Beautiful, strong Scandinavian names
3 minute readWith the mystical northern lights, their stylish designs, arctic temperatures and steep fjord coasts: Scandinavia has a very special attraction for us. No wonder, then, that we often find beautiful, strong Scandinavian names on the front covers of our books. Sometimes edgy, sometimes noble, Scandinavian names always manage to sound beautiful.
Our book Welcome to the World is an uplifting book introducing a child to our wonderful planet while inspiring parents to find wonder in the world around them. It’s also available in Danish and Swedish. We took a closer look at your orders and picked out a few Scandinavian names that we especially liked
Scandinavian names for boys
- Ailo
- Aksel
- Asger
- Birg
- Edvard
- Fenris
- Håkon oder Haakon
- Halvar
- Ivar
- Jano
- Lasse
- Leif
- Magnus
- Odin
- Otto
- Ragnar
- Sindre
- Søren
- Thorben
- Waris
- Yorik
Scandinavian names for girls
- Ada
- Alma
- Amalie
- Cilia
- Elina
- Ellie
- Freya
- Frida
- Greta
- Hanne
- Hedvig
- Helle
- Kaia
- Leiva
- Linnea
- Mia
- Tiril
- Vilde
The names and the meanings behind them
The boys’ name Aksel is of Danish origin. Despite sounding tough due to the prefix that sounds like axe, this given name has a harmonious meaning of “father of peace.”
The name Fenris has two origins, it has both Scandinavian and Old Norse roots. On the one hand it means “fen dweller”, whereby the fen refers to a rich wetland, intended to build the earthy spirit of the child. Fenris can also be derived from Fenrir or Fenrisúlfr. Fenrir was a gigantic wolf born of the trickster-god Loki and his giantess wife, Angrboda.
Håkon or Haakon comes from the Old Norse name Hákon. It translates to “chosen son” or “high, exalted son” and has been the name of various kings in Norway throughout the centuries.
Leif, as with many Scandinavian names, has its roots in Old Norse and comes from the word leifr, meaning “descendent” or “heir.” As the Nordic explorer Leif Erikson showed, this name is suitable for the particularly fearless among us. The female form of Leif is Leiva
A beautiful name, Sindre has its roots in Norway and means, “sparkling one”.
Another grounding name, but this time derived from Greek, is the name, Yorick. It means “farmer” and comes from the Greek, Georgieos, which means “earth and work”. The name grew greatly in popularity thanks to Shakespeare’s usage of it in his tragedy, Hamlet.
Onto the girls:
Ada is a girl’s name of German origin and is derived from Adelaide, which means, “noble”.
The name Freya comes from the Old Norse, Freyja, meaning “noble lady”. It’s also connected to the mythical Freya, goddess of fertility, love, and beauty.
The name Kaia though often seen as Scandinavian it also has Japanese, Hawaiian, Hebraic, Estonian and Greek roots! In Scandinavian, the name means “pure” and represents the Nordic abbreviation for Katharina.
Yet another female name with both Scandinavian and Old High German roots is Hedvig which means “Fighter in war”. Hedvig is an alternative form of the name, Hedda.
The name Linnea is of Swedish and Scandinavian origin and translates to “lime tree” or “linden tree”.
Last but not least, the Norwegian name Vilde comes from Old Norse and means “Battle of the elves” – the perfect choice for anyone passionate about Lord of the Rings!
