Norse Names that Start With L

Liv combines the succinct charm of a nickname—people might assume it's short for Olivia—with the solidity of being a classic stand-alone Scandinavian name with a life-force meaning. It was brought into the public eye (in the English speaking world that is) due to the fame of actress and Aerosmith daughter Liv Tyler.
 
Following its Scandinavian origins, Liv derives from either the Old Norse Hlíf meaning "protection", or the modern Scandinavian word liv meaning "life". In this case, it would be pronounced LEEV. As an English name, it is a diminutive form of Olivia, pronounced LIHV, with the peaceful meaning "olive tree."
 Its notable bearer Liv Tyler was given the name after her mother, Bebe Buell, saw an image of Norwegian actress Liv Ullmann on the cover of TV Guide shortly before her daughter's birth. The name was later chosen by actress Julianne Moore for her daughter in 2022.

 Far less popular in the US than Olivia, it nevertheless entered the Top 1000 back in 2011. In a recent year, it ranked just outside the Top 700, and was given to around 400 girls, meaning for every one Liv born, there were 37 Olivias. Liv is also a Top 100 girls' name in a range of international places, from Scandinavia to Switzerland to Israel.

Popular Scandinavian name -- first bestowed in honor of Swedish botanist Carl von Linné, a classifier of plants and animals -- that could make an engaging choice. 

Norse Names that Start With L

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