NOBLEMEN from Norway

Top 8

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Norwegian Noblemen of all time. This list of famous Norwegian Noblemen is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity.

1. Ragnar Lodbrok (850 - 801)

With an HPI of 83.90, Ragnar Lodbrok is the most famous Norwegian Nobleman.  His biography has been translated into 55 different languages on wikipedia.

Ragnar Lodbrok (Old Norse: Ragnarr loðbrók, lit. 'Ragnar hairy-breeches'), according to legends, was a Viking hero and a Swedish and Danish king. He is known from Old Norse poetry of the Viking Age, Icelandic sagas, and near-contemporary chronicles. According to traditional literature, Ragnar distinguished himself by conducting many raids against the British Isles and the Carolingian Empire during the 9th century. He also appears in Norse legends, and according to the legendary sagas Tale of Ragnar's Sons and a Saga about Certain Ancient Kings, Ragnar Lodbrok's father has been given as the legendary king of the Swedes, Sigurd Ring.

2. Rollo (846 - 930)

With an HPI of 83.87, Rollo is the 2nd most famous Norwegian Nobleman.  His biography has been translated into 54 different languages.

Rollo (Norman: Rou, Rolloun; Old Norse: Hrólfr; French: Rollon; c. 835/870 – 933), also known with his epithet, Rollo "the Walker", was a Viking who, as Count of Rouen, became the first ruler of Normandy, a region in today's northern France. He was prominent among the Vikings who besieged Paris in 885–886, and he emerged as a war leader among the Norsemen who had secured a permanent foothold on Frankish soil in the valley of the lower Seine after the Siege of Chartres in 911. Charles the Simple, king of West Francia, agreed to the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte, which granted Rollo lands between the river Epte and the sea in exchange for Rollo agreeing to end his brigandage, swear allegiance to Charles, convert to Christianity, and pledge to defend the Seine estuary from other Viking raiders. Rollo's life was recorded by Dudo of St. Quentin. Historians such as W. Vogel, Alexander Bugge, and Henri Prentout have debated whether Dudo's account is historically accurate, and Rollo's origin and life are heavily disputed. Rollo is first recorded in a charter of 918 as the leader of a group of Viking settlers, and he reigned over the region of Normandy until at least 928. He was succeeded as ruler of the new Duchy of Normandy by his son William Longsword. The offspring of Rollo and his followers, through their intermingling with the local Frankish and Gallo-Roman population, became known as the "Normans". After the Norman conquest of England and of southern Italy and Sicily over the following two centuries, their descendants came to rule England, much of Ireland, Sicily and Antioch from the 11th to 13th centuries, leaving behind an enduring legacy in the histories of Europe and the Near East.

3. Margaret, Maid of Norway (1283 - 1290)

With an HPI of 78.32, Margaret, Maid of Norway is the 3rd most famous Norwegian Nobleman.  Her biography has been translated into 50 different languages.

Margaret (Norwegian: Margrete, Scottish Gaelic: Maighread; March or April 1283 – September 1290), known as the Maid of Norway, was the queen-designate of Scotland from 1286 until her death. As she was never inaugurated, her status as monarch is uncertain and has been debated by historians. Margaret was the daughter of King Eric II of Norway and Margaret of Scotland. By the end of her maternal grandfather's reign, King Alexander III of Scotland, she was his only surviving descendant and recognized heir presumptive. Alexander III died in 1286, his posthumous child was stillborn, and Margaret inherited the crown. Owing to her young age, she remained in Norway rather than go to Scotland. Her father and the Scottish leaders negotiated her marriage to Edward of Caernarfon, son of King Edward I of England. She was finally sent to Great Britain in September 1290 but died in Orkney, sparking the succession dispute between thirteen competitors for the crown of Scotland.

4. Ingeborg of Norway (1301 - 1361)

With an HPI of 65.76, Ingeborg of Norway is the 4th most famous Norwegian Nobleman.  Her biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Ingeborg of Norway (Old Norse: Ingibjörg Hákonardóttir; Swedish: Ingeborg Håkansdotter; Norwegian: Ingebjørg Håkonsdatter; 1301 – 17 June 1361) was a Norwegian princess and by marriage a Swedish royal duchess with a position in the regency governments in Norway (1319–1327) and Sweden (1319–1326) during the minority of her son, King Magnus Eriksson. In 1318–1319, she was Sweden's de facto ruler, and from 1319 until 1326, she was Sweden's first de jure female regent. Her role in northern European history is considered of major importance.

5. Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway (b. 1973)

With an HPI of 64.24, Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway is the 5th most famous Norwegian Nobleman.  His biography has been translated into 50 different languages.

Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway (Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈhôːkʊn]; Haakon Magnus; born 20 July 1973) is the heir apparent to the Norwegian throne. He is the only son of King Harald V and Queen Sonja. Haakon represents the fourth generation of the sitting Norwegian royal family of the House of Glücksburg. He married Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby, with whom he has two children, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus. Haakon has been a member of the Young Global Leaders network, its Foundation, a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations, and a philanthropist. He is a trained naval officer and, as crown prince, a top military official in the Norwegian Armed Forces. He holds a BA in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley, as well as an MSc in Development Studies from the London School of Economics.

6. Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway (b. 2004)

With an HPI of 51.21, Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway is the 6th most famous Norwegian Nobleman.  Her biography has been translated into 44 different languages.

Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway (born 21 January 2004) is the elder child of Crown Prince Haakon and the second child of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and a grandchild of King Harald V. She is second in line of succession to the Norwegian throne after her father. She represents the fifth generation of the sitting Norwegian royal family of the House of Glücksburg. She has a younger brother, Prince Sverre Magnus, whom she ranks above in the line of succession after the implementation of absolute primogeniture in 1990.

7. Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway (b. 2005)

With an HPI of 48.68, Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway is the 7th most famous Norwegian Nobleman.  His biography has been translated into 32 different languages.

Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway (born 3 December 2005) is the younger child of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit. He is third in line to succeed his grandfather King Harald V, after his father and elder sister Princess Ingrid Alexandra.

8. Leah Isadora Behn (b. 2005)

With an HPI of 32.55, Leah Isadora Behn is the 8th most famous Norwegian Nobleman.  Her biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Leah Isadora Behn (born 8 April 2005) is a member of the Norwegian Royal family. She is the second daughter of Princess Märtha Louise of Norway and her late former husband Ari Behn, and a grandchild of King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway. She is the sixth in the line of succession to the Norwegian throne, after her sister Maud Angelica. Although Behn and her sisters are members of the royal family, they hold no royal titles, are private citizens, and are free to pursue other interests.