Freyr
Masculine name from Norse mythology meaning "Lord of fertility".
Name Census estimates that about 42 living Americans carry the first name Freyr. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Freyr today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Freyr births was 2024 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Freyr. 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 Freyr. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
42
~ 1 in 8,160,818 Americans
Peak year
2024
9 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,515
Tracked since 2018
Popularity
Freyr: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Freyr from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 29 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
Freyr 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 Freyr during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Freyr
The name Freyr originates from Old Norse, the language spoken by the Norse people of Scandinavia during the Viking Age, around the 8th to 11th centuries CE. It is derived from the Old Norse word "frjór," meaning "lord" or "master." The name is associated with the Norse god of fertility, peace, and prosperity, also known as Freyr.
In Norse mythology, Freyr was one of the most revered deities, often depicted as a virile and handsome figure. He was the son of the sea god Njörðr and the twin brother of the fertility goddess Freyja. Freyr was closely linked to the cycles of nature, agriculture, and human sexuality, and his worship was widespread throughout Scandinavia.
The name Freyr appears in various ancient Norse texts and sagas, including the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda, which were written in the 13th century CE. These texts describe Freyr's exploits, his role in the mythology, and the rituals and sacrifices performed in his honor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Freyr can be found in the Rök Runestone, a famous Viking Age runestone located in Östergötland, Sweden, dated to around 800 CE. The inscription on the stone mentions a man named Freyr, suggesting that the name was in use among the Norse people during that time period.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Freyr, including:
1. Freyr Jónsson (c. 1120 - c. 1200), an Icelandic chieftain and skald (poet) who composed several poems praising Norwegian kings.
2. Freyr Magnússon (c. 1315 - 1370), an Icelandic scholar and lawspeaker (lögsögumaður), known for his legal expertise and contributions to the preservation of Icelandic literature.
3. Freyr Viðarsson (c. 1550 - 1625), an Icelandic bishop and scholar who played a significant role in the Icelandic Reformation.
4. Freyr Sturluson (c. 1210 - c. 1280), an Icelandic chieftain and lawspeaker, who was involved in the political conflicts of his time.
5. Freyr Benediktsson (1940 - 2016), an Icelandic poet, playwright, and translator, renowned for his contributions to Icelandic literature.
The name Freyr has maintained a strong connection to Nordic culture and mythology, often evoking associations with fertility, prosperity, and the natural world. While its usage may have fluctuated over time, the name continues to hold historical and cultural significance in Scandinavia and among those with an interest in Norse heritage.
People
Freyr + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Freyr as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with F
Other first names starting with F with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Freyr: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Freyr?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 42 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Freyr 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 8,160,818 US residents.
Is Freyr a common name?
We classify Freyr as "Very Rare". It ranks above 51.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 42 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Freyr most popular?
The single biggest year for Freyr was 2024, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Freyr is about 5 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 Freyr in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Freyr a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Freyr 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 Freyr still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Freyr 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 Freyr 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 common is the name Freyr?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.