Scandinavian Names for Boys
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.
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.
- Casper
Origin:
Dutch form of Jasper, PersianMeaning:
"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. Casper was one of the Three Magi who brought gifts to the infant Jesus along with Melchior and Balthasar.
- Leif
Origin:
ScandinavianMeaning:
"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.
- Viggo
Origin:
ScandinavianMeaning:
"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. We think this name is so, well, vigorous, that it might appeal to others as well. Taylor and Natalie Hanson seemed to agree when they chose it for their fourth child.
- Lars
Origin:
Scandinavian from Latin LaurentiusMeaning:
"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.
- Axel
Origin:
Scandinavian variation of AbsalomMeaning:
"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). Axel is a popular Scandinavian form of the Biblical Absalom, who was a son of King David, and is the name of the title character of William Faulkner's Absalom, Absalom.
- Anders
Origin:
Scandinavian variation of AndrewMeaning:
"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.
- Harold
Origin:
ScandinavianMeaning:
"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.
- Elvis
Origin:
Meaning unknownDescription:
When the King was alive, and for years afterwards, few people (except Declan McManus who became Elvis Costello) dared use his singular name, but now it's very much up for grabs.
- Valentin
Origin:
French, German, Russian, Czech, Scandinavian variation of ValentineMeaning:
"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.
- Gunner
Origin:
Scandinavian variation of GuntherMeaning:
"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.
- Jenson
Origin:
ScandinavianMeaning:
"son of Jens"Description:
The surname name Jenson is in the British Top 100 thanks to champion race car driver Jenson Button. Jenson might be an honorific for an ancestral John, the English form of Jens or Johannes, or even Jen.
- Johannes
Origin:
German, Dutch, Scandinavian, and Estonian variation of JohnMeaning:
"God is gracious"Description:
An Old World name that might have a chance to rise again with other ancient and worldly forms. Be sure to say yo-HAHN-es.
- Kent
Origin:
English surname and place-nameMeaning:
"edge"Description:
Kent is a no-nonsense, brief, brisk one-syllable name, almost as curt as Kurt.
- Gunnar
Origin:
Scandinavian variation of GuntherMeaning:
"bold warrior"Description:
A key figure in Norse legend and a traditional Scandinavian favorite making inroads here.
- Erik
Origin:
Spelling variation of EricMeaning:
"eternal ruler"Description:
Gives a slightly updated feel to the stale Eric.
- Axl
Origin:
Variation of Axel, Scandinavian version of AbsalomMeaning:
"father of peace"Description:
Guns 'n' Roses musician Axl (born William) Rose created this name by dropping a vowel, a la Barbra Streisand. The traditional Axel is more popular, though celebrity parents Fergie and Josh Duhamel deliberately chose the Axl spelling to honor her rock hero.
- Ola
Origin:
Norwegian and Swedish form of OlafMeaning:
"ancestor's relic"Description:
Simple, friendly, distinctive name heard in several cultures. The a ending may feel more feminine in the US than Ole, though both variations are acceptable in Scandinavia.
- Thoren
Origin:
Norse and ScandinavianMeaning:
"thunder"Description:
As the mythological Thor morphs into a modern baby name, the variations Thoren and Thorin feel like real possibilities, not just in Scandinavia but around the Western world.
- Anderson
Origin:
English from ScandinavianMeaning:
"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.
- Arvid
Origin:
Swedish, Norwegian, DanishMeaning:
"eagle-tree"Description:
Arvid, a Scandinavian name that's virtually unknown in the US, is one of the top baby names in Sweden. It might make a handsome, unusual choice for a parent in search of an original yet traditional A name.