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Scandinavian Names for Boys

Nameberry
By Nameberry
Updated Tue Jun 09 2020
Scandinavian names for boys have their origins in Sweden, Norway, or Denmark. More popular choices such as Stellan and Soren have migrated to the US in recent years, as parents look for new international sources for unusual names with meaning. Note that Finland is not considered a Scandinavian country so Finnish names are not included in this group of Scandinavian names for boys.

Below, our full roster of Scandinavian names for boys. The top names below rank among the current US Top 1000 Baby Names and are ordered by popularity. Unique names rank below the Top 1000 and are listed alphabetically.
  1. Casper

    • Origin:

      Dutch form of Jasper, Persian

    • Meaning:

      "bringer of treasure"

    • Description:

      This ancient name, also spelled Caspar, is finally shedding its ghostly image and moving into the 21st century. Popular in the Netherlands and Scandinavia, where it's sometimes shortened to Cas, Casper could ride the style coattails of cousin Jasper.
  2. Axel

    • Origin:

      Scandinavian variation of Absalom

    • Meaning:

      "father of peace"

    • Description:

      A classic in its native Scandinavia, Axel has a cool rock 'n' roll flavor in the US, thanks to Guns N' Roses' Axl Rose (born William). With its distinctive letter 'x', it has an effortlessly cool vibe about it, and is currently growing in popularity.
  3. Tate

    • Origin:

      English from Norse

    • Meaning:

      "cheerful"

    • Description:

      A strong single-syllable surname with a joyful meaning, Tate is finding a place on more and more birth certificates.
  4. Roscoe

    • Origin:

      Norse

    • Meaning:

      "deer forest"

    • Description:

      Fairly popular a hundred years ago but out of sight now, the quirky Roscoe deserves a place on every adventurous baby-namer's long list. It joins Rufus, Roman, Remy, Romulus, and Ray as one of the R names that sound fresh again after too many years of Robert, Richard, and Ronald.
  5. Eric

    • Origin:

      Old Norse

    • Meaning:

      "eternal ruler"

    • Description:

      Eric is derived from the Old Norse name Eiríkr, from the components ei, meaning "ever," and ríkr, "rule." It was adopted by English speakers in the mid-nineteenth century, who were already familiar with the exploits of the tenth century Viking navigator and discoverer of Greenland, Eric the Red. Erik is an alternate spelling and the preferred form of the name across much of Europe.
  6. Odin

    • Origin:

      Variation of Óðinn, Old Norse

    • Meaning:

      "god of frenzy; poetic fury"

    • Description:

      Odin is the name of the supreme Norse god of art, culture, wisdom, and law — who was handsome, charming, and eloquent into the bargain. The name projects a good measure of strength and power and has excellent assimilation potential.
  7. Leif

    • Origin:

      Swedish; Danish; Norwegian

    • Meaning:

      "heir, descendant"

    • Description:

      Leif is one of the most recognizable Scandinavian names, thanks to Icelandic explorer Leif Erikson, and is still one of the best, with a pleasant aural association with the word leaf.
  8. Viggo

    • Origin:

      Scandinavian

    • Meaning:

      "war"

    • Description:

      Though to most Americans Viggo is a one-person name attached to intense actor Mortensen, it is actually an old Norse name dating back to the Vikings, and is currently the 32nd most popular appellation in Sweden. Viggo Mortensen is a Jr., sharing his name with his Danish father.
  9. Anders

    • Origin:

      Scandinavian variation of Andrew

    • Meaning:

      "strong and manly"

    • Description:

      Friendly, unusual, but a decidedly Old Country version of Andrew and one of the classic Scandinavian names. It made a brief appearance in the US Top 1000 in 2006 and then reentered in 2010. Its rising popularity could be attributed to the interest in Anderson, which has been gaining steadily over the last fifteen years.

      Trivia tidbits: The patronymic Andersson is the second most popular surname in Sweden, and in Denmark, Donald Duck is called Anders.

