Recently I’ve been reading up on Norse mythology and I have fallen even more in love with the name [name_u]Loki[/name_u]. [name_u]Loki[/name_u] to me is a very interesting god, both in mythology and popular culture, and I like that he isn’t perfect by any means. However, I do realise [name_u]Loki[/name_u] has a dark side and is involved in and often causes negative events. Because of this I wonder how useable the name really is as a first name. any thoughts?
I’m not sure how I feel. [name_f]My[/name_f] gut says [name_u]Loki[/name_u] doesn’t work as a first name, but when I try and analyze my reasons, they don’t hold up.
I think [name_u]Loki[/name_u] has a few things going against him.
The sound itself is fun, but doesn’t feel like a proper name to me. This might be because I’m a Spanish speaker, and loco (said like [name_u]Loki[/name_u] with an o at the end) means crazy.
It’s really big in pop culture right now, so people will think you’re a super fan. Right now, I think most people think of the superhero/villain, and not the mythological person.
The namesake itself isn’t the best, both in superhero/villain world and Norse mythology world.
Like I said, when I analyze those reasons, they don’t hold up. Not everyone speaks Spanish, who cares if people think you’re a super fan (not to mention that would be hypocritical of me since I have names like [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] on my own list), and even if the namesake isn’t the best, who am I to judge what [name_u]Loki[/name_u] means to you, and how you interpret his actions? Not to mention, hypocrisy again as I love [name_f]Pandora[/name_f], Gwydion and [name_f]Lorelei[/name_f].
I guess I haven’t helped much. But those are my thoughts.
I think it’s a name that could be usable in the right family, in the right part of the world. I also think you’d get some funny looks, and some people would rolls their eyes behind your back. BUT. I don’t think that should hold you back from doing something you love.
For my money, no. Not for a human. He’s not exactly the equivalent of Satan, you’re right he’s a very interesting and complicated character and certainly has his positive points, but still. He’s not one of the Æsir. The way I see it, he has good and evil in him and is conflicted, but ultimately the evil side wins out - or rather, more accurately, [name_u]Loki[/name_u] is completely amoral. He’s basically a psychopath. He murders Baldur out of jealousy and treats it all as a joke, then scuppers the plans to get him out of Helheimur, just out of spite. And when [name_m]Ragnar[/name_m]ök comes and everyone is divided into good and evil, you know which side [name_u]Loki[/name_u] (and all his monstrous children) are on.
I’m a fan of [name_u]Loki[/name_u], I think everyone who reads the mythology is, because he’s so entertaining. But he’s not a good namesake in my opinion, his funny/clever side is charming, but his dark side is extremely dark.
I like [name_u]Loki[/name_u] but I’m also inclined to say it wouldn’t hold up as a first name, or even a middle name. I have it stashed away on a GP list but I would never use it because as Jackal said, his dark side is very dark. No amount of complexity and entertainment factor will overcome that for me.
I think it’s going to look like you’re an over-the-top Avengers fan because it is so big in pop culture right now. Although I do think the name [name_u]Loki[/name_u] is cute. I wonder if it could be a nickname for something? No idea what…
This. People would assume you used the name because you’re a fan of [name_m]Tom[/name_m] Hiddleston’s [name_u]Loki[/name_u] (who isn’t?) rather than for a love of Norse mythology.
That being said, [name_u]Loki[/name_u] could work as short for [name_m]Lachlan[/name_m], [name_m]Lorcan[/name_m], [name_m]Lucas[/name_m]…, or as a pet name for a particularly mischievous child.
I think it’s going to rise throughout the '00s due to the MCU films and then drop away again, probably sounding quite dated.
I know two dogs with the name so its screams all pet to me. But also the type of person he was would steer me away from using it. I want to like this name but I could never get on board. I to love mythological names but not enough to saddle a kid with it. I think it would be a nice nn for a name?
Good luck.
I know a 5-year old boy named [name_u]Loki[/name_u], so I’d say yes.
If I’m not mistaken, the mythological [name_u]Loki[/name_u] reproduced with a stallion and gave birth in the form of a mare (despite being male), producing [name_m]Odin[/name_m]'s eight-legged steed Sleipnir. I can see potential teasing in middle school and high school.
No.
It is used in too many movies, including The Mask and The [name_m]Son[/name_m] of the Mask. It is in many others. I think it was in one of the Ghost Busters movies. I would not recommend using it.
A) [name_m]Odin[/name_m] is in the top 1000 so why not [name_u]Loki[/name_u]? I haven’t checked [name_m]Thor[/name_m]'s stats but I’m assuming due to the movie he’s moving up, plus [name_m]Thor[/name_m] variants like [name_m]Thorsten[/name_m] have been popular for ages in northern Europe.
