Given name & surname
Fritjof
“peace”·“thief”
Fritjof is a Scandinavian given name with an Old Norse compound behind it.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Its older elements mean “peace” and “thief.” These are the meanings of the separate components, rather than a description of the person bearing the name.
Where it comes from
Fritjof develops from an Old Norse personal name. Fridtjof is another spelling in the same tradition.
How it developed
The Old Norse formation combines friðr, “peace,” with þjófr, “thief.”
The story
The related spelling Fridtjof was borne by Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen. His later work for refugees included the Nansen passports issued to stateless people after the First World War.
Fritjof’s family of names
In Swedish usage, Fritjof has a related form in FRITIOF.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 4
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Fritjof
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Fritjof, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Friðgeir
Friðgeir is a masculine given name from Old Norse, ultimately from Proto-Germanic. It is used in Icelandic.
>99% boys
Frisby
“Frisians” · “settlement”
—
Fridhger
Fridhger is a masculine given name from Old Norse, ultimately from Proto-Germanic. It is used in Old Swedish.
>99% boys
Frøy
“lord”
>99% boys
Fríðrikur
Fríðrikur is a masculine given name from Old Norse, ultimately from Proto-Germanic. It is used in Faroese.
>99% boys
Freymóður
Freymóður is a given name from Old Norse. It is used in Icelandic.
>99% boys
Fróðmar
“wise, clever”
>99% boys
Frogner
“manure”
—