Abelone

Agnethe

An attractive Scandinavian take on Helga, or a potential Helen nickname.

Aili

Anneka

Works better as a full name than Arnie does as a nickname. 

Arne

Audr

Ayn is a nonconformist name associated with controversial Russian-born writer and philosopher Ayn Rand, (born Alisa) author of The Fountainhead, who adopted it when she moved to the US in 1926.

Few <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/173/scandinavian-names">Scandinavian names</a> make the journey to America...and this one shows you why. Still, names such as Freya and Odin are making an unlikely comeback, so we wouldn't count any of the Scandinavian baby names out forever.

Berquist

This ancient name, also spelled Caspar, is finally shedding its ghostly image and moving into the 21st century. Popular in the Netherlands and Scandinavia, where it's sometimes shortened to Cas, Casper could ride the style coattails of cousin Jasper.
Casper was one of the Three Magi who brought gifts to the infant Jesus along with Melchior and Balthasar.
 Some notable Caspers are one-time Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger (called Cap) and actor Casper Van Dien, whose son is Casper Robert Van Dien III. Claudia Schiffer and Jenny Frost both used the names for their boys, while Jason Lee did a gender switch when he called his daughter Casper (sister of Pilot Inspektor).
 Casper Goodwood was the persistent suitor of the main character, Isabel Archer, in Henry James's novel A Portrait of a Lady.

Casper

Creative gem perfect for an architect's son, in tribute to modern Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen. 

Eero

Eirik

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

One of the most popular names in Scandinavia, Freja--or Freyja--was a major deity of Norse paganism. Beautiful, blonde and blue-eyed, she was the goddess of love, beauty and fertility. In the US, the name is most likely spelled Freya.


Freja

A name from medieval romance with an endearingly clunky sound, à la Sherlock. The most famous modern wearer was twentieth-century psychologist/sexologist Havelock (born Henry) Ellis.

Havelock

Last moment of glory was in the Janis Joplin sixties. 

Janis

This common name for both boys and girls in Scandinavia would definitely work better as a feminine name in the U.S.

Janne

Joakim

Jone

Juni is the Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, and Finnish form of the month name June.  While Juni feels cute and fresh, most Americans would assume it was a nickname or a Joni variation.  We prefer Juna or the English June.

Juni

Jytte

Jari

The new Maia, the next Kayla, Kaia has been on the charts since the year 2000. You might see it as a female form of the also-rising Kai, which means sea in Hawaiian and is sometimes used for girls as well, or as a Kardashianization of the ancient goddess name Caia.
 Kaia's star has been floating upwards for the past few decades, along with Kai's. And it still has some distance to go, though we don't anticipate it making the Top 10.
 
Kaia Gerber, daughter of supermodel Cindy Crawford, is now a supermodel in her own right.

Kaia

Lilja

Linnea is an attractive <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/173/scandinavian-names">Scandinavian name</a> that derives from the renowned 18th century Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus, who developed the Linnean system of classifying plants and animals.
 Linnea is megapopular in Sweden and Norway, ranking in the Top 8--it was the Number 1 name in Norway in a recent year, and actually appeared in the U.S. Top 1000 in 1903, reaching as high as 744 in 1945.
 There is a charming children's book called Linnea in Monet's Garden in which the protagonist visits the Giverny gardens that inspired the great Impressionist painter.
 All in all, Linnea is a lovely, lilting name that could make an interesting namesake for an Aunt Lynn or Linda.

Linnea

Lovisa

An unusual name that has not ventured outside the Finnish culture.

Maikki

Nanna is a name from Norse mythology that is among the Top 30 names in contemporary Denmark.  Popular in Norway in the 19th century, Nanna may also be considered a short form of a range of names, from Anna to Johanna to Marianne.  As widespread as it is in Scandinavia, though, it's hard to imagine Nanna making a mark as a girl's name in modern day America, given its use as a name for grandmothers.

Nanna

Like its cousin Tessa, Nessa -- a shortening of Vanessa or Agnes or Anastasia among other possibilities -- is an attractive nickname that can stand on its own. 

Nessa

Pelle is one of several possible Peter-related Scandinavian choices. In Swedish or Norwegian, the name Pelle rhymes roughly with Ella.

Pelle

This spelling variation of Peta, chosen by Ani DiFranco for her daughter, might be a little difficult to pull off.  Alternative suggestions: Petra and Petal.

Petah

This gentle Scandinavian name, soft and sensitive, is being discovered in a major way by parents in the US. It's most closely identified with the nineteenth century philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, but there have been modern fictional Sorens as well, in The Matrix Reloaded and the book series Guardians of Ga'Hoole, Charlie and Lola, and Underworld.

 In Scandinavia this name would be spelled as Sören or Søren, leading to it being pronounced "Sur-en". But with a plain old English "O", "Sorr-en" would actually be the correct (and more English-speaker friendly) pronunciation.

Soren

Sunniva was an Irish-born saint who fled to Norway, where she hid in an island cave with her followers and eventually died.  After miracles were reported on the island, the cave was excavated and Sunniva's intact body was found.  Sunniva is the patron saint of Western Norway.  Her name would make a fascinating and unusual choice for a modern baby girl, and if her story is a bit grim, you can take refuge in the upbeat nickname Sunny or Sunni.

Sunniva

Susanne

Sansa

liviajoan's list "Scandinavian & Beautiful" of 35 great name ideas: Abelone - Sansa!

Scandinavian & Beautiful

I'm and Olson, and that means I'm Swedish. I love everything Scandinavian, to the history, the mythology, and even the language. I really want to get to know Scandinavian names that I love.