Svanhild

Svanhild is the Norwegian variant of the old German name Swanhild. The most significant translation of this name is "the swan fighter" or "the fighting swan." Additionally, a freer interpretation as "the loving fighter" can also be derived.

What does the name Svanhild mean?

The name Svanhild comes from Old High German and is a feminine form of Swanhild. Literally translated, it means "the swan fighter," "the fighting swan," or also "the loving fighter." The word root consists of the elements swan, meaning "the swan," and hiltja, meaning "the battle" or "the warrior." In Germanic and Nordic mythology, the swan plays a special role as a bird of fate. In various legends, swan maidens and swan fighters appear as spirits that take the form of swans and are popularly regarded as pure, graceful, and untouched beings. Other variants of the name include Schwanhilde, Schwanhild, Swanhilde, Swanhilda, Svanhildr, and Svanhildur. Pet forms include Swantje, Svantje, Svantja, and Zwaantje. The figure Svanhild (Svanhildr) from Nordic legend, considered the daughter of Sigurd and Gudrun, is particularly well-known.

Where does the name Svanhild come from?

Svanhild is a female first name of Old High German origin, meaning "the swan fighter." The word components consist of swan, which means "the swan" in Old High German, and hiltja, which means "the battle" or "the warrior." The name is common in Nordic and particularly Norwegian languages.

How do you pronounce Svanhild?

Svanhild is pronounced approximately as: Svahn-hild.

When is the name day of Svanhild?

The name day for Svanhild is celebrated on August 28.

Popularity

In Germany, Svanhild is a rather rare first name. It has never placed in the country's name popularity lists. The best ranking for the name Svanhild was in 1945, when it reached 77th place in the name charts in Norway. In the last ten years, Svanhild has been chosen as a first name in Norway about 30 times, securing it 577th place in the ten-year statistics. From 1945 to 2024, the name ranked 300th in Norway.

Nicknames & pet names

Svany

Famous people

• Svanhild (Schwanhilde, daughter of Sigfried and Gudrun (Kriemhild) / Edda)
• Svanhild Sponberg (Norwegian handball player)