Loki - Name Meaning and Popularity -

Meaning of Loki

Pronounced LOH-kee, Loki is a masculine given name rooted in Old Norse mythology, where the eponymous deity—locus classicus of ingenuity and ambiguity—moves through the sagas like quicksilver, weaving mischief and metamorphosis with a deftness that scholars have long likened to the Roman Mercury. Etymologically, the name is thought to derive from the Proto-Germanic *lukaz, “knot” or “loop,” a fitting metaphor for a figure who binds and unbinds the fates of gods and mortals alike; mutatis mutandis, it evokes the delicate ties of family, endlessly forming and reforming. Contemporary parents, drawn to its mythic resonance and the modern cultural spotlight cast by literature and film, have lifted Loki from the frost-rimmed pages of the Eddas into American nurseries, where its steady rise—from a mere five boys in 1996 to over ninety each year since 2020—whispers of a growing enchantment. Thus, Loki stands as a name that marries ancient narrative gravitas with current vitality, offering a son not only a storied heritage but also the quiet promise of originality and resilient intellect.