Given name · also Old Norse
Freya
“mistress, lady”
Freya is a feminine given name from Old Norse, meaning “mistress, lady.” It is used in English and German.
Meaning & origin
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Old Norse.
The story
In mythological stories, Freya is associated with the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility.
Freya through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 19,821
- 0 boys · 19,821 girls
- Most popular year
- 2022
- 2,183 babies
- 2025
- 1,746
- #176 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +52%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,746 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 176 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 51.5% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (145). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 8,353 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.
Freya’s family of names
Freya shares a linguistic root with Freja. In English usage, Freya has a conventional equivalent in the Icelandic form Freyja. In German usage, Freya has a related form in Freyja.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Freya has relatives in 7 languages. Lines run from its Old Norse roots to each of them.
5 related names in 7 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Freya
- Freya AllanEnglish actressborn 2001
- Freya StarkBritish travel writer (1893-1993)
- Freya MavorScottish actressborn 1993
- Freya AndersonBritish swimmerborn 2001
- Freya TingleyAustralian actressborn 1994
- Freya RidingsEnglish singer, pianist and songwriterborn 1994
- Freya von MoltkeGerman writer and scholar (1911–2010)
- Freya SkyeBritish singer and actress (b. 2009)
- Freya JayawardanaIndonesian singerborn 2006
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Freya, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Frigg
Frigg is a feminine given name from Old Norse, ultimately from Proto-Germanic. It is used in Swedish and Danish.
>99% girls
Frøydis
“dis, minor goddess”
>99% girls
Hjørdis
“sword” · “goddess”
>99% girls
Jørdis
“goddess of the sword”
>99% girls
Bestla
Bestla is a feminine given name. It is used in Icelandic.
>99% girls
Fjorgyn
>99% girls
Jarnsaxa
>99% girls
Kriemhild
>99% girls