Swedish Princesses

Elsa

German diminutive of Elisabeth

"pledged to God"

Lost in limbo for decades and decades, Elsa now stands a good chance of following along in the progression from Emma to Ella to Etta, thanks to the ice queen heroine who "Let It Go" in the wildly…

Ingrid

Norse

"fair; Ing is beautiful"

The luminous Ingrid Bergman's appeal was strong enough to lend universal charisma to this classic Scandinavian name, which has been somewhat neglected in the US. Even today, a child named Ingrid…

Leonore

German short form of Eleanor

Leonore is a melodic variation of the wide range of names related to Eleanor and, via a different root, Leonie that are so stylish throughout Europe right now and bound for greater visibility in the…

Sibylla

Greek

"seer, oracle"

This elongated form of Sibyl is dainty and delicate -- dare we even say demure? It's got deep history, a powerful namesake, and it's extremely rare -- zero baby girls were named Sibylla or Sybilla or…

Sigrid

Norse

"fair victory"

Sigrid is a distinctly Scandinavian name that is starting to edge out into the wider world, a la cousin Ingrid. Unfortunately, short form Siri is now off the table, but Sigrid is still a possibility.

Therese

German and Scandinavian variation of Theresa

"to reap, gather, harvest"

A form of Theresa with a touch of European flair along with its saintly connotations, Therese is particularly familiar in Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, and the UK. While it has declined in use in…