Nordahl
A Scandinavian name of Old Norse origin meaning "north valley" or "northern valleyman".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Nordahl. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Nordahl today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nordahl births was 1917 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nordahl. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Nordahl. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1917
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1917 SSA rank
#4,400
Tracked since 1917
Popularity
Nordahl: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Nordahl 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 Nordahl during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Nordahl
The name Nordahl has its roots in the Old Norse language, which was spoken by the Germanic peoples of Scandinavia and their descendants during the Viking Age and medieval period. It is a compound name composed of the elements "nordr," meaning "north," and "halr," meaning "slope" or "hill." This suggests that the name may have originated as a descriptive term for someone who lived on a northern slope or hill.
Nordahl was a common name among the Norse settlers who populated parts of modern-day Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland. Its earliest known use can be traced back to the 9th century, as evidenced by runic inscriptions and historical records from that era.
In Norse mythology, there are no direct references to the name Nordahl itself, but the concept of the "north" held great significance. The northern regions were associated with darkness, cold, and mystery, and were considered the domain of powerful deities like Odin and the frost giants.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name Nordahl was a Norwegian chieftain and landowner who lived in the late 10th century. Historical accounts mention him as a prominent figure in the region around present-day Trondheim.
During the Middle Ages, the name Nordahl gained popularity among the nobility and upper classes of Scandinavia. Notable individuals with this name include:
1. Nordahl Isachsen (1294-1362), a Norwegian nobleman and military commander who fought against Swedish forces during the Norwegian-Swedish War.
2. Nordahl Bjelke (1442-1504), a Danish knight and landowner whose family held significant power and influence in medieval Denmark.
3. Nordahl Garp (1518-1583), a Swedish clergyman and scholar who played a crucial role in the translation of the Bible into Swedish.
4. Nordahl Østendal (1654-1718), a Norwegian merchant and shipowner who established successful trade routes between Norway and the Netherlands.
5. Nordahl Brun (1723-1816), a Norwegian poet and playwright who was a leading figure in the Norwegian Enlightenment and is considered one of the founders of modern Norwegian literature.
As the centuries progressed, the name Nordahl continued to be used across Scandinavia, albeit with varying degrees of popularity in different regions and social strata. Its historical roots and associations with the rugged northern landscapes and Viking heritage have contributed to its enduring appeal and cultural significance.
People
Nordahl + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nordahl 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
Nordahl: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nordahl?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nordahl 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 - US residents.
Is Nordahl a common name?
We classify Nordahl as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nordahl most popular?
The single biggest year for Nordahl was 1917, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nordahl is about 0 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 Nordahl in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nordahl a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nordahl 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 Nordahl still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nordahl 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 Nordahl 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 people are named Nordahl?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.