All expectant parents have to choose the right name for their baby during the pregnancy. This is often not so easy, however, as there is a huge selection of names available these days. Scandinavian names – for both girls and boys – have long been popular, and they remain so today.
First names from the far north are very trendy. Photo by Tommy Kwak @tommykwak, via Unsplash
The following lists contain a selection of popular and typically Scandinavian names, their approximate origin and general meaning.
35 popular Scandinavian girl names
name
Translation / Meaning (Origin)
Alma
The capable one, the nourishing one (originally Latin, very popular in Scandinavia)
Alva
The elf, the nature spirit (Old Norse)
Amalie
The capable one, the brave one (German/Latin, popular in Scandinavia)
Astrid
Beautiful deity, the star (Old Norse)
Ebba
The Strong One, the Awe-inspiring One (Old High German, popular in Sweden)
Eira
Goddess of healing (Old Norse) or snow (Finnish)
Ella
The Radiant One, the Beautiful One (short form of Eleonore/Elisabeth)
Elsa
The God-worshipping one (short form of Elizabeth, popular in Sweden)
Emilia / Emilie
The ambitious one, the diligent one (Latin)
Emma
The Great, the All-Encompassing (Old High German)
Freya / Freja
Goddess of love and fertility, the mistress (Old Norse)
Hedda
The fighter (short form of Hedwig)
Ida
The Working Woman, Divine Seeress (Old High German, popular in Denmark)
Ingrid
Beautiful Goddess Ing (Old Norse)
Jördis
Goddess of the Sword (Old Norse)
Julie
The one dedicated to Jupiter (Latin)
Linnaeus
The delicate moss bellflower (Sweden, named after Carl Linnaeus)
Liva / Liv
Life, the protector (Old Norse)
Lykke
Happiness (Danish)
Maja
The courageous, the noble one (short form of Mary/Magdalene)
Malin
The Exalted One (short form of Magdalena, popular in Sweden)
Marit
The Pearl (Scandinavian form of Margaret)
Matilda / Tilda
Mighty female fighter (Old High German)
Mille
The ambitious one, the honorable one (short form of Emilie)
Nora
The Shining One, the Honored One (short form of Eleonore, popular in Norway)
Nynne
Weighing, summing (Danish)
Olivia
The olive tree (Latin, internationally popular)
Runa
The secret, the rune (Old Norse)
saga
Goddess of Stories (Norse Mythology)
Signs
The beautiful victor (Old Norse)
Siri
Beautiful victor (short form of Sigrid, Old Norse)
Smilla
The Smiling One, the Humming One (Danish)
Solveig
Sun path, sun power (Old Norse)
Svea
The Swede (Swedish-patriotic name)
Ylva
The she-wolf (Old Norse)
35 popular Scandinavian boy names
name
Translation / Meaning (Origin)
Alfred
Noble counsel, wise advisor (Old High German, popular in Sweden)
Different
The manly one, the brave one (Nordic form of Andrew)
Arvid
The eagle tree, the strong eagle (Old Norse)
Axel
Father of Peace (Scandinavian short form of Absalom)
Birger
The helper, the protector (Old Norse)
Björn
The bear (Old Norse)
Bo
The settled person, the inhabitant (Scandinavian)
Carl / Karl
The man, the free man (Old High German)
Erik
The sole ruler, the eternal one (Old Norse)
Emil
The zealous one, the diligent one (Latin)
Finn / Fynn
The Finn, the blond one (Old Norse/Irish)
Frederik / Fredrik
The peaceful ruler (Old High German)
Gunnar
The fighter, the warrior (Old Norse)
Gustav
The staff of God, the Goth with the staff (Old Norse/Old High German)
Haakon / Håkon
Noble son, high-ranking descendant (Old Norse)
Harald
Ruler of the Army (Old Norse)
Henrik
The master of the house, the ruler of the house (German/Scandinavian)
Hugo
The thinker, the witty one (Old High German, popular in Sweden)
Ivar
The archer, the warrior (Old Norse)
Jesper
The treasurer (Danish form of Kaspar)
Jonte
God is gracious (Swedish short form of John)
Kjell
The cauldron, the helmet (Old Norse)
Knut
The knot, the free one (Old Norse)
Lasse
The laurel-crowned one (Swedish short form of Lars/Laurentius)
Leif
The heir, the descendant (Old Norse)
Lennart
Strong as a lion (Swedish variant of Leonard)
Lucas / Lukas
The shining one, the light-bringer (Latin)
Magnus
The Great (Latin, historically significant in Scandinavia)
Malte
Rule, the helmet (Danish, probably from Helmolt)
Mats
Gift of God (Swedish short form of Matthias)
Nils
The People's Victor (Scandinavian short form of Nicholas)
Oliver
The olive tree (Latin, internationally popular)
Oscar
Spear of the gods, protecting the god (Old Norse)
Sven
The young man, the young warrior (Old Norse)
Thor
Thunder, thunder god (Norse mythology)
You can find an even more comprehensive selection of Scandinavian names as well as 10 gender-neutral first names here .
Why choose a Scandinavian name?
Scandinavian names are particularly popular in northern Germany. This is likely due to its geographical location, as Denmark is one of our neighboring countries. However, the popularity of these names is also spreading to other parts of Germany. One reason for this is that many Scandinavian names originate from Norse mythology – such as Thor , Odin , or Freya , who are gods of this mythology.
Therefore, many who are followers of this historical tradition or simply have some knowledge of it choose Scandinavian names for their unborn child.
This doesn't mean, of course, that you have to be familiar with Norse mythology to choose one of these names. You can simply like Scandinavia and its culture! Ultimately, anyone can choose a Scandinavian first name – or as a second or third name, however they like.
There are no limits to creativity.
Scandinavian names, in particular, are very creative – some even have two or three different spellings, such as William , Villiam , Viliam , or Freya and Freja . They are all pronounced the same, but stand out from the crowd due to their unique spellings. This gives parents the freedom to decide how to spell their future child's name.
Scandinavian girl names 👧: The most beautiful first names for your daughter
Scandinavian boy names 👦: The most beautiful first names for your son
Many Scandinavian names are also simple and beautiful to combine, should a second or third name be considered. This applies to both girls' and boys' names. It's not necessary for both names Scandinavian . Therefore, there are no limits to your creativity!
Owner and Managing Director of Kunstplaza . Publicist, editor, and passionate blogger in the fields of art, design, and creativity since 2011. Graduated with a degree in web design from university (2008). Further developed creative techniques through courses in freehand drawing, expressive painting, and theatre/acting. Profound knowledge of the art market gained through years of journalistic research and numerous collaborations with key players and institutions in the arts and culture sector.
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