Holger

At a Glance: Name: Holger – Meaning: compound of Old Norse elements for 'island' and 'spear' – Origin: Old Norse (via Danish) – Gender: primarily used for boys – Pronunciation: HOL-ger

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Holger is an Old Norse name that came into English use by way of Danish, built from elements meaning 'island' and 'spear.' It's a name with a literal, physical meaning rather than an abstract one — two concrete images joined into a single word. If you want Scandinavian roots with a meaning you can point to directly, Holger fits that.

Meaning & Origin of Holger

Meaning: Compound of Old Norse elements for 'island' and 'spear'.

Origin: Old Norse (via Danish).

Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.

How to Pronounce Holger

Phonetic: HOL-ger   IPA: /ˈhoʊlɡər/

Popularity of Holger

SSA records show Holger at its highest point in 1898, ranked #1211 with 5 babies given the name that year. By 2002, the last year it shows up in the data, it had fallen to #11330 — still with a count of 5 — across the full 1898-2002 span on record.

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1898–2002.

Make Holger Name Art

Free printable nursery art for Holger, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.

Names With a Similar Story

Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.

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FAQ

What does the name Holger mean?

Compound of Old Norse elements for ‘island’ and ‘spear’. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Holger)

How do you pronounce Holger?

Holger is pronounced HOL-ger (IPA: /ˈhoʊlɡər/).

Is Holger a popular name right now?

Holger peaked at #1211 in 1898 and is ranked #11330 as of 2002. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1898–2002.)

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