Ragnarok
An Old Norse term referring to the cataclysmic destruction of the cosmos.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Ragnarok. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ragnarok today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ragnarok births was 2019 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ragnarok. 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 Ragnarok. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2019
5 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2019 SSA rank
#13,663
Tracked since 2019
Popularity
Ragnarok: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Ragnarok 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 Ragnarok during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Ragnarok
Ragnarok is a name that originates from Old Norse, the language spoken by the ancient Norse people of Scandinavia during the Viking Age, which lasted from the late 8th century to the late 11th century AD. The name is derived from the Old Norse words "ragnar??k," which translates to "fate of the gods" or "twilight of the gods."
In Norse mythology, Ragnarok is the name given to a series of apocalyptic events that were foretold to lead to the destruction of the cosmos and the death of many of the gods, including Odin, Thor, and Loki. These events were described in various Old Norse texts, such as the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda, which were written down in the 13th century but likely drew from much older oral traditions.
The first recorded use of the name Ragnarok as a personal name is difficult to trace, as it was not a common name during the Viking Age or in the centuries that followed. However, there are a few notable historical figures who bore this name or variations of it.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with a name related to Ragnarok was Ragnar Lodbrok, a legendary Viking king and warrior who is believed to have lived in the 9th century AD. According to Norse sagas, Ragnar was the father of several sons, including Ivar the Boneless and Björn Ironside, who were also famous Viking leaders.
In more modern times, there was a Norwegian writer and poet named Ragnar Omsen (1882-1932), who used the pen name "Ragnarok." He was known for his dark and brooding poetry, which often explored themes of death and the end of the world.
Another notable figure with a name related to Ragnarok was the German composer and conductor Ragnar Söderlind (1945-2021), who composed several works inspired by Norse mythology, including an opera based on the Ragnarok story.
In the realm of fiction, the name Ragnarok has been used for various characters, including Ragnarok, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe, and Ragnarok, a character in the video game "Final Fantasy XIV."
While Ragnarok is not a common name today, it continues to hold a place in popular culture and literature, serving as a reminder of the rich mythological traditions of the ancient Norse people.
People
Ragnarok + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ragnarok as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ragnarok: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ragnarok?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ragnarok 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Ragnarok a common name?
We classify Ragnarok as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% 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 Ragnarok most popular?
The single biggest year for Ragnarok was 2019, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ragnarok is about 7 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 Ragnarok in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ragnarok a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ragnarok 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 Ragnarok still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ragnarok 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 Ragnarok 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 have the name Ragnarok?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people share the name Ragnarok at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.