Bjorn
/bjɔːrn/noun
A Scandinavian given name meaning “bear.”
Did you know?The name comes from the ancient Germanic word for “bear,” a creature so feared and revered that many Indo-European cultures avoided saying its name directly.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰer-
“to be brown, bright; the root often linked to bear-naming taboos in later languages”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*bernuz / *berô
“bear”
Old Norse
ON
bjǫrn
“bear”
Old English
OE
beorn
“warrior, hero; also poetically bear in later use”
Modern Scandinavian
Scandinavian
Björn
“bear; a common male given name”