In Norse mythology, what does the name “Ragnarök” most commonly mean?

In Norse mythology, “Ragnarök” most commonly means “fate of the gods.”

The Old Norse word Ragnarök combines a term related to the gods’ fate or destiny with a word for a judgment, course, or end. English translations often use “Doom of the Gods,” while “Fate of the Gods” reflects another common interpretation.

The word is also connected with the form Ragnarökkr, often interpreted as “twilight of the gods.” That form appears in later transmission and helped inspire the familiar English phrase “Twilight of the Gods.” Modern discussions therefore mention both meanings, but the standard Old Norse form Ragnarök is most commonly translated as the gods’ fate or doom.

Ragnarok is not simply the destruction of the world. Its story includes a final battle, the deaths of major gods, cosmic devastation, and the renewal of the earth. Survivors and a new generation of gods continue after the catastrophe, giving the myth a cycle of destruction and restoration.