frauleinawesome's list "Awesome Norwegian Names" of 20 great name ideas: Eleonora - Ursula!

Awesome Norwegian Names

Makes a serious name frilly and feminine, which, depending on your viewpoint, might be a good or a bad thing.  In this case, we vote good.

Eleonora

German, Scandinavian and Polish spelling of Konrad, borne by several German and Polish rulers throughout history, as well as the German chancellor Konrad Adenauer.

Konrad

Sharper and steelier than Martha, but with the same underused vintage appeal.

Marta

A short form for a whole variety of names, this short form has been used across Europe as a stand-alone since the 1920s. It spiked in popularity in the 1950s, owing to the fame of Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida but faded out of use in the 2000s. 
 
A sweet and sparky name akin to Nina and Mina, some parents in English speaking countries may be concerned about teasing potential , though it was still given to around 100 irls in the US in a recent year. Popular in Spain, it is borne by martial artist Gina Carano, and actresses Gina Gershon, Gina Rodriguez, Gina Torres, and Gina McKee. 
 
The name may be used as a sort form of: Eugenia ("well born"), Regina ("queen"), Georgina ("farmer"), Luigina ("famous in battle"), Virginia ("pure, virgin"), and Ginevra ("white wave"), among others.
 
Beyond this, the name has multicultural roots, and may be used as a Japanese name meaning "silver" and a Sanskrit name meaning "to live".

Gina

Kari and all her many sisters, from Carrie to Carey to Kerry and onward, originated for the most part as short forms of either Catherine Katherine or one of the Charles feminizations such as Carol or Caroline.

The Kari spelling may feel particularly contemporary and flexible in terms of its derivation.

Kari

Cai is a name with rich multicultural origins. In Welsh, it means 'rejoice' and is a form of the Arthurian knight Sir Kay. In Chinese, Cai (蔡) is a respected surname and can also be a given name meaning 'talent' or 'ability.' The name has gained modest popularity in Western countries as parents seek short, distinctive names with cross-cultural appeal. In Scotland and Ireland, it may be a shortened form of Cailan or related Celtic names. Cai's simplicity and strong sound make it an increasingly attractive choice for boys, especially among parents looking for names that are brief yet meaningful and easy to pronounce across languages.

Short, sweet, and to the point, Ina is a derived from the likes of Martina, Christina, Carolina, and so on. Used across Europe as a stand-alone name and as a diminutive, Ina was once popular in the US too. Peaking in the early 20th-century, it dwindled out of the Top 1000 in the 1960s.
 
A Top 100 choice in Slovenia and given to 66 American girls in a recent year, Ina — with its three-letter, ends in -a structure — may work as an alternative to Ana, Eva, Lia, Mia, and Ava.
 
Other sources of the name include Irina, Ines, Ivana, Ilina, Regina, Ignacia, Inessa, and Ingrida, along with the Chamarro element ina meaning to "to illuminate", the Manx Iney meaning "daughter", and the Russian saint name, Inna.

Viktoria is the Eastern European and Germanic spelling of Victoria, a name derived from Latin meaning 'victory.' This variation maintains the powerful meaning while giving it a distinctive continental European flair. Particularly popular in countries like Russia, Germany, Hungary, and across Eastern Europe, Viktoria carries a sense of strength and triumph. The 'k' spelling gives the name a sharp, dynamic quality that differs slightly from the softer 'c' version. While less common in English-speaking countries, global connections have increased its usage worldwide. Viktoria combines classical heritage with cross-cultural appeal, making it both timeless and contemporary for parents seeking a name with established roots but a distinctive character.

Viktoria

Sander is a more conventional form of Zander or Xander, heard frequently on its own in Europe. It is now a Top 20 name in Norway, and is also popular in Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands.


Sander

The Elin variation makes an old favorite sleeker and more modern. Elin came to prominence via the ex-Mrs.Tiger Woods and is now perhaps best known via novelist Elin Hildebrand.. It entered the US Top 1000 in 2010, though it's now dropped off again.

Elin

This Slavic form of the Norse name Helga is a classic in many Slavic countries, including Russia and Poland, where it currently ranks within the Top 100 girl names. It has historically ranked among the most popular names in countries including Ukraine, Latvia, Spain, France, Serbia, Greece, the US, and many more. Olga is a common name even in Scandinavian countries, such as Sweden and Norway, despite Helga being a more traditional choice. Olha is the uniquely Ukrainian variation.
 
Olga was one of Chekhov's Three Sisters, as well as the name of the saint who was instrumental in spreading Christianity in Kyivan Rus', an historic state encompassing modern-day Belarus, Ukraine and parts of Russia.

Olga

Vivi is a short form of all the Vivian and Viveca forms that is sure to get a lot more attention now that a little Jolie-Pitt girl has been named Vivienne.

Vivi

This spelling adds a touch of the unusual to Veronica.

Veronika

Whether it's pronounced with an "een" or an "aine" or an "enn" sound at the end, Helene doesn't feel as current the more forthright Helen or the airier Helena. Helene reached a high of Number 228 in the US in 1916, when ene, ine and een names were all the fashion, and stayed in the Top 500 until 1962, making a final exit in 1970. It still ranks well in its native France, and even more in Norway (#70).  Model Heidi Klum's daughter 'Leni' has Helene on her birth certificate.

Helene

Gray-bearded name heard primarily in Sweden and Germany. 

Gustav

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 and Sweden and is also popular in Germany and Norway.

Maja

Milla originated as a diminutive of names like Camilla and Ludmilla, but has since become well established as a name in its own right in several European countries. Milla Jovovich is a Ukrainian-born actress and supermodel, while Milla is also used for a character in the novel and musical adaptation, Wicked.

Milla

Anja is one of the most international of several versions of Ann/Anna now being imported, also including Anya and Annika.
 Anja is heard in several European cultures, including Germany, the Netherlands, and the Scandinavian countries--and it has a variety of pronunciations. It is currently most popular in Slovenia.
 Supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio has a daughter called Anja, as does former Bachelor Andrew Firestone.

Anja

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.

Sigrid

A saint's name with a noteworthy literary background, including uses by Shakespeare in Two Gentlemen of Verona and Much Ado About Nothing, by Ben Johnson, Walter Scott, Longfellow, D. H. Lawrence and Neil Gaiman. In real life, her two most well known representatives are writer Ursula Le Guin and actress Ursula Andress. In literature, there is also Ursula Iguaran, a key, long-lived character in Gabriel Garcia Marquez's major work, One Hundred Years of Solitude.
 Caveat: Today's kids might associate this name with the campy, corpulent octopus in Disney's The Little Mermaid.
 Ursula ranked in the Top 1000 through 1983. Time for a comeback?