i herrans namn

Swedish

Etymology

i (“in”) +‎ herrans (“the Lord's (archaic)”) +‎ namn (“name”)

Adverb

i herrans namn (not comparable)

1. (idiomatic) in God's name

   Synonym: i hela fridens namn

   Vad i herrans namn pågår här?

   What in God's name is going on here?

Usage notes

Bit closer to "the heck" or "on earth" in tone. Somewhat detached from the etymology and usually not capitalized.

References

• namn in Svensk ordbok (SO)