Nidhogg as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Nidhogg

What is the meaning of the name Nidhogg ?

The baby name Nidhogg is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced Old Norse (approx.): /ˈniːðˌhoɡɡr/; Anglicized: /ˈnɪdˌhɒɡ/ (NID‑hog).

Nidhogg is Norse in Origin.

From Old Norse Níðhǫggr, Nidhogg combines níð (“malice, slander, dishonor”) with -hǫggr (“striker, hewer”), yielding senses like “Malice-Striker” or “Hewer of Dishonor.” Some later folk explanations link it to nið (“darkness, waning moon”), but scholars usually prefer the níð etymology. The name is typically read as masculine, though modern usage can be unisex as a fantasy-inspired choice.

In the Poetic and Prose Eddas, Níðhǫggr is the dragon-serpent that gnaws at Yggdrasil’s roots in Niflheim and appears at Ragnarök, imagery that has kept the name vivid in literature, games, and metal music. It was not used as a personal name in medieval Scandinavia due to its ominous connotations, but today it sees rare, stylistic adoption. Variants include Níðhǫggr, Níðhöggr, Níðhöggur (Icelandic), Nidhogg, Nidhoggr, and Nithogg. Meaning: a fierce, deeply mythic “striker” associated with enmity and the underworld.

⚙ Nothing for Nidhogg shows up in the birth registries or name datasets we track. That's typically a sign of a rare name, a regional or traditional one, or a modern coinage. Either way, it remains a genuinely rare choice.