Strindberg (1849-1912), a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, and essayist, often referred to as the "Father of Modern Swedish Literature."
5. Fenris Nilsson (1888-1972), a Swedish painter and artist, known for his landscape paintings and contributions to the Expressionist movement.
While the name Fenris holds a rich historical and mythological significance, its usage has been relatively rare in more recent times, although it has seen a resurgence in popularity among those with an interest in Norse culture and mythology.
People
Fenris + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Fenris as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with F
Other first names starting with F with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Fenris: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Fenris?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 149 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Fenris going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,300,365 US residents.
Is Fenris a common name?
We classify Fenris as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 150 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Fenris most popular?
The single biggest year for Fenris was 2022, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Fenris is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Fenris a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Fenris in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.