Norway sits high on a lot of bucket lists, and sooner or later most travelers ask the same simple question: what do you call someone from Norway? If you’re booking a tour, reading the news, or chatting with locals over coffee and waffles, it helps to get the words right.
Short answer: people from Norway are called Norwegians in English. The language is Norwegian, and anything related to Norway can be described as Norwegian as an adjective. In casual English, you’ll say “a Norwegian,” “two Norwegians,” or “Norwegian food.”
If you’re curious about the nuance, the local words we use in Norway, and a few common mistakes to avoid, keep going. Let’s take a deeper dive into how demonyms work here, when to use which term, and what’s considered polite.
The English Demonym: “Norwegian”
In standard English, the correct demonym is Norwegian. You can use it both as a noun and an adjective.
As a noun:
- “She is a Norwegian.”
- “There are many Norwegians working offshore.”
As an adjective:
- “Norwegian salmon is famous.”
- “I’m taking a Norwegian language course.”
A quick spelling and plural check helps a lot. Norwegian ends with “-gian,” not “-vian,” and the plural is Norwegians, not “Norwegian people” unless you prefer the more formal phrasing. You’ll see “Team Norway” in sports headlines, but when we talk about the people, Norwegians is the safe, natural choice.
“Norwegian,” “Norway,” And When To Use Each
This one trips up even seasoned travelers. Norway is the country. Norwegian describes the people, the language, and things connected to the country.
- Country: “I’m visiting Norway this summer.”
- People: “I met three Norwegians on the train.”
- Language: “Do you speak Norwegian?”
- Adjective: “I love Norwegian sweaters.”
If you find yourself writing “Norway food” or “Norway people,” switch to Norwegian.
What We Call Ourselves In Norway
Here’s where it gets interesting. In Norwegian, we have a couple of common words that map to “Norwegian” in English.
- norsk is the adjective. It also names the language.
“Jeg snakker norsk” means “I speak Norwegian.”
“Norsk mat” means “Norwegian food.” - nordmann is the traditional noun for “a Norwegian” as a person.
“Han er nordmann” means “He is Norwegian.”
The plural is nordmenn.
You might also hear norske when the adjective has to agree with a plural or certain grammatical forms, for example “norske filmer” for “Norwegian films.”
Gendered forms like “norsk kvinne” exist, but in everyday speech most of us just use norsk for the adjective or nordmann historically for the noun. In modern usage, many simply say “Jeg er norsk” to mean “I am Norwegian,” without a gendered noun at all. If you learn a few phrases, you’ll sound both respectful and informed.
Please Don’t Say “Viking” For Modern People
I know the horned helmet stereotype is persistent. Two clarifications help keep conversations smooth:
- Viking was a role or occupation in the Viking Age, not a nationality. Calling contemporary Norwegians “Vikings” is a playful cliché, but not a correct demonym.
- Norse typically refers to the medieval language and culture, as in Norse mythology. It is not used for people living in Norway today.
So in 2025, your server, guide, or new friend in Tromsø is a Norwegian, not “a Viking.”
Norwegian, Scandinavian, Or Nordic?
These three labels often get jumbled. Here’s the clean split:
- Norwegian means from Norway.
- Scandinavian usually refers to Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.
- Nordic is the broader family that includes Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and associated territories like the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Åland.
A person from Norway can be called Norwegian, and they are also Scandinavian and Nordic in the regional sense. If you’re speaking about culture or design, “Scandinavian design” is common. If you’re talking about a statistics report or a travel pass that covers several countries, “Nordic countries” is the broader, accurate term.
Indigenous And Minority Identities In Norway
Norway is home to several Indigenous and minority groups. The largest Indigenous group is the Sami, whose traditional lands stretch across northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia’s Kola Peninsula. Many Sami are Norwegian citizens and therefore Norwegians in the civic sense, while also being Sami by Indigenous identity and heritage. You’ll see Sami culture recognized throughout the north, with bilingual signage in places like Kárášjohka Karasjok and Guovdageaidnu Kautokeino.
