Girl name · Old Norse
Freya
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: lady, noblewomanFreya is a girl's name that comes from Old Norse and means "lady, noblewoman". It is used in English, Scottish and Scandinavian.
- Meaning
- Lady, noblewoman
- Origin
- Old Norse
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #176 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Freya
As a girl's name, Freya comes from Old Norse and means "lady, noblewoman". It is used in English, Scottish and Scandinavian.
In Scottish Gaelic, say FRAY-a. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
Freya on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Freya on 7 lists.
“Norse goddess whose chariot was pulled by two cats”
From Cat names, cat names from myth and legend
“Norse goddess whose name means lady”
From Reindeer names, nordic and Scandinavian reindeer names
“Norse goddess of love and battle, bold and golden”
From Girl dog names, strong female dog names
“Lady, noblewoman; goddess of love, beauty, war and magic”
From Goddess names, norse goddess names
“Lady, noblewoman; Old Norse, Scotland's top girls' name in 2025. Say FRAY-a.”
From Scottish girl names, popular and well-loved Scottish girl names
“Lady, noblewoman; Old Norse. Norse goddess of love, war and magic”
From Strong female names, goddess and legendary heroine names
“Old Norse for lady; the goddess who practiced seidr magic”
From Witch names, witchy names for girls
How popular is Freya?
- US rank in 2025
- #176
- 1,746 babies, 1,086 per million girls
- Best rank
- #129 in 2022
- 2,183 babies that year
- Babies since 1931
- At least 19,821
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 1 per million |
| 1940s | 11 per million |
| 1950s | 4 per million |
| 1960s | 3 per million |
| 1970s | 8 per million |
| 1980s | 7 per million |
| 1990s | 10 per million |
| 2000s | 42 per million |
| 2010s | 398 per million |
| 2020s | 1,167 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #330 | #305 | #266 | #199 | #178 | #152 | #129 | #136 | #160 | #176 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Freya
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- FrejaLady, noblewoman (Old Norse, girl)
- FreyjaLady (Old Norse, girl)
Names spelled like Freya
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- FridaPeace; in Old Norse, beloved (Germanic and Old Norse, girl)
- FreydeJoy (Yiddish, girl)
- FriedaPeaceful one (Germanic, girl)
- FrumaPious (Yiddish, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- SarahPrincess, noblewoman (Hebrew, girl)
- MartaLady, mistress (Aramaic, girl)
- SaraPrincess, noblewoman (Hebrew, girl)
- MarthaLady, mistress (Aramaic, girl)
- DoloresSorrows, our lady of sorrows (Spanish, girl)
- DonnaLady (Italian, girl)
- SadiePrincess, noblewoman (Hebrew, girl)
- BegümLady, feminine of beg (Turkish, girl)
- ConsolaciónConsolation, after Our Lady of Consolation (Latin, girl)
- DespinaLady, mistress (Greek, girl)
Middle names for Freya
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- AoifeBeauty, radiance (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- BriarThorny shrub (Old English, unisex)
- CelesteHeavenly, of the sky (Latin, girl)
- HeatherHeather plant (English, girl)
- HonorEsteem, dignity (Latin, girl)
- MercyCompassion, forgiveness (Latin, girl)
- VivienneAlive (Latin, girl)
- ZinniaFlower named for Johann Zinn (English, girl)
More girl names from Old Norse
- IngaNamed for Ing, a Germanic god (Old Norse, girl)
- AstridDivinely beautiful (Old Norse, girl)
- EricaEver ruler (Old Norse, girl)
- ErikaEternal ruler (Old Norse, girl)
- GudrunGod's secret lore (Old Norse, girl)
- HelgaHoly, blessed (Old Norse, girl)
- HildBattle (Old Norse, girl)
- IngeborgIng's protection (Old Norse, girl)
- IngridIng is beautiful (Old Norse, girl)
- LivProtection, shelter (Old Norse, girl)
Freya: common questions
What does the name Freya mean?
Freya comes from Old Norse and means "lady, noblewoman". Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Freya a boy or girl name?
Freya is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Freya come from?
Freya comes from Old Norse and means "lady, noblewoman". Today it is used in English, Scottish and Scandinavian.
How popular is the name Freya?
Freya ranked #176 in the US in 2025, with 1,746 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Freya?
Forms of Freya with the same meaning and origin include Freja (Scandinavian) and Freyja (Scandinavian).
What middle names go with Freya?
Middle names that flow well with Freya include Aoife, Briar, Celeste, Heather and Honor. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.