Norwegian male names primarily come from Old Norse and later Norwegian usage. Many are compounds built from Old Norse elements, with masculine patterns such as historical nominative -r (often dropped in modern Norwegian) and common endings like -ar, -vard, and -stein. Distinctively masculine elements such as -bjørn and -gutt/-gud also occur. Feminine forms often differ in suffix, typically -a, so the gender contrast is clear.

In modern Norway, traditional Old Norse–derived male names remain in steady use alongside international forms, often in concise two-syllable spellings. Representative examples include Aslak, Audun, Bendik, Espen, Eivind, Even, Guttorm, Hallvard, Jostein, and Kjetil.