Norse/Danes

The Norse are a Scandinavian people with the Danes being one of the most prominent branches of the Norse (along with the Swedes and the Norwegians). Contrary to popular understanding, the Vikings were NOT a people or a culture, being a Viking was actually more of an occupation. The word Viking means "Raider" in Norse and most of the Norse were actually farmers and merchants, not Vikings.
Viking raids were an ongoing problem for Europeans during the Middle Ages with raids peaking between 800 A.D. and 1000 A.D. Eventually, the raids ended as most of the Norse converted to Christianity. With the founding of Christian Kingdoms in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, the Viking age came to an end shortly after 1000 A.D.
Vikings are often romanticized but their raids were brutal and the capturing and selling of slaves was a major economic incentive for raiding. Successful Vikings ran their own farms using slave labor (a Viking slave was a "thrall" and the word serves as the basis for such phrases as being "in thrall" or "enthralled", in the sense of being under someone else's complete control). It is thought that Viking society was polygynous with high-ranking leaders having multiple wives. This would create a shortage of women for the lower-ranking men and serve as an incentive to raiding as a means for these lower-ranking men to gain access to women.
One group of Viking raiders, the Varangians, began raiding east down the Volga and building settlements along the river. These Norse eventually became known as the Rus and formed the core of modern Russia.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Randi, Aldis, Signy, Gudrid, etc.

Masculine names

Den, Bram, Knut, Eric, etc.

Family names

The Norse used first names and surnames. The surname was usually (but not always) derived from the father's first name. The son of a man named Eric might be called Skuld Ericson and his daughter might be called Aldis Ericdottir (dottir = daughter).

Ideals

Gender Ideals

The men are very "macho." They pride themselves on being warriors and merchants, even a man who is simply a farmer will have weapons and equipment to defend his family and property with. Women generally have a lower status in Norse societies but there is some evidence that exceptional women were accorded higher status and could go raiding with the men (and possibly even lead a raid), run their own business, own property, etc. (Much of the inner workings of Norse society are unknown and the degree to which these freedoms existed, if they actually existed at all, is unknown.) Magic and sorcery were considered part of a woman's sphere of influence and could provide another way to advance herself socially (men who practiced sorcery are seen as being feminine). If Norse society was polygynous as is generally thought, marrying up was another way for a woman to improve her social status. Being one of several wives to the local chieftain was probably preferable to being the only wife of a poor farmer. 
Captured women were often kept as concubines while captured men were used as slave labor in the fields, thus the social status of Norse slaves was especially low.

Courtship Ideals

There is little evidence that the Norse practiced any sort of extended courtship. Marriages between the children of prominent men were probably arranged. Marriage likely consisted of little more than a declaration of marriage between the man and the woman in front of witnesses, (though feasting would, of course, accompany the more important marriages).