Nord
A masculine name of Scandinavian origin referring to the northern direction.
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Nord. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Nord today is around 74 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nord births was 1921 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nord. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Nord is about 74 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Nords were born before 1962.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Nord. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1921
6 babies that year
Average age
74
years old
1947 SSA rank
#3,638
Tracked since 1921
Popularity
Nord: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nord from the 1920s through to the 1940s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1940s, with 6 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
Nord 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 Nord during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nords live
Origin
Meaning and history of Nord
The name Nord is of Old Norse origin, tracing its roots back to the Viking Age and the Scandinavian cultures that inhabited the northern regions of Europe. It is derived from the Old Norse word "norðr," which means "north" or "northern." This name reflects the geographic and cultural significance of the northern territories for the Norse people.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name Nord can be found in the Icelandic sagas, which are a collection of historical narratives and tales from the 13th and 14th centuries. These sagas often featured characters with names rooted in Old Norse, reflecting the naming traditions of the time.
In the realm of historical figures, one notable individual named Nord was Nord Thorvaldsson, a Norwegian chieftain and explorer who lived in the late 10th century. According to the Icelandic sagas, Thorvaldsson led an expedition to Vinland (present-day Newfoundland) around the year 1000 CE, making him one of the first Europeans to set foot on the North American continent.
Another prominent figure bearing the name Nord was Nord the Black, a legendary Viking warrior and chieftain who lived in the 9th century. He was renowned for his military exploits and is mentioned in various Norse sagas and poems, such as the Poetic Edda.
In the literary realm, the name Nord appeared in the works of the renowned Icelandic scholar and historian Snorri Sturluson (1179-1241). Sturluson's writings, including the Prose Edda and the Heimskringla, provide valuable insights into Norse mythology, history, and culture, and he often incorporated names with Old Norse origins in his narratives.
During the Middle Ages, the name Nord was also found among the royalty and nobility of Scandinavia. One example is Nord Ivarsson, a Swedish nobleman and military commander who lived in the 14th century. He played a significant role in the conflicts between Sweden and Denmark during that era.
As the Norse influence spread across Europe, the name Nord also gained a foothold in other regions. One notable individual was Nord von Rendsburg, a German knight and crusader who participated in the Northern Crusades against the pagan Baltic tribes in the 13th century.
While the name Nord has its roots in the ancient Norse cultures, it has continued to be used across various regions and time periods, reflecting the enduring legacy of the Vikings and their cultural impact on the northern parts of Europe.
People
Nord + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nord as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Nord: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nord?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nord 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 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Nord a common name?
We classify Nord as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 12 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nord most popular?
The single biggest year for Nord was 1921, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nord is about 74 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Nord in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nord a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nord 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.
Is Nord still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nord in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Nord can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Nord?
See how many Americans are named Nord on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.