Scandinavian Names

Scandinavian names are used in the Scandinavia region of northern Europe. For more specific lists, see Swedish names, Danish names and Norwegian names. See also about Scandinavian names.
gender
usage
Eivind m Norwegian
Variant of Øyvind.
Eivor f Swedish
From the Old Norse name Eyvǫr, which was derived from the elements ey "good fortune" or "island" and vǫr "vigilant, cautious".
Ejvind m Danish
Danish form of Øyvind.
Eldbjørg f Norwegian
From the Old Norse elements eldr "fire" and bjǫrg "help, save, rescue".
Eleonor f Swedish
Swedish variant of Eleanor.
Elfa f Icelandic
Feminine form of Alf 1.
Eli 3 f Spanish, Norwegian, Danish
Spanish, Norwegian and Danish short form of Elisabet or Elin.
Elías m Spanish, Icelandic
Spanish and Icelandic form of Elijah.
Elias m Portuguese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, English, Dutch, Greek, Amharic, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Form of Elijah used in several languages. This is also the form used in the Greek New Testament, as well as some English translations.
Elin f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Welsh
Scandinavian and Welsh form of Helen.
Elina f Finnish, Estonian, Swedish
Finnish, Estonian and Swedish form of Helen.
Eline f Norwegian, Dutch, Danish
Norwegian and Dutch variant form of Helen. This is the name of the title character in the novel Eline Vere (1889) by the Dutch writer Louis Couperus.
Elis m Swedish, Medieval English
Swedish variant of Elias, as well as a medieval English form.
Elísabet f Icelandic
Icelandic form of Elizabeth.
Elisabet f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Catalan, Spanish, Biblical Greek
Scandinavian and Finnish form of Elizabeth. It is also used in Spain alongside the traditional form Isabel.
Elisabeth f German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English, Biblical, Biblical Latin
German and Dutch form of Elizabeth. It is also a variant English form, reflecting the spelling used in the Authorized Version of the New Testament.
Ella 2 f English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Hungarian
Diminutive of Eleanor, Ellen 1 and other names beginning with El. It can also be a short form of names ending in ella.
Ellen 1 f English, German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Estonian
Medieval English form of Helen. This was the usual spelling of the name until the 19th century, when the form Helen also became common.
Ellinor f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Scandinavian form of Eleanor.
Elna f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Scandinavian short form of Helena.
Elof m Swedish
From the Old Norse name Eileifr, which was derived from the elements ei "ever, always" and leif "inheritance, legacy".
Elov m Swedish (Rare)
Variant of Elof.
Elsa f German, Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Finnish, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, English
Short form of Elisabeth, typically used independently. In medieval German tales Elsa von Brabant was the lover of the hero Lohengrin. Her story was expanded by Richard Wagner for his opera Lohengrin (1850). The name had a little spike in popularity after the 2013 release of the animated Disney movie Frozen, which featured a magical princess by this name.
Else f Danish, Norwegian, German, Dutch
Short form of Elisabeth, used independently.
Elsie f English, Swedish
Diminutive of Elizabeth.
Elton m English, Portuguese (Brazilian), Albanian, Swedish (Modern)
From an English surname that was originally from a place name meaning "Ella's town". A famous bearer of this name is British musician Elton John (1947-), born Reginald Dwight, who adopted his stage name in honour of his former bandmate Elton Dean (1945-2006).
Eluf m Danish (Rare)
Danish form of Elof.
Elva 2 f Danish, Icelandic
Feminine form of Alf 1.
Elvar m Icelandic
Icelandic form of Alvar.
Elvira f Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, Dutch, Swedish, Hungarian, Russian
Spanish form of a Visigothic name, recorded from the 10th century in forms such as Geloyra or Giluira. It is of uncertain meaning, possibly composed of the Gothic element gails "happy" or gails "spear" combined with wers "friendly, agreeable, true". The name was borne by members of the royal families of León and Castille. This is also the name of a character in Mozart's opera Don Giovanni (1787).
Elvy f Swedish
Swedish short form of Elvira.
Embla f Norse Mythology, Icelandic, Swedish, Norwegian
Meaning uncertain, perhaps related to Old Norse almr "elm". In Norse mythology Embla and her husband Ask were the first humans. They were created by three of the gods from two trees.
Emelie f Swedish
Swedish feminine form of Aemilius (see Emily).
Emil m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Romanian, Bulgarian, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Russian, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Hungarian, Icelandic, English
From the Roman family name Aemilius, which was derived from Latin aemulus meaning "rival".
Emilía f Icelandic
Icelandic feminine form of Aemilius (see Emily).
Emilia f Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Finnish, Polish, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English, Greek, Bulgarian
Feminine form of Aemilius (see Emily). In Shakespeare's tragedy Othello (1603) this is the name of the wife of Iago.
Emilie f German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Czech
German, Scandinavian and Czech feminine form of Aemilius (see Emily).
Emma f English, French, Italian, Spanish, Catalan, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Latvian, Dutch, German, Hungarian, Germanic
Originally a short form of Germanic names that began with the element irmin meaning "whole" or "great" (Proto-Germanic *ermunaz). It was introduced to England by Emma of Normandy, who was the wife both of King Ethelred II (and by him the mother of Edward the Confessor) and later of King Canute. It was also borne by an 11th-century Austrian saint, who is sometimes called Hemma.... [more]
Emmy f English, French, Swedish, Dutch, German
Diminutive of Emma or Emily.
