Atli

Atli is a male given name used in Icelandic and other North Germanic languages. It is the Old Norse form of Attila, the 5th-century ruler of the Hunnic Empire, and it appears in medieval Norse literature as a personal name for the Hun king.

In Norse legend, Atli is the name used for Attila the Hun. The best-known source is Atlakviða (The Lay of Atli) in the Poetic Edda, with related material in the Prose Edda. The tale presents Atli as a Hun king who interacts with legendary Nordic heroes and is treated as a figure of great power and tragedy. These narratives contributed to the Norse literary tradition’s portrayal of Attila the Hun.

As a given name, Atli remains in use in Iceland and other Nordic regions. Notable individuals with the name include Atli Heimir Sveinsson, an Icelandic composer, and Atli Örvarsson, an Icelandic composer for film and television.

The name has also appeared in modern culture and literature as a Nordic adaptation of the historical Attila, sometimes detached from the legends and used simply as a traditional given name rather than a direct reference to the emperor.

See also Attila and Atlakviða for related historical and literary contexts.