kaitjo's list "Nordic Names" of 13 great name ideas: undefined - undefined!

Nordic Names

North Germanic Names: Icelandic, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, and Finnish

Mia is an appealingly unfussy multicultural name that has enjoyed a meteoric rise up the charts and is now firmly among the ten <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names/nameberry/girls">top girl names</a>. Mia has surpassed its mother name Maria as the Number 1 <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/m">girls' name starting with M</a>. 
 Recent stats have seen this sweet but punchy name feature among the Top 10 in Australia, the US, Austria, Argentina, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Germany, Ireland, Moldova, New Zealand, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, and Uruguay. It also ranks highly in the UK, Portugal, Spain, Norway, France, and Latvia. 
 
Mia originated as a short form of Maria, which ultimately derived from the Hebrew name Miryam. In modern times, Mia has been used as a nickname for names including Amelia, Emilia, Milena, and Miriam. Mia is also an Italian and Spanish word meaning 'mine.' Typically, it is pronounced as MEE-uh, though some use this spelling as an alternative to Maya or Maia, and say it as MIE-uh.
 Mia's success is largely attributable to Mia Farrow--born Maria. Her name entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 1964, the very year that Farrow gained wide attention for her role on the nighttime soap Peyton Place.
 We see Mia as the daughter of Nina, or maybe Maya, and the granddaughter of Mary: a name that has something for nearly everyone. It works for the parent who wants a name that is simple and modern, and for those who seek a name with traditional roots. Mia sidesteps all the curlicues and ruffles attached to names like Isabella and Olivia, yet it's distinctly feminine.
 
And in some ways, Mia doesn't feel as trendy as its popularity standing might indicate. It's likable yet not really stand-out, a compromise choice for a lot of parents. Alternatives include a wide range of rhyming names that are less popular: Leah, Tea, Thea, Gia, Nia, Pia. 
 Kate Winslet is the mother of Mia Honey, and Ian Ziering is dad to Mia Loren.

This pet form of Helena and other ena-ending names, long used as an independent name, is attracting notice again as an option both multicultural and simple. Lena was a Top 100 name from 1880 to 1920.
 A past inspiration might be the lovely singer Lena Horne, a contemporary one is the hot creator of and actress in Girls, Lena Dunham, another might be Game of Thrones actress Lena Headey.
 Lena Grove is a simple but strong character in William Faulkner's Light in August.

Lena

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 Germany to Norway, and Denmark. Alternative spelling Emile also ranks highly in Belgium and Canada. 
 
In the US however, while Emil was briefly popular in the 19th century, by the early 1980s, it had completely dropped out of the Top 1000. Though its variants Emiliano and Emilio currently sit in the Top 300 - as do the similar sounding Emmett, Emerson, and Emmanuel - Emil still awaits rediscovery

Emil

Frey is the handsome Norse fertility god, a worthy namesake. Frey remains rare in the US even as the similar Freya picks up in popularity. 

Frey

Especially for parents of Scandinavian descent, Sven is an accessible and attractive name with an appealing mix of strength and swagger. It comes from the ancient Swedish tribe, the Sviars, who gave their name to Svealand, which later morphed into Sweden.
 Sven is now most popular not in its native Sweden but in The Netherlands, where it is currently in the Top 20. But for many parents in English-speaking countries, Sven is one of the most quintessentially <a href="https://nameberry.com//baby-names/190/swedish-names">Swedish names</a>.
 An internationally noted bearer is Swedish cinematographer Sven Nykvist, known for his work on Ingmar Bergman films. Svens have appeared as characters in Titanic, Pixar's Cars (voiced by Arnold Schwarzenegger), as a Nintendo Pokemon and a manga character, and Marlon Brando portrayed an unlikely Sven in one of his late movies, Free Money.

Sven

Jesper is a masculine name of Scandinavian origin, particularly popular in Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands. It developed as a variation of the name Jasper, which derives from Persian meaning "treasurer" or "keeper of the treasure." In Nordic countries, Jesper has maintained steady popularity for generations, appreciated for its strong yet approachable sound. The name combines traditional roots with a modern feel, making it increasingly recognized internationally. While still uncommon in English-speaking countries, Jesper has gained modest recognition through literary characters, sports figures, and cultural exchange. It offers parents a distinctive yet accessible option that works well across multiple languages and cultures.

Jesper

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

Signy &mdash; also spelled Signe &mdash; would make another distinctively offbeat alternative to Sydney. Signy appears in Norse mythology as the twin sister of Sigmund.

Signy

This spin on the popular Hannah is widely-used in Europe and pronounced similarly to Hannah. It may also be a short form of Johanne, from John/Joan.

Hanne

Once popular (and still familiar) in Norway, Stian could make an interesting choice for anyone with northern European roots.  It is a modern form of the Norse Stígandr, with its appealing, wanderer meaning. 

Stian

A bit stiff and formal for American use. 

Hendrik

If you fit this definition, this might be a clever choice, especially as a middle name. 

Haldan

The son at the end of many <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/173/scandinavian-names">Scandinavian names</a> makes them more consistent with modern American name tastes. While Nilsson may be the proper Scandinavian form of the name, many English speakers will try to spell it Nilson or Nelson.