Given name
Torbjørn
“Thor, god of thunder”
Torbjørn is a masculine given name from Old Norse, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European. It is used in Norwegian Bokmål and Faroese.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Torbjørn goes back to Proto-Germanic *Þunraz, meaning “Thor, god of thunder.”
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Where it comes from
In Norwegian use, Torbjørn shares an earlier linguistic root with Torbjörn. An origin associated with Torbjörn is Old Norse.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
From Old Norse Þorbjǫrn, from Proto-Germanic *Þunraz (“Thor, god of thunder”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tenh₂- (“to thunder”), from Proto-Germanic *bernuz (“bear”); its root is Proto-Indo-European *(s)tenh₂-.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Torbjørn’s family of names
Torbjørn has an affectionate form in Tobbe. In Norwegian Bokmål usage, Torbjørn shares a linguistic root with Torben. In Norwegian Bokmål usage, Torbjørn has an alternative spelling in Thorbjørn.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Torbjørn has relatives in 4 languages.
6 related names in 4 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 9
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Torbencognate · Norwegian Bokmål
- Torbernequivalent
- Torbe(r)nDanish cognate of
- Torbjörncognate · Swedish
- Thorbjörnequivalent
- Thorbernequivalent
- Þorbjörncognate · Icelandic
- Þorbjǫrnolder form · Old Norse
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People named Torbjørn
- Torbjørn HeggemNorwegian footballer (born 1999)
- Torbjørn FalkangerNorwegian ski jumper (1927–2013)
- Torbjørn BergerudNorwegian handball playerborn 1994
- Torbjørn Røe IsaksenNorwegian politicianborn 1978
- Torbjørn YggesethNorwegian ski jumper (1934–2010)
- Torbjørn LøkkenNorwegian former Nordic combined skierborn 1963
- Torbjørn Ringdal HansenNorwegian chess playerborn 1979
- Torbjørn BrundtlandNorwegian musicianborn 1975
- Torbjørn SindballeDanish triathleteborn 1976
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Torbjørn, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Terje
“the power of Thor's spear”
98% boys · 2% girls
Bjørn
“bear”
>99% boys
Björn
“bear”
>99% boys
Oskari
“spear of god”
>99% boys
Frode
“a wise man”
99% boys · 1% girls
Greger
“watchful” · “one who is vigilant; watch-”
90% boys · 10% girls
Anders
“manly; a warrior” · “the son of Andrew”
>99% boys
Sven
“a youthful man; a lad”
>99% boys