Guðbrandur

Guðbrandur is an Icelandic masculine given name. It is derived from the Old Norse Guðbrandr, a compound of Guð- meaning “God” and brandr meaning “sword” or “firebrand.” The name has been used in Iceland since medieval times and remains a traditional element of Icelandic onomastics.

In modern usage, Guðbrandur is less common than in the past but is still recognized as a distinctly Icelandic name. It reflects the broader pattern in Icelandic naming of combining religious or martial elements with personal identifiers.

Notable bearers include Guðbrandur Þorláksson, a prominent 16th–17th‑century Icelandic bishop of Hólar who oversaw the printing of the first Icelandic Bible in 1584, an event of significant cultural and linguistic importance for Iceland.

In Icelandic naming practice, Guðbrandur functions as a given name. Descendants would traditionally be identified with patronymics such as Guðbrandsson (son of Guðbrandur) or Guðbrandsdóttir (daughter of Guðbrandur), rather than a family surname.

The name is primarily used in Iceland and among Icelandic communities worldwide, and it remains a recognizable part of the island’s historical and linguistic heritage.