girl's name
Freya
FRAY-ə
- Origin Norse
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 100 (E&W)
- Births on record 85,531
the United States
#177
2025 births
Freya is a girl's name of Old Norse origin meaning "lady" or "noble woman." It is the name of the Norse goddess of love, beauty and war, and comes from the Old Norse word freyja, a title rather than a personal name.
- Freya is a name of Norse origin.
- Peaked in England and Wales in 2011, when 2,619 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade in England and Wales.
- Today about 1 in 292 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1996.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Freya over time
Births per decade in England and Wales, 1990s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 1,996 |
| 2000s | 15,667 |
| 2010s | 22,555 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 12,148 |
What Freya means
Freya means lady, in the old sense of noblewoman or mistress of a household. It began as a title of respect and became the name by which the goddess was known.
Where Freya comes from
Freya comes from Old Norse Freyja, meaning lady, from a Proto-Germanic root frawjon, related to the Old English frea, lord, and the modern German Frau, woman. The goddess Freyja governed love, fertility, gold, war and death, receiving half of those slain in battle while Odin took the rest. Her name was almost certainly a euphemistic title — Norse religion often avoided speaking a deity's true name — which is why it means simply the Lady. Friday is named for her, or for the closely related goddess Frigg. The modern spelling Freya is the anglicized form; Norway and Denmark use Freja and Frøya.
Freya in use
Our data shows Freya rising steadily and peaking in 2011, and the British enthusiasm arrived first — it is a top ten name in England and Wales while ranking around 177 in the United States. The Norse revival in British naming has been running for two decades.
How popular is Freya?
In 2025, Freya was given to 1,802 babies in England and Wales, ranking #6 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Where Freya is used
Figures for England and Wales withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year, so a gap means the name fell below that floor rather than went unused. Data & sources.
How Freya is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Fréya | Fréya is a rare spelling of Freya, written with an acute accent and recorded about 20 times, mostly in France. | 20 |
Names that peaked alongside Freya
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Freya also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Freya over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
3 nicknames for Freya
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Freya in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Freya
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Freya — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Freya
What does the name Freya mean?
Freya means "lady" or "noble woman," from the Old Norse freyja.
Who was the goddess Freya?
The Norse goddess of love, beauty, fertility and war. She received half of those killed in battle, with Odin taking the other half.
Is Freya more popular in Britain than America?
Considerably. Our data places Freya in the England and Wales top ten while it sits around 177 in United States records.
Is Freya a girl's or a boy's name?
Freya is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Freya?
Freya has 2 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Freya?
Freya is usually shortened to Frey, Fifi and Rey.
Is Freya a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Freya currently ranks #3 in England and Wales. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.