How Dwarves Are Named in Norse Mythology: Origins from the Poetic Edda

Dwarves didn't start with Tolkien. They show up in Old Norse texts as beings tied to stone, earth, and craftwork, centuries before fantasy novels or roleplaying games existed.

If you want to understand how dwarves got their names in Norse mythology, you have to look at the Poetic Edda, specifically a poem called Völuspá. It contains one of the oldest name lists in European literature.

For a broader look at how these patterns shaped later fantasy naming, see our guide on dwarf naming traditions.

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The Dwarf Catalogue in Völuspá

The key source is a passage known as Dvergatal, which means "Catalogue of Dwarves." It just lists names, dozens of them:

• Dvalinn
• Brokkr
• Sindri
• Norðri, Suðri, Austri, Vestri
• Durinn
• Nár
• Andvari

The list isn't telling a story. It reads more like a genealogical record or a cosmological inventory, as if the poet wanted to preserve the names of beings who helped shape the world.

A few of these dwarves turn up in actual myths. Brokkr and Sindri forged Mjölnir, Thor's hammer. Andvari guarded a treasure hoard and a cursed ring, a story that later influenced Wagner and Tolkien.

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Linguistic Structure of Norse Dwarf Names

Most dwarf names follow Old Norse grammatical patterns. A few things stand out.

Masculine Endings

Common suffixes:

• -inn (Dvalinn, Durinn)
• -ir (no clear examples in the main list, but appears elsewhere)
• -ri (Sindri, Norðri, Suðri, Austri, Vestri)

These are standard masculine nominative endings in Old Norse. Nothing unusual about them.

Directional Names

Four dwarves are named after the cardinal directions:

• Norðri (North)
• Suðri (South)
• Austri (East)
• Vestri (West)

In the mythology, these four hold up the sky at its corners. The names aren't decorative. They tell you what these beings do.

Descriptive Roots

Many names probably come from Old Norse descriptive words:

• Dvalinn - likely from a word meaning "sleep" or "delay"
• Brokkr - possibly related to "badger" or similar imagery
• Sindri - may connect to slag or sparks from metalwork

Since dwarves worked as smiths in the myths, their names often evoke metal, fire, earth, or things hidden underground.

If you're curious how these Old Norse patterns translate to modern fantasy naming, the Dwarf Name Generator adapts the phonetic structures for contemporary use.

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What the Names Tell Us About Norse Dwarves

Norse dwarves weren't just a "race" living in mountains, the way fantasy often portrays them. They were craftsmen who made objects for the gods. They lived underground. They existed somewhere between the divine and the material.

Their names reflect what they do, not who they are as individuals. The directional dwarves hold up the sky. The smithing dwarves are remembered for what they forged.

This makes the naming system functional rather than ornamental. A name tells you something about the being's role in the cosmic order.

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Personal Names or Symbolic Labels?

Scholars disagree on whether these names refer to:

• Individual mythological figures
• Personified natural forces
• Mnemonic devices for oral poets

The repetitive patterns in the catalogue suggest it preserves something from oral tradition, maybe a list that was meant to be recited rather than narrated. The rhythm and density of the names support that idea.

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Wrapping Up

Norse dwarves weren't mountain-dwelling warriors with axes. They were smiths and artisans embedded in the structure of the mythic world. Their names, recorded in the Poetic Edda, follow Old Norse grammatical conventions and often describe what each dwarf does or represents.

Modern fantasy has taken these conventions in new directions. But the original Norse sources are where the tradition starts.