Given name & surname · also Old Norse
Einar
“a leading warrior”
Einar is used as a given name and a surname. One Scandinavian interpretation is “a leading warrior.”
Original Old NorseEinarr
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Scandinavian interpretation is “a leading warrior.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Old Norse.
How it developed
In Estonian usage, Einar developed from Einarr.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1893. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Einar through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,563
- 1,563 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1915
- 60 babies
- 2025
- 47
- #2,724 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +138%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 47 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,724 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 137.8% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 60 in 1915. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (8). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 709 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Einar’s family of names
In Norwegian Nynorsk usage, Einar shares a linguistic root with the Danish form Ener. Einar has a related form in Einer. In Estonian usage, Einar developed from the Old Norse form Einarr.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Einar has relatives in 5 languages. Lines run from its Old Norse roots to each of them.
Old Norsewhere Einar comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 12
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Einervariant
- Enarvariant · Swedish
- Ejnarvariant · Swedish
- Ejnervariant
- Ejnurvariant
- Ejnorvariant
- Ejnyrvariant
- Ejnirvariant
Show 4 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 6
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Einar
- Einar Gerhardsen22nd Prime Minister of Norway (1897–
- Einar Már GuðmundssonIcelandic authorborn 1954
- Einar BenediktssonIcelandic poet (1864-1940)
- Einar ArnórssonIcelandic politician and judge (1880-1955)
- Einar SelvikNorwegian musicianborn 1979
- Einar LönnbergSwedish scientist (1865-1942)
- Einar HedegartNorwegian cross-country skierborn 2001
- Einar Libergsport shooter (1873-1955)
- Einar ØstbyNorwegian male cross-country skier1935–2022
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Einar, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Reidar
“a warrior or soldier”
>99% boys
Ivor
“the archer's bow; of the yew wood” · “of cut wood”
>99% boys
Eilert
“of the hard point”
>99% boys
Other
Other is a masculine given name from Old Norse.
>99% boys
Verner
“of the defending army”
92% boys · 8% girls
Lennart
“one who is brave”
>99% boys
Ingram
“a raven of peace”
>99% boys
Sigurd
“the protector of victory”
>99% boys