1881 in Norway

Events in the year 1881 in Norway.

Incumbents

 * Monarch: Oscar II.

Arts and literature
Norwegian playwright, Henrik Ibsen's, Ghosts, is released.

January to June

 * 3 January – Wilhelm Faye, military officer and war historian (died 1967).
 * 5 January – Jørgen Bru, sport shooter (died 1974)
 * 24 February – Per Askim, naval officer (died 1963).
 * 27 February – Sigvard Sivertsen, gymnast and Olympic gold medallist (died 1963)
 * 11 March – Wictor Esbensen, mariner and explorer (died 1942)
 * 17 March – Kristian Elster, Jr, novelist, literary historian, theatre critic and biographer (born 1881).
 * 20 March – Dorthea Dahl, writer in America (died 1958)
 * 26 March – Marta Marie Nielsen, schoolteacher and politician (d. 1948).
 * 6 June – Anton Djupvik, politician (died 1951)

July to September

 * 23 July – Thorleiv Røhn, military officer, gymnast and Olympic gold medallist (died 1963)
 * 27 August – Elise Hambro, educator (died 1966).
 * 15 September – Wilhelm Blystad, track and field athlete (died 1954)
 * 11 October – Leif Georg Ferdinand Bang, politician
 * 25 October – Oskar Braaten, novelist and playwright (died 1939)
 * 27 October – Edvard Larsen, triple jumper and Olympic bronze medallist (died 1914)
 * 29 October – Niels Christian Ditleff, diplomat (died 1956)
 * 15 November – Andreas Hagelund, gymnast and Olympic gold medallist (died 1967)
 * 4 December – Edvard Bull, Sr., historian and politician (died 1932)
 * 17 December – Yngvar Bryn, track and field athlete and pairs figure skater (died 1947)
 * 27 December – Sigvart Johansen, rifle shooter and Olympic bronze medallist

Full date unknown

 * Erik Glosimodt, architect (died 1921)
 * Marie Hamsun, actor and writer (died 1969)
 * Sigurd Halvorsen Johannessen, politician (died 1964)
 * Per Larssen, politician and Minister (died 1947)
 * Knut Liestøl, politician and Minister (died 1952)
 * Kristian Prestrud, polar explorer (died 1927)
 * Jakob Sverdrup, philologist and lexicographer (died 1938)

Deaths

 * 7 January – Jens Zetlitz Kielland, consul and artist (born 1816)
 * 11 April – Kristian Elster, Sr, novelist, journalist, literary critic and theatre critic (born 1841).

Full date unknown

 * Jens Henrik Beer, businessperson, farmer and politician (born 1799)
 * Jens Gran, politician (born 1794)
 * Christopher Andreas Holmboe, philologist (born 1796)
 * Peter Daniel B. W. Kildal, politician (born 1816)
 * Thomas Konow, naval officer and politician (born 1796)
 * Ludvig Vibe, philologist and educator (born 1803)