Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Loki
Loki is the name of one of the most prominent of all gods in Norse Mythology. The cunning trickster god, Loki belongs to the ancient Norse Æsir tribe of gods (along with Odin, Thor, Frigg, and other well-known Norse gods and goddesses). His place in Norse Mythology is an important one, whether he’s being depicted as merely playful or downright evil, Loki is always up to something mischievously self-serving. The ancient origin of his name remains uncertain, but there are a few etymological theories. Loki may be derived from the Old Norse “lopt” meaning “air, sky, upper room” (which makes sense given his position as one of the gods living in the uppermost of the Nine Worlds). Others suggest Loki comes from “luka”, an Old Norse word meaning “to embrace closely” (which is from the same origin we get our Modern English word “lock”). Lastly, some believe Loki is derived from the Proto Indo-European “leug” meaning “to break, torment” (which also seems to fit our rascally trickster god). For the pre-Christianized ancient Germanic people, Loki represented one of the realities of the human psyche – our proclivity for self-preservation, selfishness, disobedience, impertinence and, in general, naughty, rebellious behavior. Loki stands apart from the other gods, a solitary jester of sorts, whose actions taunt and mock the very existence of the morally upright gods and goddesses. We like to say that Loki is keepin’ it real. He provides all the fun in Norse Mythology – otherwise we’d be reading a boring set of narratives. For more information on some of the Old Norse tales in which Loki features prominently, please see literary references below. Indeed, all ancient civilizations had some form of a Loki (i.e., a “trickster god”) in their own mythologies (Hermes in Greek, Mercury in Roman, Eshu in African/Yoruba, the raven and/or the coyote in Native American Indian, etc). As a masculine given name, Loki is not commonly used. In fact, it’s probably more popular among Americans in the United States than Scandinavians in Nordic countries!
All About the Baby Name – Loki
Personality
OF THE BOY NAME LOKI
The Number 2 personality in numerology is all about cooperation and balance. It's the number of diplomats and mediators. They are not leaders, but strive rather for harmony in partnerships. These are the peacemakers. Equality and fairness are important in their dealings, and they are willing to share power and responsibility to achieve a harmonious outcome. This personality is calm and patient, waiting for things to evolve instead of pushing aggressively for an outcome. They are good-natured and easy-going, and care deeply on an emotional and spiritual plane. Twos appreciate beauty and nature and are intent on making the world a better place.
Popularity
OF THE BOY NAME LOKI
Loki is a name that has never been used with enough frequency to land a position on America’s Top 1000 list. In other words, this is a very rare name indeed. To put it in perspective, only 77 baby boys were given than name Loki in 2012 vs. 18,900 who were called Jacob (currently the #1 boy's name in America). That’s 0.004% vs. 1.00% of baby boys born that year. So while you’re likely to meet three Jacobs in every preschool classroom you visit, you’re very unlikely to meet any Lokis. This is not a name for everybody, but it is a choice for parents who fall into a few different categories. One, they may be celebrating their Scandinavian heritage in a *wink, wink* sort of way. Two, they appreciate uniqueness without sacrificing historical value and meaning. Three, they have a sense of humor about themselves and their son. And four, they’re confident enough not to care what other people think. Loki is a great name choice, and we certainly wouldn’t be surprised to see it land on America’s Top 1000 list one of these days. But we don’t ever expect it to make the Top 100. He’s just a tad too rebellious for that!
Quick Facts
ON LOKI
GENDER:
Boy
ORIGIN:
Nordic
NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:
2
RANKING POPULARITY:
N/A
PRONUNCIATION:
LOAK-ee
SIMPLE MEANING:
Uncertain
Characteristics
OF LOKI
