Yggdrasil: Name Meaning, Origin & Popularity

At a Glance: Name: Yggdrasil – Meaning: commonly read as 'Odin's steed' (Yggr, an Odin-name, + drasill 'steed') – Origin: Old Norse – Gender: Unisex


Yggdrasil is an Old Norse unisex name meaning “commonly read as 'Odin's steed' (Yggr, an Odin-name, + drasill 'steed')”. It appears in our list of 100+ Norse Mythology Baby Names — Epic, Ancient, and Surprisingly Wearable.

Meaning & Origin of Yggdrasil

Meaning: Commonly read as 'Odin's steed' (Yggr, an Odin-name, + drasill 'steed').

Origin: Old Norse.

A common claim: Widely repeated as meaning 'Odin's horse.' Actually: This is the leading scholarly reading but not certain -- the second element may instead derive from a root meaning 'support' rather than literally 'horse.'

Source: Wiktionary.

Popularity of Yggdrasil

Yggdrasil doesn’t appear in U.S. Social Security birth records, which include every name given to at least five babies in a year — so it’s rare in the U.S.

Lists That Include Yggdrasil

Similar Names

Hel · Halla · Mimir · Aslaug · Gungnir · Gunnhild

More Baby Name Inspiration