... A careful study of the Landnama will convince the student that the Norse system of name giving was looked upon as a religious ceremony.
    In the case of men's names this is obvious enough.  The head of the clan or family was both priest and chief.  When consecrated to the priesthood, as priest (Godi) he took the name of Thor or the Divinity in addition to his own name.  Hence men who were originally called Rolf, Steinn or Stone, and Grim, on being dedicated to the priesthood became Thorolf, Thorsteinn, and Thorgrim, and hence in the Register of men's names found in the Landnama Book are no less than sixteen pages of men's names commencing with Thor, which is more than one-fifth of the whole list. (The Landnama Book of Iceland, Ellwood, 1894).