Norse origin meaning eagle; also a Hebrew feminine form meaning to sing.
Arna is a name with roots in two distinct linguistic traditions, giving it a pleasing dual identity. In Old Norse and the Scandinavian languages, Arna is the feminine form of Arne, itself derived from *arn* meaning "eagle" — one of the most powerful symbols in Norse mythology and heraldry. The eagle represented vision, sovereignty, and divine favor, making Arna a name of considerable ancient dignity across Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.
In Iceland especially, the name has maintained continuous use and appears in the sagas. In Hebrew, Arna (ארנה) carries separate associations, connected to the cedar tree or used as a variant of place names appearing in biblical geography. This coincidence of sound across two ancient traditions gives the name a kind of accidental universality.
It also appears as a variant or diminutive of names like Arnhild and Arnbjørg in the Norse tradition, further embedding it in a rich network of compound name-forms. In the modern era, Arna has attracted attention as a short, complete, and elegantly sparse name — two syllables that feel both ancient and quietly contemporary. The Icelandic author and cultural figure Arna Björk and various Scandinavian artists and academics bearing the name have kept it visible in Nordic culture. For parents seeking a name with genuine Old Norse heritage that isn't as widely adopted as Astrid or Ingrid, Arna offers an appealing alternative: feminine, strong, etymologically grounded in the image of an eagle, and possessed of a spare beauty that ages exceptionally well.