Fun Facts About the Name Freyja
- More than 3 thousand babies named Freyja: U.S. records list 3,851 babies given the name Freyja from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Freyja Mean?
Freyja is the Old Norse name of the Norse goddess of love, fertility, and gold, and it meant "lady" or "mistress." The word is the feminine counterpart of Old Norse Freyr ("lord"), the name of her brother. Both go back to a reconstructed Germanic root, frawja-, which also produced Gothic frauja ("lord") and Old High German frouwa ("lady"), the ancestor of modern German Frau. Because the root was a title meaning "lady," some scholars think Freyja began as a title for the goddess rather than as her personal name. The deeper origin of the Germanic root is disputed; a frequently mentioned but unproven suggestion connects it to an Indo-European word for "first" or "in front."
Freyja Name History & Origins
The name belongs to the goddess Freyja in Norse mythology. She appears in the Poetic Edda, a collection of Old Icelandic poems, and in the Prose Edda written by Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century. In the poem Þrymskviða, she refuses to marry the giant Þrymr; in Gylfaginning and Skáldskaparmál, Snorri describes her weeping tears of gold for her husband Óðr, her hall Fólkvangr where half of the slain go, and her necklace Brísingamen. Old Norse poetry also calls her by other names, among them Mardöll, Hörn, and Gefn, which is part of why some scholars suspect Freyja was a title.
In medieval Scandinavian writing the word is found as the goddess's name. It was taken up again as a given name in the modern period, when the Nordic countries revived names from Norse mythology. Iceland uses the Old Norse spelling Freyja, while forms such as Freya and Freja are common in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. English speakers generally use the spelling Freya; Freyja preserves the Old Norse form.
How Popular is the Name Freyja?
Freyja recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2023. Its best rank was #626 in 2023.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #772 | 352 | 0.0219% |
| 2024 | #771 | 364 | 0.0226% |
| 2023 | #626 | 473 | 0.0295% |
| 2022 | #632 | 465 | 0.0284% |
| 2021 | #708 | 406 | 0.0248% |
| 2020 | #951 | 269 | 0.0167% |
| 2019 | #994 | 260 | 0.0155% |
| 2018 | #1,073 | 237 | 0.0139% |
| 2017 | #1,125 | 223 | 0.0129% |
| 2016 | #1,297 | 185 | 0.0104% |
| 2015 | #1,568 | 140 | 0.0078% |
| 2014 | #1,857 | 109 | 0.0061% |
| 2013 | #2,312 | 80 | 0.0046% |
| 2012 | #3,388 | 48 | 0.0027% |
| 2011 | #3,511 | 45 | 0.0026% |
| 2010 | #4,777 | 30 | 0.0017% |
| 2009 | #4,516 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 2008 | #5,337 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 2007 | #6,175 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 2006 | #9,494 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2005 | #8,037 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2004 | #9,460 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2003 | #9,260 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2002 | #11,467 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1999 | #11,781 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1998 | #14,925 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1997 | #14,489 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #14,242 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1994 | #14,165 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore More Lists with Name Freyja
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with F
How the Name Freyja Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are kind, home-loving, hospitable and friendly. Since you take responsibility well, you are a good organizer of social affairs. Compassion for others is an outstanding trait. You are a great lover and a great flirt – an artist, musician, actor, teacher, nurse. Your character can be contradictory. You are practical, yet idealistic and intuitive; capable of selfless devotion to someone you love, yet look to receive payback. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Freyja's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Freyja's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.