  10. Bo

    • Origin:

      Norse nickname

    • Meaning:

      "to live"

    • Description:

      A popular name in Denmark, in this country Bo has some cowboy swagger and a lot of substance in its minimal two letters. In Mandarin Chinese, Bo means "wave".
  11. Dustin

    • Origin:

      Norse

    • Meaning:

      "brave warrior, or Thor's stone"

    • Description:

      Dustin's popularity in recent years has probably had more due to its similarity to Justin than to idolization of Dustin Hoffman -- himself named after silent screen cowboy star Dustin Farnum -- who certainly was the one to put it on the name map. In recent years, golfer Dustin Johnson has brought fresh renown to the name. Dustin is a character in Netflix hit Stranger Things. After decades in the spotlight, Dustin feels like a classic rather than an upstart. It peaked in the Top 50s in the 1980s.
  12. Harold

    • Origin:

      Scandinavian

    • Meaning:

      "army ruler"

    • Description:

      The name of the last Anglo-Saxon king of England before the Norman conquest, and a name that's long been associated with a pipe-smoking, bespectacled grandpa or uncle.
  13. Ivar

    • Origin:

      Norse

    • Meaning:

      "yew wood, archer, warrior"

    • Description:

      Closer to the original Norse name Ívarr, it is part of a small group of names with similar roots: Ivor, Iver, Ivo, Ives, and Evander, which all make rugged yet gentle feeling choices. Used throughout Scandinavia, Ivar is in the Swedish Top 100 and is also on the rise in the UK, outranking the English variation, Ivor.
  14. Lars

    • Origin:

      Scandinavian from Latin Laurentius

    • Meaning:

      "crowned with laurel"

    • Description:

      Lars is a perfect candidate for a cross-cultural passport: it has been heard often enough here to sound familiar and friendly, yet retains the charisma of a charming foreigner.
  15. Ragnar

    • Origin:

      Norse

    • Meaning:

      "warrior or judgment"

    • Description:

      An fearsome old Norse name with a long history in Scandinavia. It's gotten a boost in the States from popularity of the History Channel drama "Vikings," in which the protagonist is named Ragnar. Ragnar Lodbrok (meaning "shaggy pants") was a legendary warrior whose story was told in the Viking sagas. Ragnar also recalls name of the Norse Judgment Day, Ragnarök.
  16. Gunner

    • Origin:

      Scandinavian variation of Gunther

    • Meaning:

      "bold warrior"

    • Description:

      The kind of nouveau macho name favored by NRA-leaning parents. Killers' frontman Brandon Flowers gave it to his son in 2009. Gunnar is another spelling that makes the name a bit less militaristic.
  17. Valentin

    • Origin:

      French, German, Russian, Czech, Scandinavian variation of Valentine

    • Meaning:

      "strength, health"

    • Description:

      Romantic name used throughout Europe, though sure to lead to pronunciation problems here. Though it's never been too widely used in the US, it's quite popular in Switzerland, France, Austria, and Romania.
  18. Darby

    • Origin:

      Norse

    • Meaning:

      "from the deer estate"

    • Description:

      Spirited and bubbly, but handsome and preppy too, Darby is a surname style choice that fits in well with the likes of Alby and Lennox.
  19. Anderson

    • Origin:

      English from Scandinavian

    • Meaning:

      "son of Anders"

    • Description:

      Anderson shot up quite a bit on the popular names list in the 2000's, no doubt in large part due to the prominence of white-haired cable newsman Anderson Cooper. Perhaps surprisingly though, Anderson was even higher on the list in 1880. Actress Edie Falco named her son Anderson in 2005. Though there haven't been many first-named Anderson namesakes, there have been countless notables bearing the surname, including Hans Christian, Marian, Maxwell, Sherwood, Gillian, Laurie, and Pamela.
  20. Thorin

    • Origin:

      Norse and Scandinavian

    • Meaning:

      "thunder or brave and daring"

    • Description:

      Some sources give Thorin as a variation of the thunder god name Thor, equivalent to Thoren, while others says it comes from the verb að þora, meaning "to dare." This is a dwarf's name that first appeared in the thirteenth century mythology compilation Prose Edda, which, along with the Poetic Edda, represents nearly all of pagan Scandinavian mythology. Tolkien later used the name for character Thorin II Oakenshield of The Hobbit.