Thorfinn first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Thorfinn has been for the last 1 years (from 2023 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Thorfinn

A Scandinavian masculine name derived from the Old Norse elements "þorr" meaning "thunder" and "finnr" meaning "bold traveler".

Popularity of Thorfinn by gender

Based on the last 1 years of data, Thorfinn is exclusively a male name.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 8 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Thorfinn.

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 8 0

The history of the first name Thorfinn

The name Thorfinn has its origins in Old Norse, the language spoken by the Norse people who inhabited Scandinavia, parts of modern-day Germany, and other regions during the Viking Age. It is a compound name derived from the Old Norse elements "Þórr" (Thor), the name of the Norse god of thunder, and "finn," which means "Finn" or "someone from Finland."

Thorfinn was a common name among the Vikings, particularly in Iceland and parts of Scandinavia. The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 9th and 10th centuries, when it appeared in various Norse sagas and historical records. These sagas often depicted individuals named Thorfinn as brave warriors, explorers, and adventurers.

One of the most notable historical figures bearing the name Thorfinn was Thorfinn Karlsefni, an Icelandic explorer born around 986 CE. He is renowned for leading an expedition to Vinland (likely present-day Newfoundland, Canada) around the year 1010 CE, establishing a short-lived Norse settlement there.

Another significant Thorfinn in history was Thorfinn the Mighty, also known as Thorfinn Sigurdsson, an 11th-century Earl of Orkney. He was a powerful Norse ruler who played a crucial role in the political affairs of northern Scotland and Norway during his lifetime, which spanned from around 1009 CE to 1064 CE.

In the realm of literature, the name Thorfinn appears in several Old Norse sagas, including the Saga of Erik the Red and the Greenland Saga. These sagas recount the tales of Norse exploration and settlement in Greenland and Vinland, often mentioning characters named Thorfinn.

Other notable individuals who bore the name Thorfinn include Thorfinn Hausakljufer, a 10th-century Norwegian chieftain and one of the first settlers of Iceland, and Thorfinn Trandilsson, a 12th-century Earl of Orkney and Caithness.

Throughout history, the name Thorfinn has remained popular in Scandinavia, particularly in Iceland and Norway, where it continues to be used as a testament to the region's rich Norse heritage and cultural traditions.

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 Thorfinn was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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"Thorfinn first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on June 19, 2025. http://namecensus.com/first-names/thorfinn-meaning-and-history/.

"Thorfinn first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/thorfinn-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 19 June, 2025

Thorfinn first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/thorfinn-meaning-and-history/.

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