Eivind

Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

• Eivin (alternative spelling)
• Evind (dialectal)

Etymology

From Old Norse Eivindr, a variant of Eyvindr, from Proto-Norse *ᚨᚢᛃᚨᚹᛁᚾᛞᚢᛉ (*aujawinduʀ), from Proto-Germanic *awją (“luck, fortune”) + *winduz (“winner”), or a younger compound of ey (either in the sense of “luck” or “island”) and -vindr (“winner”). According to Vågslid, the form with Ei- is the oldest, from ei (“always; eternal”) +‎ vindr (“breath”, literally “wind”), which he interprets as “someone should always have breath”, i.e. live for a long time or always be brave. Doublet of Øyvind. Cognate with Faroese Eivindur and Swedish and Danish Ejvind.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /²ɛɪːvɪn(d)/

Proper noun

Eivind m (definite Eivinden)

1. a male given name from Old Norse
   • 1868, Aasmund O. Vinje, Storegut, page 58:

     Han Heiddølen Flørann og Hallingen Flø,
     og so Eivind av Eikja, den Kjempa fraa Bø,
     og Vossingen Sigurd og Valdresen Svein,
     deim tok han paa Marknaden Ein etter Ein.

     The Heiddøl Flørann and the Halling Flø,
     and then Eivind of Eikja, the big man from Bø,
     and the Vossing Sigurd and the Valdres Svein,
     them he took on the market, one after one.

Usage notes

Patronymics:

• son of Eivind: Eivindsson
• daughter of Eivind: Eivindsdotter

Derived terms

• Even (Danicised form)
• Eivind Beinlaus

References

• Kristoffer Kruken, Ola Stemshaug (1995) Norsk personnamnleksikon, Oslo: Det Norske Samlaget, →ISBN
• Eivind Vågslid (1988) “Eivind”, in Norderlendske fyrenamn (in Norwegian Nynorsk), →ISBN
• Statistisk sentralbyrå, Namnestatistikk: 8 369 males with the given name Eivind living in Norway on January 1st 2022, with the frequency peak in the 1980s. Accessed on 1st December, 2022.