Find out how popular the first name Ymir has been for the last 3 years (from 2021 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Ymir by gender

Based on the last 3 years of data, Ymir is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 86% of people named Ymir being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 14 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Ymir.

The history of the first name Ymir

Ymir is a given name originating from Old Norse mythology, dating back to the Viking age in Scandinavia around the 8th to 11th centuries. The name is derived from the Old Norse word "Ymir," which refers to the primordial giant or frost giant who was the progenitor of all beings in Norse cosmology.

According to the Poetic Edda, one of the oldest sources of Norse mythology, Ymir was formed from the frozen venom that dripped from the icy rivers called the Élivágar. From Ymir's flesh, the earth was created, while his blood formed the oceans and his bones became the mountains. Ymir's skull was fashioned into the heavenly dome, and his brain became the clouds.

The name Ymir appears prominently in the Prose Edda, a collection of Old Norse tales written by the Icelandic scholar Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century. In this work, Ymir is described as the first being to emerge from the primordial void known as Ginnungagap.

One of the earliest recorded individuals named Ymir was Ymir Ragnarsson, a 10th-century Norwegian Viking who is mentioned in the Saga of Thorstein, the Son of Viking. Another notable person with this name was Ymir Jóhannesson (1926-1998), an Icelandic painter and sculptor renowned for his abstract expressionist works.

In literature, Ymir is referenced in the Völuspá, one of the oldest and most celebrated poems of the Poetic Edda. The name also appears in the Gylfaginning, a section of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, which provides a detailed account of Ymir's creation and the formation of the world from his body.

Other historical figures bearing the name Ymir include Ymir Sveinsson (1856-1934), an Icelandic politician and journalist who served as the Speaker of the Althing (Icelandic parliament), and Ymir Enok Falkenberg (1902-1991), a Norwegian philologist and linguist known for his work on the Scandinavian languages.

While relatively uncommon, the name Ymir has endured throughout Scandinavian history, carrying the legacy of one of the most significant figures in Norse mythology and serving as a reminder of the rich cultural heritage of the Viking age.

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

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

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