I see a few people don't like its similarity to the word "Fray". I made the connection between this name and that word as well, but I associate it more with a different definition: "A noisy commotion, especially resulting from fighting; a brawl, a fight; also, a loud quarrel" - Definition taken from Wiktionary. Now at first that may not seem like a positive way to interpret the name either, but when I hear this name I think of someone who is tough (Able to take on the world's challenges and hold their own (that sort of stuff), not necessarily physically tough). I like this name!
During the Christianization of Scandinavia, many pagan names were replaced with Christian names. An example of this is the common milkwort (Polygala vulgaris). This plant used to be called 'Freya’s hair', but it was later renamed after the Virgin Mary.
I think Freya is a very pretty name. I’ve always loved this name, and I had a good friend called Freya and she was very sweet. It is popular for a reason.
All the negative comments here are likely from Americans named Karen or Bob. Sorry your names are boring :)I think Freya is an incredibly beautiful name with a wonderful history.
― Anonymous User 7/18/2021
9
Yeah, no. Whenever I hear this name I think of either Frito chips or heaters.
― Anonymous User 6/24/2021
-17
Very unique badass style and I like how it stands out from other names, being of Nordic origin, instead of the usual Greek or Latin, that you get with many other names.
Absolutely beautiful! I love the uniqueness here in the states. I've never met a Freya in my entire life! Freya Vivian would be the combination that I use, Vivian after my grandmother. Totally recommend this name and combination!
No words other than awful. Please don’t do this to a child!
― Anonymous User 4/15/2021
-19
The meaning and history of Freya are nice and it sounds fine pronounced in many languages.But the English pronunciation of FRAY-a is just really unattractive, in my opinion. It sounds too close to the word "fray".
Another name of goddess Freya was Vanadia. When vanadium was discovered, its discoverer chose to name the new element vanadium, because any other elements' names started with V.
I think Freya is cute! I named my cat Freya, but I think it would be cute for a little girl, too. We call my cat "Freys" as a nickname, pronounced like the word "phrase".
― Anonymous User 1/9/2021
13
I really don’t like this name.. nothing pretty about it.
Soooo dislike. My son and his wife are having a girl and say they will use it. It’s ugly written out. I was so excited to get her a blanket with her name all over it. I looked at it in different fonts and gave up. She has uncles and they are like Fido? Frodo? Freon? Freda the lunch lady? Fred? Now I’m just looking for a cute nickname or hoping for a pretty middle name. Poor baby. I can’t say it without snarling my nose! The goddess slept with dwarves for a necklace! Yuck!
I don’t see the appeal. It’s also getting very popular.
― Anonymous User 7/29/2019
-12
I love this name and the meaning of it. I picture this name on a wolf more than I do a human, though. It might be because of the Animal Crossing association.
I love the name Freya and I wish I could be named it. Being named after a Norse goddess makes it awesome. I think I have a bias towards the name because I'm a mythology nerd.
My two-year-old baby cousin is called Freya. She's adorable. Her mum (my aunt) says that her name is really unpopular where they live (in the United States) and often she has to say it twice before she's understood, but when they visited us here in England all they had to do was walk into a cafe and immediately my cousin made friends with another toddler called Freya. I really like this name and I wonder why it is more popular in England than the USA.
Freya is from norse mythology and my daughter's name. We live in the southern hemisphere and still got so attracted with this name even though it is not popular at all in our place.She is brave and has long curly hair and even other class teachers know her name because of her uniqueness here!
This name is a beautiful name, it is also my name and I have loved it ever since I knew that it was my name. Freya is the Norse god of love and beauty. She has long browny red hair and green eyes. Surprisingly, so do I!
Freya is my mom's name. She was born in 1939 and her mother found it in an old poem. I've always loved her name, and she's a beautiful woman. Everyone says she looks like the Gabor sisters Eva, and Ava.She was the only person I'd ever known with the name Freya until recently.
Freya the Ice Queen from the film "The Huntsman: Winter's War".
― Anonymous User 4/18/2016
6
I wanted to call my daughter Freja in honour of the nordic goddess of love, beauty and war so that - in a totally silly way - she'd be looked after by a kick-arse goddess :) BUT wanted to use the Icelandic form of the name; Freyja - the mother wouldn't have it though :(
I think Freya is absolutely gorgeous! I have yet to meet one.
― Anonymous User 6/15/2015
12
This is a very sweet & pretty name. I wasn't expecting it to mean "lady"! I love the meaning of Freya. Overall, a classy name. (:
― Anonymous User 6/8/2015
12
My daughter's name and we are in the states, so it's not common and I get lots of people telling me how beautiful it is. Her middle name is Evangeline. Freya fits her to a tee. She is small and dainty, but she is a redhead!
