Thanks to gripping television dramas, beautiful interior design and minimal fashion trends, it's no wonder that Scandi-inspired baby names are becoming increasingly popular.
If you've spent too much time scrolling through baby names and feel like you've exhausted all the baby moniker lists going, you're in luck. The names on this list are unusual and have a pinch of that all-important Scandinavian style and mystique!
Interestingly, Scandinavian countries have got some pretty strict naming laws. In Denmark, you can choose from a list of only 7,000 pre-approved names, in Iceland, there is a Naming Committee which decides whether a name is acceptable or not and in Norway you can't choose a name that is traditionally a last name! But trust us, all that legislation doesn't prevent them from having some really beautiful names...
Scandinavian girl names
Annika – Annika is a beautiful Swedish girls name. It is a diminutive of Anna and has several lovely meanings: 'grace', 'gracious', 'graceful' and 'favoured'.
Astrid – This Scandi name is the fourth most popular Scandinavian girls' name in Sweden, it means “divinely beautiful”.
Ida – Ida is a popular girls name in both Scandinavia and Germany. It means 'labour' or 'work' and is also the name of the Old Norse goddess 'Iðunn'.
Janica – Janica is a Scandinavian girls name which can also be spelt 'Jannike'. It means 'God is gracious'. It is also popular in Eastern Europe and relates to Roman mythology - Jan was the wife of Janus, the god of beginnings, transitions and time.
Kajsa – Kajsa is a Scandinavian girls name, most common in Sweden, meaning 'pure'. It is often used as a diminutive of Katarina or Karin.
Laila – Laila is a Scandinavian girls name meaning 'nightfall'. It is derived from the Arabic Leila meaning 'night' 'dark' or 'beauty' and the Persian meaning 'dark-haired'. It has several alternative spellings - Laijla, Laíla and Lailah.
Linnea – Linnea or Linnéa is a Scandinavian girls name meaning 'lime tree' or 'twinflower'. There are two masculine versions: Linnaeus and Linné.
Lykke – Lykke is a Scandinavian girls name from the Danish meaning 'happiness' or 'good fortune'. It is pronounced louk-keh although the Swedish indie singer Lykke Li is often pronounced lik-keh lee.
Maja – Maja is an intriguing Scandinavian, Geman and Arabic girls name meaning 'splendid'. It can be pronounced like my-a, ma-zha or ma-ha.
Mina – Mina is a Scandinavian and Gemeran girls name meaning 'love'. It is a perfect fit for the trend of short girls names ending in 'a'.
Saga – Saga is a Scandinavian girls name meaning 'seeing one'. It is also the name of Saga Norén, the lead character from the hit Swedish TV crime series The Bridge.
Sanna – Sanna is a Scandinavian girls name meaning 'truth'. It can be a shortening of Susanna and may also mean 'Lily' or 'lotus flower',
Sigrid – Sigrid is a Scandinavian girls name which could be the feminine form of 'Sigge'. It means 'beautiful victory'.
Synnove – Synnove is a Scandinavian girls name meaning 'gift of the sun'. It can also be spelt Sunniva.
Ulla – Ulla is a Scandinavian girls name meaning 'determined'. Ulla may also be an abbreviation of Ursula or Ulrika.
Scandinavian boys names
Arvid – Arvid is a Scandinavian boys name of Old Norse origin, meaning 'forest of eagles'. It can also refer to a 'king' or 'legend'.
Anders – The Scandinavian version of Andrew originates from the name Andreas, meaning “manly” or “brave.”
Axel – Axel is a boys name that pops up all over Europe in Scandinavia, France, Germany and Holland. It means 'father of peace'. In Norway, it is often spelt 'Aksel' and in Finland 'Akseli'. There is also a feminine version of the name - Axelle.
Ebbe – Ebbe is a Scandinavian boys name which is also occasionally used in Germany. It is a diminutive of 'Ebsen' and means 'wild boar' or 'strong as a boar'. The feminine version of the name is Ebba.
Frans – Frans is a popular boys name in Scandinavia and Germany. In Swedish or Danish it means 'free'.
Jakob – The Hebrew boy's name Jakob means “he who supplants" and has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years, especially in Norway.
Loke – Loke is a Scandinavian boys name which is a modern spelling of the Old Norse God (and Marvel baddie played by Tom Hiddleston) Loki. It means 'He who breaks or destroys' so it is the perfect name for a boisterous little boy.
Matteo – Matteo or Matteus is a boys name which is popular in Scandinavia and Italy. It simply means 'Gift from God'.
Mikael – Mikael is a Scandinavian boys name which can also be spelt as Michiel, Mikel or Mikkel. It is a Scandinavian version of the English name Michael and means 'who is like God' or 'gift from God'.
Neo – Neo is a boys name that is popular in Scandinavia, meaning 'new'.
Nils – Nils is a Scandinavian boys name. It means 'victory of the people': a compound name composed of the elements nikē (Goddess of victory) and laos (the people).
Olle – Olle is the Scandinavian version of the boys name 'Ollie'. It is a wise name, coming from the Old Norse name Óláfr or bin, meaning 'ancestor's descendant'. In Swedish it is a diminutive of the name Olaf. It can also be spelt Ole.
Sigge – Sigge is a Scandinavian boys name meaning 'victory or 'victory bear'.
Viggo – Viggo is a Scandinavian boys name, mostly used in Denmark and Norway. It can also be spelt Wiggo. It either comes from the Old Norse meaning 'battle' or 'fight' but it may also come from the Iceland name Vöggur meaning 'one who lies in a cradle' - which makes it a cute baby name.
Wilmer – Wilmer is a Scandinavian or German boys name meaning 'resolute' or 'famous'.
Unisex Scandinavian names
Eir
Joren
Frey
Soren
Torin
Runa
Mika
Linnea
Edda
Alva
Don’t worry if your due date is fast approaching and you still haven’t found a name that feels like the one. Head to our baby name generator where you’ll find thousands of names to fall in love with, from more traditional sounding names, to unique baby names from all around the world.
Lorna White is the Senior Digital Writer for Mother&Baby. After running the Yours magazine website, specialising in content about caring for kids and grandchildren, Lorna brought her expertise to Mother&Baby in 2020. She has a keen interest in a range of topics from potty training and nutrition to baby names and early development and has a wide range of experienced medical experts and professionals at her fingertips. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her two young sisters, dog walking and enjoying the outdoors with her family.
