The name Ragnar is celebrated on October 1, according to the Swedish “namsdag” calendar. It’s a masculine name with old Norse origin, meaning "warrior" or “strong army.” Ragnar was a legendary hero of early 9th century Scandinavia. In Sweden a “namsdag” is celebrated like a little birthday, but in the U.S., it may inspire another kind of celebration.
In 2004, it inspired some American runners who wanted to build their strength and together experience an outdoor adventure. They wanted to make testing limits a team sport; and the Ragnar Relay Series was born. Ten years later, the victories are growing in strength and numbers as Ragnar runners join overnight team relays in various places across the United States throughout the year as part of the largest overnight relay series in the nation.
Famous men named Ragnar:
Ragnar Bohlin, director of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus
Ragnar Skanåker, Olympic and world-class pistol shooter
Ragnar Persenius, bishop of Uppsala Diocese
Ragnar Lodbrok, legendary Norse ruler and hero, now of popular video games and the 2013 historical drama series “Vikings”

More about the tradition of celebrating namesdays - Our 'Namnsdagar'