Geir is a masculine name commonly given in Norway and Iceland. It is derived from Old Norse geirr "spear", a common name element in Germanic names in general, from Proto-Germanic *gaizaz (whence also Old High German gêr, Old English gâr, Gothic gaisu).
The popularity of the given name peaked in Norway during the 1950s to 1980s, with above 2% of newly born boys named Geir during the late 1960s to 1970s. As of 2014, the National statistics office of Norway recorded 22,380 men with the given name, or 0.9% of total male population.
The Old Norse spelling Geirr is also rarely given (89 individuals in Norway as of 2014).
While Geir was practically unused as a given name prior to the 1930s (and since the 2000s), -geir is the second element in a number of given names inherited from Old Norse, the most popularly given being
Asgeir and Torgeir. These are a remnant of a much larger group of names including the geirr element in Old Norse.
Notable people called Geir include:
- Geir Bjørklund (born 1969), Norwegian researcher, medical/health science writer, and editor
- Geir Digerud (born 1956), Norwegian cyclist
- Geir Gripsrud (born 1948), Norwegian organizational theorist
- Geir Haarde (born 1951), Prime Minister of Iceland (2006–2009)
- Geir Hafredahl (born 1962), Norwegian politician
- Geir Hallgrímsson (1925–1990), Prime Minister of Iceland (1974–1978)
- Geir Hansteen Jörgensen (born 1968), Swedish film director
- Geir Hasund (born 1971), Norwegian footballer
- Geir Helgemo (born 1970), Norwegian contract bridge player
- Geir Isene (born 1966), Norwegian writer
- Geir Ivarsøy (1957–2006), Norwegian programmer at Opera Software
- Geir Jenssen (born 1962), Norwegian musician best known under the recording name Biosphere
- Geir Karlstad (born 1963), Norwegian speed skater, Olympic gold and bronze medalist
- Geir Lippestad (born 1964), Norwegian lawyer and politician
- Geir Selvik Malthe-Sørenssen (born 1965), Norwegian con artist
- Geir Moen (born 1969), Norwegian sprinter
- Geir Suursild (born 1994), Estonian rower
- Geir Sveinsson (born 1964), Icelandic handball player
- Geirr Tveitt (1908–1981), Norwegian composer
- Geir Zahl (born 1975), Norwegian musician