Icelanders Acquire New Names

The Icelandic Naming Committee recently approved several names to be introduced to the official register, allowing for integration into Icelandic culture.

Permission… granted

The names that were permitted include Gosi, Egilína, Haron, and Martel, according to Vísir. Additionally, the name Elizabeth was approved as a spelling for Elísabet. The committee did however express reservations, saying “the letter ‘z’ is not in the Icelandic alphabet and ‘th’ is not found in uncombined words in Icelandic.”

The one’s that got away

The middle name Krossá and the patronymic surname Thorsdóttir were also added to the official registry. However, not all names received nods of approval from the committee. The middle name Aliverti was turned away, being that the name had no origin in the Icelandic language or tradition.

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