The last element is  which means "valley" or "dale". Historically, the municipal name was Vartdalstranden. The suffix -stranden is the definite singular form of the Old Norse word  which means "beach" or "shore".
The final part pertains to a low-lying area, which corresponds to the concept of a valley or dale. In the past, the town's name was Vartdalstranden. The suffix -stranden is related to the Old Norse word for shore or coastline.