166 Scandinavian Baby Boy Names With Meanings

The ancient Scandinavian baby boy name Brandr carries the meaning of ‘fire.’ On the other hand, the feminine name Sunniva signifies a ‘Sun gift,’ and Solveig means daughter of the Sun.

Various names in Scandinavian culture hold the meaning of darkness. For instance, Hod or Hodur represents the Old Norse God associated with darkness. Nott is another name that symbolizes the Norse Goddess of Night while Colby is a name that translates to 'dark town.’

Some popular royal baby boy names from Scandinavia include Carl which is used in various royal families in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. Used in Denmark and Norway, the royal name Frederik has been borne by several Danish and Norwegian kings. Magnus is a strong and noble name with a rich Scandinavian heritage, associated with royalty in both Norway and Sweden. Although not exclusive to Scandinavia, William has been used by several Scandinavian princes, including Prince William of Denmark.

There are numerous famous individuals with Scandinavian names. Alicia Vikander is a Swedish actress who has won an Oscar for her remarkable performance in The Danish Girl. Ingrid Bergman is a Swedish actress known for her role in Casablanca. Roald Dahl was a Norwegian-British popular author of children's literature and short stories and a poet who has been called "one of the greatest storytellers for children of the 20th century".

Middle names are typically not as common or widely used in Scandinavian cultures as they are in some other cultures, such as in the US. In all of Scandinavia, the patronymic naming system was followed. This involved constructing a person's family name by combining the first name of their biological father with a suffix indicating their gender (2).

Scandinavian names often feature certain suffixes and prefixes. In the past, it was common for Danish and Norwegian patronymic surnames to conclude with the suffix -sen for males and -datter for females. On the other hand, Swedish patronymic surnames were more inclined to end with -sson for males and -dotter for females (2).

In recent years, new naming trends have emerged in Scandinavia. As Swedish society underwent changes in the mid-1800s, their traditional naming practices began to evolve. The adoption of family names had already started earlier, with urban dwellers and skilled workers adopting them in the early 1700s. By the mid-1800s, this practice became common even in rural areas (3). Additionally, there is a resurgence in the popularity of one-syllable boy names that peaked in the first half of the 20th century, such as Svend, Knud, and Finn. Names ending in "-y" and "-ie," originally English short forms, are also gaining popularity (4).