My granddaughter has the name Freya Elizabeth and she is one of the sweetest children I have ever known. She has a thirst for knowledge and she is extremely loving. There is something about this child that no other name would do her justice. When I was first told of the naming choice I was a bit 'really?' but it's perfect.
My name is Freya and it made cry reading the comments some people post. I understand it's your opinion but what if I said I hated your name and it sounds masculine and it's stupid. Just be aware that the mean people here made me cry.
― Anonymous User 3/19/2015
15
I'm an aspiring author, and I'm constantly searching for unique names to put into stories. I thought Freya sounded pretty, so I looked it up and was delighted to see that it has such a vibrant meaning/story behind it.
― Anonymous User 10/21/2014
6
Although Freya was the goddess of war and death (as well as love and beauty) she was much less gruesome than it sounds. In mythology, she claimed the souls of brave warriors, fallen in battle, and brought them to her palace to live in peace. She also brought their wives or lovers so they wouldn't be lonely in heaven. Freya may have been the goddess of war and death, but she was known for her kindness and not for her cruelty.
― Anonymous User 10/21/2014
5
My sister's name is Freya; that's how we spell it as well. We pronounce it Fray-ah and people love it. A woman who works at our local shop pronounces it Free-ah and it really annoys the family! I think it is a lovely name over-all, but kind of get why people dislike it. It has a very unique sound to it, but I think the ratings are very accurate and appropriate as it is such a gorgeous name! Thank you :) x.
I don't like this name. I pronounce it "Fry-uh" so whenever I see this name it reminds me of a chubby girl who loves to eat donuts and greasy French fries.
The attributes and form of Freya lave been influenced by similarity of the name to that of the rival Frigg in the various Germanic languages. Freya "Lady" is derived from the root "for-" (before, foremost, superior, prior), while Frigg (love, affection) is derived from the root "frij-", in most languages surviving with the sense "free" (if you love someone, set them free). However the title "lady", especially in the name of the goddess, has in most languages became similar or coincident with the word "free" (possibly influenced by the sense free-born, noble). Thus OE freo, Dutch vrouw, German frau, Danish/Swedish/Norwegian fru, Icelandic frú lady, mistress, madam (while a housewife works in a house, a hausfrau is the "lady" of the house), and the corresponding freo, frij, frei, fri, frij- free. That the name of Freya's husband Oðr is a variant of Frigg's husband Oðinn (both meaning "possessed" "mad", in A Midsummer Night's Dream, "wood") further indicates that the identities of the two goddesses have been confused.Freya's putative brother is formally Freyr Yngvi (Ingwe, Ing, or Eng). In the 12th C. Eddas the son of Njorðr, but in the 1st C. Tacitus writes that in their songs Ingwe is one of three fathers of the German peoples, all sons of Mannwe, or Mannuz. His brothers are Istwae (otherwise unidentified) and Herminius, possibly the god Tacitus identifies with Hermes, the later Norse Jǫrmun, OE Eormen, Saxon Irmin who is identified with Odin (the sense of the name implies that Odin originally referred to a prophet or incarnation of Jǫrmun).
Considering Freya is the 19th most popular name in Britain, English should be listed as one of its usages.On a side note, I think it's nice although I dislike its similarity to the word "fray". I probably wouldn't like it as much if I weren't Norwegian. Free would be a cute nickname. [noted -ed]
Very cool name. I like myth names and this one is so fine. Something magical about it, probably because it has to do with mythology. This is why it fascinates me. I think just about every mythology name is mystical.
My name is Freya, and I have always loved it, although hardly anybody could spell or pronounce it when I was growing up. The only thing I dislike about it now is how popular it is becoming. I always liked that my name was a bit different and "unique" in Britain, but now I feel very ordinary with just about every other baby girl being named Freya! Ah well, I suppose my parents could consider themselves to be the trendsetters!
What a beautiful name! I'm so glad it hasn't gotten popular in the USA where I live - I'm kind of sickened by its popularity in the UK. I hope it stays rare over here!
My good friend is named Freja (that's the Danish spelling) and she's a really nice girl! I think the name is very beautiful and shows a strong but gentle girl/woman who aren't afraid to be herself.
Actually, in Sweden, the pronunciation definitely sounds more like "FRAY-a", rather than "FRIE-a", and this is coming from a Swede. Beautiful name by the way.
