Giving your baby a Scandinavian name when living in the U.S. is a guaranteed way of giving your child a unique name, and probably some struggles having to always spell out their own name.
Here are some traditional, modern and popular names from Scandinavia and their meaning. Let us know which one is your favorite!
Swedish Names for Girls
Ingrid
Meaning: Beautiful and beloved
114 834 women in Sweden are named Ingrid
The average age of persons with the name Ingrid is 67 years old
Freja
Meaning: Queen of the gods
Even though this name is a very old one, Freja was one of the gods in the Nordic Mythology
Today, there are 6896 females called Freja
Astrid
Meaning: Divine Strength
There are 15 478 females in Sweden named Astrid
This is an old name, maybe mostly known from Astrid Lindgren, writer of Pippi Longstocking, and many other beloved children’s books. The name has gotten an upswing in popularity lately and it ranks number 7 on the list for most popular names for newborn girls
Greta
Meaning: Pearl
This name is a short form of Margareta
4930 women are called Greta and the average age of the name holder is 48
The name Greta is probably most famous thanks to the Swedish actress Greta Garbo
Ebba
Meaning: Strong Soul
Ebba is scoring a number 5 on the list for most popular names for newborn girls
It ranks number 65 of the most common name in Sweden for women
Swedish Names for Boys
Axel
Meaning: Father of success
19 141 Swedish men have the name Axel
The average age of the person who carries this name is 21
Sven
Meaning: Young
Despite its meaning, this is one of the older names on the list. The average age for people with this name is 70 years old
It ranks number 29 on the list of most common names in Sweden
Björn
Meaning: Bear
35 653 Swedish men have the name Gustaf
Björn used to be a popular name during the 70’s but lately has become unique among newborns in Sweden, with 56 boys being named Björn in 2014.
Gustaf
Meaning: Leader
20 674 Swedish men have the name Gustaf
There are two spellings of this name – either Gustaf or Gustav
Hugo
Meaning: Light
Hugo rates number 8 on the list of most popular name for newborn boys
Norwegian Names for Girls
Nora
Meaning: Shining
Nora scores second place as the most popular name for newborn girls in Norway
10 391 Norwegian women have the name, Nora.
Ada
Meaning: Noble
2 511 Norwegian women carry the name Ada
The name had a popularity peak in the 1920’s and then in the mid-2000’s
Selma
Meaning: Beautiful
1600 women in Norway carries the name Selma
Selma Lagerlöf was a Swedish writer who won the Nobel Prize 1909
The name ranks number 19 on the list of most popular names for newborn girls
Idun
Meaning: Active in love
Only 635 women are named Idun in Norway
Idun is one of the goddesses in the Nordic Mythology
Norwegian Names for Boys
Elias
Meaning: My God
Elias ranks number 9 on the list of most popular names for newborn boys
7023 Norwegian men have the name Elias
Geir
Meaning: Spear
22 103 Norweigan men carry the name Geir
The name peaked in popularity in the 1960s
Odd
Meaning: Point
19400 men have the name Odd in Norway
The name peaked in popularity between the 1920s and 1940s
Nikolai
3977 Norwegian men carry the name Nikolai
The name peaked in popularity in the late 2000s and is number 39 on the list of most popular names for newborn boys today
Danish Names for Girls
Mette
Meaning: Pearl
38748 Danish women are called Mette
Mette-Marit is the name of the Norwegian Princess
Sofia
Meaning: Wisdom
5022 women are called Sofia in Denmark
Sofia is the most popular name for newborn girls in Denmark
Hanne
Meaning: God’s favorite
38658 women in Denmark have the name Hanne
The name has been popular since the 1960s
Alma
Meaning: Dedicated
Alma is the second top name on the list of most popular names for newborn girls
5061 Danish Women are called Alma
Danish Names for Boys
Noah
Meaning: Peaceful
9091 Danish men are called Noah
Noah is the most popular name for newborn boys in Denmark
Magnus
Meaning: Great
Magnus ranks number 13 on the list of most popular names for newborn boys
16099 are called Magnus in Denmark
Mikkel
Meaning: God
Mikkel ranks number 25 on the list of most popular names for newborn boys
28345 Danish men have the name Mikkel
Malthe
Meaning: power
6298 Danish men are called Malthe
Malthe ranks number 8 on the list of most popular names for newborn boys
This article was originally published on April 16, 2018.
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