List of names from Astrid Lindgren stories

By shvibziks · Updated May 2023

Names59

Pages3

Total Names59

Across 3 pages

Page1

of 3

About this list

Astrid Lindgren is a sacred part of every Scandinavian child's upbringing, the majority of us have read several of her stories, and seen the television adaptions of them. Lindgren had an exceptional way of capturing names that were both popular yet also quirky and unique when naming her characters. Several of the names enjoy a big popularity all over Scandinavia today still.

The names

Showing 1–20 of 59

Sofia
Spanish variation of Sophia, Greek
"wisdom"
Sofia is a refined variation of the Greek name Sophia, which was derived directly from sophia , the Greek word for wisdom. It was the name of a Roman saint—the mother of Faith, Hope, and Charity—and…
Anna
Variation of Hannah, Hebrew
"grace"
Anna has become the dominant form of the Ann family, offering a touch of the international to English speakers and a bit more style than the oversimplified Ann or Anne. Anna is the Latin form of…
Alma
Latin, Hebrew, Kazakh
"nurturing, soul; young woman; apple"
Alma is a solemn, soulful, yet gentle sounding name that became fashionable in England following the Battle of Alma during the 19th century Crimean War. A name with multiple origins, Alma has subtle,…
Erik
Spelling variation of Eric, Old Norse
"eternal ruler"
While substituting a C for a K is a modern trend, Erik is in fact the traditional spelling of the name, derived from the Old Norse Eiríkr and introduced to the English speaking world in the…
Jonas
Greek variation of Jonah
"dove"
Jonas has a slightly more grandfatherly image than the English version of his name, but that only adds to its retro appeal. And though it may lag behind Jonah in this country, Jonas is riding a huge…
Tommy
Diminutive of Thomas
"twin"
A surprising number of parents choose to put the nickname Tommy on their son's birth certificate rather than the more traditional Thomas. Perhaps even more surprising is thE fact that Tommy has never…
Alfred
English
"wise counselor; elf counsel"
Alfred is up off his recliner! If you're looking for a path to Fred, you can go directly to Frederick or take the long way around with the so-out-it's-in-again Alfred. Alfred is quite popular in…
Greta
German, diminutive of Margarethe
"pearl"
Greta is an Old World name long tied to the iconic Garbo, but now synonymous with environmental activism. In the early 2000s, Greta was showing signs of a comeback, along with other Old Hollywood…
Anders
Scandinavian variation of Andrew
"strong and manly, masculine"
Friendly and rugged at the same time, Anders is a Scandinavian form of the Andrew and Andreas family, used across Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and in the US. Consistently in the American Top 1000 since…
Lisa
English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Italian
"pledged to God"
Elvis naming his daughter Lisa Marie and Nat King Cole's hit song "Mona Lisa" conspired to catapult one of Elizabeth's many offshoots to a high of #4 in 1970. It has largely fallen from favor in the…
Annika
Swedish diminutive of Anna
"grace"
Annika is a surprise hit of recent years, inspired by golfer Sorenstam; for Trekkies, it was also the name of a 'Star Trek:Voyager' character. Some people's first memory of it might be as Pippi…
Ida
German
"industrious one"
Many vowel names stylish a century ago are coming back, and Ida seems like a possible, logical successor to Ada and Ava. A century ago, Ida was considered "sweet as apple cider," and was Number 10 on…
Mattias
Scandinavian, spelling variation of Matthias
"gift of God"
This particular spelling was chosen by Will Ferrell for his son, brother to Magnus. These names are both popular in Sweden, birthplace of their mother, Viveca Paulin.
Emil
Latin
"rival"
Derived from the Latin word aemulus , Emil is a name with international appeal. Concise and sturdy but with the gentle Em sound, Emil is popular across Europe, from Azerbaijan to Finland, from…
Anton
German, Russian, and Scandinavian variation of Anthony, Latin
"from Antium"
Cultured and cultivated in an old-style, Old World way, Anton is popular across Europe. It may be associated with the classic Russian playwright Anton Chekhov and also with ballroom dancer Anton Du…
Karl
German and Scandinavian variation of Charles
Manly almost to the point of macho.
Oskar
German variation of Oscar
Oskar is to Oscar as Jakob is to Jacob: more distinctive and continental.
Jonatan
Jonatan is a distinctive variant of the classic Hebrew name Jonathan, meaning 'gift of God' or 'God has given.' Popular in Scandinavian countries like Sweden and Norway, as well as in…
Hubert
German
"bright, shining intellect"
A name that sounds so old-fashioned some parents out there might conceivably find it quirky enough for a comeback, along with other one-time fuddie-duddies like Oscar and Homer. Along with other…
Maja
German, Slovene, and Scandinavian form of Maya; also, Arabic
"splendid"
Whether you pronounce it my-a, ma-zha or ma-ha, Maja is an intriguing choice. Sometimes associated with Goya's famous painting "The Naked Maja." As a cognate of Maya, it's a Top 10 name in Slovenia…

List of names from Astrid Lindgren stories

About this list

The names

Sofia

Anna

Alma

Erik

Jonas

Tommy

Alfred

Greta

Anders

Lisa

Annika

Ida

Mattias

Emil

Anton

Karl

Oskar

Jonatan

Hubert

Maja