It was named in January 2005 after Narvi from Norse mythology, also known as Narfi or Nari, a son of Loki by Sigyn who was killed to punish Loki for his crimes. The gods turned his brother Váli into a slavering wolf who tore his throat out. His entrails were used to bind Loki to a stone slab for all eternity, or at least until Ragnarok. The name was approved by the IAU Working Group on Planetary System Nomenclature on January 21, 2005.