There are also Kven people, with roots in Finnish-speaking settlers in northern Norway, and other recognized national minorities. In everyday English, it’s respectful and accurate to use the specific identity when it’s relevant and preferred by the person, while understanding that citizenship-wise they can also be described as Norwegians.
Regional Nicknames Norwegians Use
If you like digging into local color, here are a few regional labels you’ll hear inside Norway. These are not English demonyms you need on a tour, but they’re fun for context and can make conversations feel richer.
- Bergenser for someone from Bergen
- Osloenser for someone from Oslo
- Trønder for someone from Trøndelag
- Stavangerbu for someone from Stavanger
- Tromsøværing for someone from Tromsø
- Vestlending for a person from Western Norway
- Østlending for a person from Eastern Norway
- Nordlending for a person from the north
Use them lightly. Locals use these labels among ourselves, often with a wink and a bit of friendly teasing about weather, dialect, or football loyalties. If you try one and get a grin back, you’ve used it well.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
A few quick fixes will make your English sound natural:
- Don’t say “Norway people.” Say Norwegians.
- Skip “Norvegian” or “Norwegianian.” The correct spelling is Norwegian.
- Avoid “Norse” for people today. Keep it for mythology, sagas, and history.
- Save “Viking” for the longboats and museum exhibits.
- Don’t use “Scandinavian” when you specifically mean Norwegian. Scandinavian is a region that also includes Sweden and Denmark.
- If you’re writing headlines or captions, keep capitalization tidy. Norwegian is capitalized in English when it’s a proper adjective or noun.
How We Hear It: Polite, Simple, And Specific
Norwegians appreciate straightforward language. If you’re unsure, it’s perfectly fine to ask “How do you prefer to be described?” and match the person’s lead. When in doubt:
- For nationality or people in general, Norwegian is correct.
- For the language, Norwegian is correct.
- For culture, food, music, politics, and sports, Norwegian is the right adjective.
If you want to connect a little deeper, learning how to pronounce “norsk” and “nordmann” will earn you warm points. And if someone tells you they are Sami, using Sami respectfully is the best choice, just like you would with any Indigenous identity elsewhere.
Practical Examples You Can Copy
Here are lines I hear and use daily in Norway. They work in travel writing, emails, and small talk.
- “Norwegians love hiking, and many of us keep a thermos in our backpack.”
- “I’m studying Norwegian to understand the menus and talk to my in-laws.”
- “The Norwegian coast feels endless, especially above the Arctic Circle.”
- “She is Sami and Norwegian, and she works with reindeer herding in Finnmark.”
- “I met a friendly Bergenser who insisted I try fish soup at the market.”
- “Do Norwegians really swim in the fjords in April?” “Some of us do, with a sauna nearby.”
A Note On Citizenship And Residency
Every now and then, the conversation turns technical. Norway has residents from all over the world. A person living in Oslo might be a resident of Norway without being a Norwegian citizen. In English, Norwegian usually implies nationality, not just residence. If you’re writing precisely, “a resident of Norway” or “living in Norway” is the safer phrasing when you don’t know a person’s passport. In everyday speech, most people hear “Norwegian” as nationality and “from Norway” as either nationality or upbringing, depending on context. If accuracy matters, ask.
Final Tip For Travelers And Writers
If you’re preparing an itinerary, captioning photos, or chatting with folks you meet, you’re covered with this simple rule set:
- Norwegian for the people, language, and adjective.
- Norway for the country.
- Norwegians for the plural.
- Sami and other Indigenous or minority identities when relevant, with care and respect.
- Scandinavian and Nordic only when you mean the wider region.
Get those right, and you’ll sound like you’ve spent real time here. And if you end up in Bergen on a rainy Tuesday discussing sweaters and cinnamon buns with a cheerful Bergenser, you’ll fit right in.