Solveig (, ) is a female

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a fa ...

of Old Norse origin. It is most common in Denmark, Norway,

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

, and Iceland, and it is also somewhat common in Germany and France.

Etymology

The name consists of two parts, where both parts have different theorized origins. * Sol- ** Old Norse ''salr'' "house, hall, home" ** Old Norse ''sól'' "sun" ** Old Norse ''sölr'' "sun-coloured, yellow" * -veig ** Old Norse ''veig'' "strength" ** Old Norse ''víg'' "battle" ** Old Norse ''vígja'' "to butt" ** Old Norse ''väg'' "way"

Versions

Generally speaking, the most common version is Solveig. However, alternative versions are used in Norway,

, Denmark, Iceland, Germany,

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

, and on the Faroe Islands, and to some extent in France. ;Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish: * Solveig * Sólveig * Solvej * Solvei * Solveij * Solveg ;Icelandic: * Solveig * Sólveig ;Latvian and Lithuanian: * Solveiga ;German and French: * Solveig

In fiction

Solveig is a central character in the play ''

Peer Gynt ''Peer Gynt'' (, ) is a five- act play in verse by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen published in 1876. Written in Norwegian, it is one of the most widely performed Norwegian plays. Ibsen believed ''Per Gynt'', the Norwegian fairy tale on wh ...

'' by

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential playw ...

. She sings the famous " Solveig's Song" in Edvard Grieg's musical suite of the same name. Ibsen uses sun imagery in association to the character (scene 10, act 5), indicating that Ibsen may have favored the idea that the name is etymologically associated with the sun. There is also a female central character in the Argentine novelist

Leopoldo Marechal Leopoldo Marechal (June 11, 1900 – June 26, 1970) was one of the most important Argentine writers of the twentieth century. Biographical notes Born in Buenos Aires into a family of French and Spanish descent, Marechal became a primary sch ...

's ''

Adán Buenosayres ''Adam Buenosayres'' () is a 1948 novel by the Argentine writer Leopoldo Marechal. The story takes place in Buenos Aires in the 1920s, and follows a vanguard writer who goes through a metaphysical struggle during three days. The book is a humorous ...

'' named Solveig Amundsen. Furthermore, Solveig is the main character and narrator of Matthew J. Kirby's '' Icefall''. Solveig is also one of the protagonists in Battlefield V, in the episode called ''"Nordlys"''.

Notable people called Solveig

Miklabæjar-Solveig Miklabæjar-Sólveig () was an Icelandic woman who lived in the late 18th century and the subject of local folklore. Legend Sólveig is said to have committed suicide after an unrequited love affair with Reverend Oddur, a minister, at his manor ...

, an Icelandic woman who lived in the late 18th century and is the subject of local folklore

Given name

* Sólveig Anspach, an Icelandic-French film director *

Solveig Christov Solveig Beda Christov ( née Fredriksen; 29 October 1918 – 16 May 1984) was a Norwegian novelist, writer of short stories, and playwright. Early and personal life Solveig Fredriksen was born in Drammen as a daughter of electrician Fredrik ...

, a Norwegian novelist, writer of short stories and playwright * Solveig Dommartin, a French actress *

Solveig Egman-Andersson Laila Solveig Egman-Andersson (born 6 January 1942) is a retired Swedish artistic gymnast who competed at the 1960, 1964 and 1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Ga ...

, a Swedish artistic gymnast and Olympian *

Solveig Guðmundsdóttir Solveig Guðmundsdóttir (c. 1430 – 1501), was an Icelandic heiress and landlord. She was the daughter and heir of judge Guðmundur Arason ríki and landlord Vatnsfjarðar-Kristín Björnsdóttir, the richest couple on Iceland. She is rememb ...

, an Icelandic heiress and landlady * Solveig Gulbrandsen, a Norwegian footballer *

Solveig Gunbjørg Jacobsen Solveig Gunbjørg Jacobsen (8 October 1913 – 25 October 1996)Gravminner i Norge.
D ...

* Solveig Hedengran, a Swedish actress * Solveig Heilo, also known as Sol Heilo, a Norwegian composer, artist, musician, music producer, arranger, designer *

Solveig Jülich Solveig Jülich is a Swedish historian of ideas, professor at the department of History of Science and Ideas at Uppsala University. Biography Solveig Jülich holds a Ph.D in technology and social change from Linköping University in 2002, for ...

, a Swedish historian of ideas, professor *

Solveig Krey Solveig Krey (born 20 March 1963) is a Norwegian navy officer. She hails from Lonkan, and graduated from the Norwegian Naval Academy in 1989. She became the first female commanding officer of a submarine in the world, when she took command of th ...

, a Norwegian naval officer *

Solveig Kringlebotn Solveig Kringlebotn () (4 June 1963), better known outside Norway as Solveig Kringelborn, is an internationally known Norwegian operatic soprano.Listen to Norway v1-3 Norsk musikkinformasjon – 1993 "Two of these are CD recordings featuring tw ...

, a Norwegian operatic soprano singer *

Solveig Nordlund Solveig Nordlund (born June 9, 1943) is a Swedish-Portuguese filmmaker. Biography Nordlund grew up in Stockholm and has a BA degree in Art History from the University of Stockholm. In 1962, she met Alberto Seixas Santos, whom she married, and he ...

, a Swedish-Portuguese filmmaker *

Solveig Nordström Britt Solveig Maria Nordström (12 July 1923 – 21 January 2021) was a Swedish archeologist, who lived and worked in Spain since 1955. Early life Nordstrom graduated from University of Stockholm with a Masters of Philosophy in literary histor ...

, a Swedish archaeologist who developed her career in Spain *

Sólveig Pétursdóttir Sólveig Guðrún Pétursdóttir (born 11 March 1952) is an Icelandic politician a former speaker of the Althing, the Icelandic parliament, serving between 2005 and 2007. She was a parliament member from 1991, for the Reykjavík (Althing constit ...

, an Icelandic politician a former speaker of the Althing, the Icelandic parliament * Solveig Slettahjell, a Norwegian jazz singer * Solveig Sollie, a Norwegian politician *

Solveig Sundborg Solveig Augusta Maria Sundborg (14 March 1910 – 22 July 2002) was a Danish film actress. She appeared in 23 films between 1932 and 1994. She was born in Copenhagen, Denmark and died in Denmark. Selected filmography * ''Han, hun og Hamlet ...

, a Danish film actress *

Solveig Rogstad Solveig Rogstad (born 31 July 1982) is a retired Norwegian biathlete The biathlon is a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing (sport), cross-country skiing and shooting sports, rifle shooting. It is treated as a race, with contestants ...

, a Norwegian biathlete *

Solveig Rönn-Christiansson Solveig Adina Olena Rönn-Christiansson (11 November 1902 – 8 June 1982) was a Swedish politician and trade unionist. She served as a member of the Second Chamber of the Parliament of Sweden for the Communist Party for two separate terms: the f ...

, a Swedish politician *

Solveig Torsvik Solveig Torsvik (born 30 December 1954 in Stange, Norway) is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. Torsvik was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Akershus in 1993, but was not re-elected in 1997. She had previously served in the po ...

, a Norwegian politician

Middle name

Heide Solveig Göttner Heide Solveig Göttner (born 1969 in Munich) is a German fantasy writer. Life Heide Solveig Göttner grew up in Munich. She began writing at a young age. She studied English studies, American studies and political science at the Ludwig-Maximilians ...

, a German fantasy writer

Surname

* Martin Solveig, a French DJ

References

{{More footnotes, date=April 2009
Nordic Names - Solveig

Behind the Name - Solveig
Germanic given names Norwegian feminine given names