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Old Family Names
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Oline
Norwegian feminine form of Ole or Olaf, Scandinavian, Norse
"ancestor's legacy, ancestor's relic"
Oline is an old school feminization of the classic Scandinavian names, Ole or Olaf, whose light, timeless sounds means it still ranks in the Norwegian Top 100 today.
Tore
Diminutive of Salvator, variation of Thor, Italian, Norse
"savior; thunder"
In Norway, a Grandpa Name.
Claus
Scandinavian and German variation of Nicolas
A very Christmas-y Christmas baby name , that may avoid the Santa image by instead adopting the alternative spelling Klaus.
Cornelius
Latin
"horn"
Cornelius, the New Testament name of a third century Pope and saint, is one of those venerable Latin names on the edge of consideration, despite the corny nickname alert. Cornelius has some magical…
Svend
Svend is a masculine Scandinavian name, particularly common in Denmark and Norway. It derives from the Old Norse name Sveinn, meaning "young man" or "boy." Historically, it was borne by several…
Neils
Neils is a masculine name representing a variant spelling of 'Niels,' which itself is a Scandinavian form of Nicholas. With deep Norse and Danish roots, the name ultimately derives from the Greek…
Lars
Scandinavian from Latin Laurentius
"crowned with laurel"
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. In this country Lars…
Siri
Norse, diminutive of Sigrid
"fair victory"
Siri is a charming and lively Scandinavian name that is no longer on the table given the ubiquity of Apple's digital Siri. Too bad, because Siri -- along with variations Syrie and Cyrie -- is unique,…
Ole
Ole is a masculine name with strong Scandinavian roots, functioning as the Danish and Norwegian form of Olaf. Derived from the Old Norse name Óláfr, comprised of 'anu' meaning 'ancestor' and 'leifr'…
Agnes
Greek
"pure, virginal"
Agnes is the Latin variation of the name Hagne, which itself derived from the Greek word hagnos , meaning "chaste." In medieval times, St. Agnes was a very popular saint, leading to its popularity as…
Karen
Danish variation of Katherine, Japanese
"pure; lotus flower"
Karen, a once sweet Danish import, was so popular during the baby boom (Karen was Number 3 in 1960) that it's become a mem in recent years, representing a hostile white woman—one who usually wants to…
Jens
Scandinavian variation of Johannes or John, Hebrew
"God is gracious"
Short but substantial Nordic name that travels well -- although it runs the risk of being confused with all the feminine Jen names.
Helene
French variation of Helen
"bright, shining one"
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…
Peder
Scandinavian variation of Peter
Peder? You mean Peter? You'll have to do a lot of spelling and explaining of this one.
Elen
Elen is a feminine name with ancient Celtic and Welsh origins, representing a traditional Welsh form of Helen. The name has historical significance in Welsh folklore, notably associated with Elen…
Hans
German, Dutch, and Scandinavian, diminutive of Johannes
Though familiar to all via such childhood icons as Hans Brinker, Hans(el) and Gretel, and Hans Christian Andersen, few Americans have chosen this name for their sons because of its intractably Old…
Petrine
Petrine is a feminine name with deep religious and historical significance. Derived from the Latin 'Petrinus,' meaning 'of Peter' or 'rock-like,' it directly connects to the apostle Peter from…
Jorgine
Gunder
Gunder is a masculine name of Norse and Germanic origin, derived from the Old Norse name Gunnarr, which combines elements meaning 'war' and 'warrior.' The name has deep historical roots in…
Arnt