In the video game, Final Fantasy IX, one of the playable characters is a rat-like humanoid named Freya. She fights with a spear/lance and maintains a tough warrior attitude despite the destruction and tragedy that comes to her race.
I guess it's mystical, but I don't like that it reminds me of the (English) word "fray," like something has a frayed or torn edge. That's not appealing.
― Anonymous User 5/23/2009
-10
The lusty and busty Norse goddess of fertility and riches. Freyja is a tall slender blonde, resembling the members of the Swedish Bikini Team. Her gifts are coveted by many and experienced by many others. She once engaged in a dwarf orgy in return for a beautiful gold necklace; this didn't make Odin too happy upon hearing about it from Loki. Also the leader of the Valkyries.
― Anonymous User 5/21/2009
2
I think this is a really pretty name, and one of my (numerous) online nicknames. It's a very strong name, both in sound and mythological namesake, but still feminine.
As another user has noted, this name is originally pronounced FRY-ah, not FRAY-ah, which is merely the English pronunciation. Please change the entry accordingly. Although in the US, people do pronounce it FRY-ah, too, in my experience, and I am an American Freya. So FRAY-ah seems to be the British pronunciation first and formost?!
― Anonymous User 6/5/2017
2
In Gail Carson Levine's amazing novel The Two Princesses of Bamarre, the great Drualt's dead lover's name is Freya.
― Anonymous User 1/15/2009
3
I love this name, I think it's pretty and ladylike and for the longest time I have planned to name my next cat Freya.
Cool name, but hideously overused and thus trivialized in Britain, it appears. This sounds like the name of a cool and beautiful girl with reddish-brown hair and green eyes.
I know a horse whose registered name is Freya. To be honest the horse is pretty ugly, so it's kind of ironic that it's named after the Goddess of Beauty. And it's just plain ugly.
I don't know why, but Freya puts me in mind of a product that you would find in the dairy fridge at the supermarket, it sounds like a product name for cheese or milk.
― Anonymous User 12/23/2007
-16
Frøya is the correct Scandinavian spelling.
― Anonymous User 11/29/2007
1
Such a surprise that this name is actually popular! I personally love this name, lively and strong not like the little bland names that are so popular today. It sounds perfeclty feminine, womanly, and if you had still any doubt, its meaning is 'lady'. I sure see a man called like that.
― Anonymous User 11/15/2007
6
Freya is not a very feminine name, when I think of Freya I think of someone not very feminine.
― Anonymous User 11/2/2007
-28
A truly horrible name for a little girl - an ugly name is the only way to describe it - with so many pretty girls names to choose from - why on earth Freya?
Freya is most often known as the goddess of war, battle, death, magic prophecies and wealth. So, if you're into mythology "stuff" then you might like it. I have to say, I wouldn't want to be named after something meaning war battle and death!
Freya is my name. Everyone who's ever met me said it was pretty, though hardly anyone ever pronounces it right. Usually I am called Free-uh, or Fry-uh. Both of which drive me crazy. Sometimes I wish I had a name that was easier to pronounce. But I still wouldn't change my name.
Awesome name. Don't know why it hasn't been picked up in the States.
― Anonymous User 6/9/2007
12
No offense, but there is something about this name I just don't like. It doesn't even sound pretty. If it was my name I would go for a legal name change.
― Anonymous User 4/1/2007
-28
Pronounced FRAY-ah, though I'd like it more if it was pronounced FREE-ah.
In Norse mythology Freya had a twin brother, who was rather unimaginatively called Frey, who was the god of fertility and crops. Their father was Njorth, the god of the sea, and their mother was Njord's sister, Ingun. (A bit warped if you ask me. Wouldn't Frey and Freya have been deformed or something?)
The mother of Freya was actually Skadi a giant from the mountains who picked out Njord to be her husband because she liked his feet. Don't know how that works out but apparently it does.
Skadi chose Njord because of his small feet. It was the only thing she saw of a row of Gods. She didn't know that it was Njord. She thougt it was Balder.
I was thinking of names for my future daughter one night, trying to come up with alternatives for Flora. Then I thought: "Freya!" I got up and started shuffling these Goddess oracle cards I have, imaging calling a baby, a little girl, and a teenager by the name Freya. All of a sudden, a card slipped out of the deck and fell onto my lap. It was Freya.I thought that was way too freaky to be a coincidence. I decided right then and there: Freya was my first daughter.
Along with a girl named Evangeline, who was actually her other half, Freya was attached to death in a short story. Sadly though I am temporarily braindead and cannot think of its name, good story though if I do say so myself.