Boy names that mean warrior
A warrior name is usually a compound: one half names the fighting, the other names the man. Old Norse alone supplied half a dozen that are still in daily use in Scandinavia. These 23 all contain a genuine word for battle, army or champion.
- LouisLOO-issFrench
Renowned warrior: hlud (fame) + wig (war). Eighteen kings of France answered to it.
- Luigiloo-EE-jeeItalian
The same Frankish name through Latin Ludovicus — famous in battle, Italian vowels and all.
- LudvigLEWD-vigSwedish
The Nordic Hlodowig: hlūd (loud, famous) + wīg (battle).
- KoldoKOL-dohBasque
Basque took Clovis by way of Koldobika and kept the sense: famous in battle.
- GunnarGOON-arOld Norse
Gunnr (battle) + herr (army). Warrior, with nothing left over.
- RagnarRAHG-narOld Norse
Warrior of the gods, from regin (the ruling powers) + herr (army).
- IvarEE-varOld Norse
Probably bow warrior: ýr, the yew a bow is cut from, plus herr.
- HjalmarYAL-marSwedish
Hjálmr (helmet) + herr (army) — the man in the helmet, in the ranks.
- ViggoVIG-ohDanish
Built straight on Old Norse víg, war or battle. No second element to soften it.
- IgorEE-gorRussian
Ing's warrior — Norse Ingvarr as Old East Slavic took it in from the Varangians.
- MarcusMAR-kusLatin
Of Mars: consecrated to the Roman war god, or born in his month.
- MartinMAR-tinLatin
Martinus is literally "Mars's", the war god plus the suffix for belonging.
- Umbertooom-BEHR-tohItalian
Bright warrior, from hun (warrior, though honestly uncertain) + beraht.
- HarveyHAR-veeBreton
Haer (battle) + viu (worthy) — traditionally glossed worthy in battle.
- WojciechVOY-chekhPolish
Consoling warrior: woj- (war, warrior) + těcha (solace).
- VojtěchVOY-tyekhCzech
Comfort of the army — the exact Czech twin of Wojciech, and just as old.
- CenkJENKTurkish
Battle, combat, the fight itself; borrowed from Persian jang.
- Alparslanahl-par-SLAHNTurkish
Heroic lion. Alp ranked a warrior and arslan ranked a ruler.
- Kekoakeh-KOH-ahHawaiian
"The warrior" — definite and singular, the one who holds the role.
- NākoaNAH-koh-ahHawaiian
"The warriors", plural. The same koa, with the plural article in front.
- NiallNYE-alIrish
Champion, from Old Irish nia, a warrior. The Uí Néill took their name from it.
- AnikAH-nikBengali
Sanskrit anīka: the front rank, the vanguard, and so an army.
- Gonçalogon-SAH-looPortuguese
Visigothic gunþ, battle, opens the name; the second element is genuinely disputed.
Two kinds of warrior name
Most European warrior names are two-element compounds, and once you know the pieces you can read them at sight. Herr is an army: it ends Gunnar, Ragnar, Ivar and Hjalmar. Wig is battle: it ends Louis, Luigi, Ludvig and Koldo, all four of them the same Frankish name in four national coats. Slavic woj- does the same job for Wojciech and Vojtěch.
The other kind is the single word for the fighter or the fight. Cenk is the Turkish noun for combat. Kekoa and Nākoa are Hawaiian for the warrior and the warriors. Niall rests on nia, an Old Irish champion, and Anik on the Sanskrit word for a vanguard. One warning about this category generally: several popular "warrior" names are folk etymology. Miles is glossed as Latin miles, soldier, but the Latin was almost certainly attracted to a Germanic name after the fact, which is why it is not on this page. Related: strong, brave, guardian.