B) On the movie note, I have to agree with redwoodfey that it might seem like you’re a really big fan in regards to his current media attention and the movies, comics, and actors. Like how [name_f]Bella[/name_f]/[name_f]Isabella[/name_f] and [name_m]Jacob[/name_m] are inevitably tied to Twilight. [name_m]Just[/name_m] not so hardcore.
C) Not too many people take the time to dig into his mythology and find out all there is to know, like the fact that he switched genders for a time. I’d wager more than half the population (of those who actually know who he is) will only know what they do from the movie.
D) The pet name thing - [name_u]Max[/name_u] is one of the most popular dog names ever and that’s not stopping people from using it on kids too.
I do like it as a middle name or nickname as well.
[name_f]Honesty[/name_f]? No, sorry. I don’t think it’s usable. [name_u]Loki[/name_u] could be a cute nickname, though. Or just a name that you use for him (usually called a pet name) from time to time - nicknames don’t always have to relate back to the full name.
I prefer Lachie, or the full version, [name_m]Lachlan[/name_m]. [name_m]Both[/name_m] names are very popular where I live, and pronounced [name_m]Lock[/name_m]-ee, [name_m]Lock[/name_m]-lin
I think it’s more usable as a middle than a first, but there is no reason why it couldn’t be used as a first when there are names like [name_f]Pandora[/name_f] or [name_f]Lillith[/name_f] floating around. And is there anyone who doesn’t have a crush on movie-[name_u]Loki[/name_u]?
When it comes to naming children after actual gods, there are several schools of thought:
-
- It’s mythology, so do what you want - but only use the names of the GOOD gods because no one wants to be named after the bad guy
-
- It’s mythology, so do what you want - if you admire the character or certain qualities in the character and you like the name, go for it regardless of what other people think
-
- It’s not just mythology, there are people who worship these gods - so don’t name your children after a god you are not intending to honor, as this can be offensive to the pagan community
And in the case of [name_u]Loki[/name_u], we have a fourth school of thought:
-
- It’s not just mythology, there are people who worship this god - and even THEY don’t name their kids after him because drawing the attention of the god of mischief is asking for trouble
I fall somewhere between number two and number four, which is why [name_m]Tobias[/name_m] [name_u]Loki[/name_u] has been relegated to my GP list. I think almost any name is usable, but some come with more complications than others, and [name_u]Loki[/name_u] is one of the complicated ones for me.
Good point! It is mythology… but so are all other religions, so they should be treated the same. If you wouldn’t name a kid after sacred figures / deities from other religions, but think the Norse pantheon are fair game because they are ‘just mythology’, that’s effed up. Although this is a minority religion, it’s just as much a religion as Christianity or Islam.
I guess this thread is pretty much dead, but I came across it looking to see if Baldur was listed on this site. I would absolutely consider [name_u]Loki[/name_u] as a viable name. I see a lot of misinformation in this thread, which I guess is understandable given our incomplete knowledge of the Eddas, from where we derive most of what we know about Norse mythology. Yes, [name_u]Loki[/name_u] is sometimes evil, but at other times he is a paragon of virtue. And most of the rest of the Aesir aren’t perfect either, much like the Greek gods. That’s what makes them so interesting.
For the most part, scholars describe [name_u]Loki[/name_u] as a “trickster god” like Anansi the Spider in [name_f]Africa[/name_f], Coyote in Native American folklore, and [name_m]Hermes[/name_m] in Greek myth. He’s no angel, but who really is? And he sure as hell has a lot more fun than most.
When is he a paragon of virtue exactly? I’ve read both the Eddas many times and I can’t think what story you could be referring to. He’s often very clever, and he’s often witty, and certainly can be charming, and of course he solved more than a few problems for the Æsir, but virtuous? I don’t see it. I think like most trickster gods, he’s essentially amoral.
No the Æsir aren’t perfect (apart from Baldur, you might say, but I feel that his stories may have been influenced by Christianity - he’s a bit of a [name_m]Christ[/name_m] figure), and that is definitely what make them so interesting. They are more human than many other deities that people have come up with through the ages - they experience lust, anger, jealousy, all kinds of negative things. But there are two forces, good and evil. Nobody is wholly good or wholly evil, but in the end they all come down on one side or the other. Whereas Óðinn, Þórr, Freyr etc all come down on the ‘right’ side, [name_u]Loki[/name_u] comes down on the ‘wrong’ side - he is rejected, captured and imprisoned by the Æsir, and ultimately will lead the forces of evil at [name_m]Ragnar[/name_m]ök. You cannot compare his misdeeds to those of the other gods - he is fundamentally different.
The most convincing argument I’ve seen in defence of [name_u]Loki[/name_u] is that he is necessary - there must be some revolutionary force, some catalyst that upsets the fragile balance between good and evil sufficiently to lead to [name_m]Ragnar[/name_m]ök, so that the conflict can be resolved once and for all and a new, perfect world can be born from the ashes of the old. That’s some way from saying that he’s the sort of character we should admire, exactly, though.