auðr

Auðr is an Old Norse term that generally denotes wealth, riches, or prosperity. In medieval Norse texts, the word functions as a financial or social concept and appears in poetry and prose to signify material fortune or status. The orthography, including the letter ð, reflects the phonology of Old Norse and its descendant languages. In contemporary Icelandic, the word survives as a root in names and phrases associated with wealth.

As a personal name, auðr was used as a feminine given name in Old Norse. One well-known bearer is Auðr djúpúðga, often Anglicized as Aud the Deep-Minded, a prominent figure in the Icelandic sagas. She is described as a settlement leader who, in the late Viking Age, guided a group of kin and followers to Iceland. Her story is recorded in the Landnámabók and related sources, and she is remembered for her role in early Icelandic colonization and family alliances.

Modern usage and derivatives include the Icelandic given name Auður, which is derived from the same root. Auður remains a common feminine name in Iceland, linking contemporary naming practice with the historic meaning of wealth and prosperity embedded in auðr. The term thus spans linguistic meaning and onomastic tradition within Norse and Icelandic heritage.