Names of Iceland explained

There are numerous different names for Iceland, which have over the years appeared in poetry or literature.

In Icelandic

Many names have been used to refer to Iceland in the Icelandic language. These names include colloquial, formal, and poetic forms:

Eylenda in Icelandic pronounced as /ˈeiːˌlɛnta/, fem.island, that is to say Iceland

Stephan G. Stephansson

Fjarst í eilífðar útsæ

vakir eylendan þín.

Far in the eternal yonder sea

your island wakes.

Fjalladrottning in Icelandic pronounced as /ˈfjatlaˌtrɔhtniŋk/, fem.queen of the mountain or Iceland
Fjallkonan in Icelandic pronounced as /ˈfjatl̥ˌkɔːnan/, fem. with definite article—lady of the mountain, a figure representing Iceland
Frón in Icelandic pronounced as /ˈfrouːn/, neu.old Norse word for land, Iceland

Heima á Fróni.

Garðarshólmi in Icelandic pronounced as /ˈkarðar̥sˌhoulmɪ/, masc.Iceland, named after Gardar Svavarsson^[1]
Hrímey in Icelandic pronounced as /ˈr̥iːmˌeiː/, fem.
Hrímgrund in Icelandic pronounced as /ˈr̥imˌkrʏnt/, fem.
Hrímland in Icelandic pronounced as /ˈr̥imˌlant/, neu.the book Crymogaea occasionally uses "Hrímland"
Ísafold in Icelandic pronounced as /ˈiːsaˌfɔlt/, neu.
Ísaland in Icelandic pronounced as /ˈiːsaˌlant/, neu.

...og flykkjast heim að fögru landi Ísa.

Ísland in Icelandic pronounced as /ˈistlant/Iceland's official and most common name
Jökulmær in Icelandic pronounced as /ˈjœːkʏlˌmaiːr̥/, fem.Young woman of the glacier, Iceland
Klakinn in Icelandic pronounced as /ˈkʰlaːcɪn/, mascliterally the iceberg or the ice cover
Norðurey in Icelandic pronounced as /ˈnɔrðʏrˌeiː/, fem.literally meaning "northern island", used in jest in the Westman Islands since Iceland is north of them
Skerið in Icelandic pronounced as /ˈscɛːrɪθ/, neuliterally the skerry
Snjóland in Icelandic pronounced as /ˈstnjouːˌlant/, neu.Snowland
Snæland in Icelandic pronounced as /ˈstnaiːˌlant/, neu.the name that the Viking Naddoddr reputedly gave to Iceland in the 9th century meaning "snow land"
Thule, neu.some scholars claim Iceland was the land of Thule^[2]
Týli in Icelandic pronounced as /ˈtʰiːlɪ/, neu.Thule
Þyli in Icelandic pronounced as /ˈθɪːlɪ/, neu.Thule

Icelanders also have several nicknames for themselves, including Frónbúi in Icelandic pronounced as /ˈfrounˌpuːɪ/ or Frónverji in Icelandic pronounced as /ˈfrounˌvɛrjɪ/ ("an inhabitant of Frón") and Landi in Icelandic pronounced as /ˈlantɪ/ ("fellow countryman").