Emrik m Swedish, Norwegian
Swedish and Norwegian form of Emmerich.
Endre 2 m Norwegian
Norwegian short form of Eindride.
Eric m English, Swedish, German, Spanish
Means "ever ruler", from the Old Norse name Eiríkr, derived from the elements ei "ever, always" and ríkr "ruler, king". A notable bearer was Eiríkr inn Rauda (Eric the Red in English), a 10th-century navigator and explorer who discovered Greenland. This was also the name of several early kings of Sweden, Denmark and Norway.... [more]
Erica f English, Swedish, Italian
Feminine form of Eric. It was first used in the 18th century. It also coincides with the Latin word for "heather".
Erik m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian, Hungarian, German, Dutch, English, Spanish
Scandinavian form of Eric. This was the name of kings of Sweden, Denmark and Norway. King Erik IX of Sweden (12th century) is the patron saint of that country.
Erika f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, German, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian, English, Italian
Feminine form of Erik. It also coincides with the word for "heather" in some languages.
Erland m Swedish, Danish, Norwegian
From the Old Norse byname Erlendr, which was derived from ørlendr meaning "foreigner".
Erle 1 f Norwegian
Feminine form of Jarl.
Erlend m Norwegian
Variant of Erland.
Erlendur m Icelandic
Icelandic form of Erland.
Erling m Norwegian, Danish, Swedish
Means "descendant of the jarl", a derivative of the Old Norse word jarl meaning "chieftain, nobleman, earl".
Erlingur m Icelandic
Icelandic form of Erling.
Erna 2 f Norse Mythology, Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
Means "brisk, vigorous, hale" in Old Norse. This was the name of the wife of Jarl in Norse legend.
Ernst m German, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
German, Dutch and Scandinavian form of Ernest.
Esbjörn m Swedish
Swedish form of Ásbjǫrn.
Eskil m Norwegian, Swedish, Danish
Modern Scandinavian form of Ásketill.
Espen m Norwegian
Variant of Asbjørn.
Esther f English, French, Spanish, Dutch, German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Jewish, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
From the Hebrew name אֶסְתֵר (ʾEsṯer), which possibly means "star" in Persian. Alternatively it could be a derivative of the name of the Near Eastern goddess Ishtar. The Book of Esther in the Old Testament tells the story of Queen Esther, the Jewish wife of the king of Persia. The king's advisor Haman persuaded the king to exterminate all the Jews in the realm. Warned of this plot by her cousin Mordecai, Esther revealed her Jewish ancestry and convinced the king to execute Haman instead. Her original Hebrew name was Hadassah.... [more]
Eva f Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, English, Czech, Slovak, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Estonian, Danish, Icelandic, Faroese, Romanian, Greek, Slovene, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Croatian, Russian, Georgian, Armenian, Biblical Latin, Old Church Slavic
Form of Eve used in various languages. This form is used in the Latin translation of the New Testament, while Hava is used in the Latin Old Testament. A notable bearer was the Argentine first lady Eva Perón (1919-1952), the subject of the musical Evita. The name also appears in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) belonging to the character Little Eva, whose real name is in fact Evangeline.... [more]
Evelina f English, Italian, Swedish, Lithuanian, Greek, Russian, Bulgarian
Latinate form of Aveline. It was revived by the author Fanny Burney for the heroine of her first novel Evelina (1778). It is often regarded as a variant of the related name Evelyn or an elaboration of Eve.
Even m Norwegian
Variant of Øyvind.
Evert m Dutch, Swedish
Dutch and Swedish form of Everard.
Evy f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch
Diminutive of Eva or Evelina.
Eydís f Old Norse, Icelandic
Derived from the Old Norse elements ey "good fortune" or "island" and dís "goddess".
Eysteinn m Old Norse, Icelandic
Derived from the Old Norse elements ey meaning "island" or "good fortune" and steinn meaning "stone".
Eyvindur m Icelandic
Icelandic form of Eyvindr (see Øyvind).
Fannar m Icelandic
Possibly derived from Old Norse fǫnn meaning "snow drift".
Fanny f English, French, Spanish, Swedish
Diminutive of Frances, Françoise or Stéphanie. In the English-speaking world this has been a vulgar slang word since the late 19th century, and the name has subsequently dropped out of common use.
Felicia f English, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Dutch, Swedish, Late Roman
Feminine form of the Latin name Felicius, a derivative of Felix. As an English name, it has occasionally been used since the Middle Ages.
Felix m German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English, Romanian, Ancient Roman, Biblical, Biblical Latin
From a Roman cognomen meaning "lucky, successful" in Latin. It was acquired as an agnomen, or nickname, by the 1st-century BC Roman general Sulla. It also appears in the New Testament belonging to the governor of Judea who imprisoned Saint Paul.... [more]
Filippa f Greek, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Italian
Greek, Scandinavian and Italian feminine form of Philip.
Finn 2 m Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Dutch, German
From the Old Norse name Finnr, which meant "Sámi, person from Finland".
Finnur m Icelandic
Icelandic form of Finn 2.
Flemming m Danish
From a medieval Norse nickname meaning "from Flanders".
Folke m Swedish, Danish
Short form of various Old Norse names that contain the element folk meaning "people", and thus a cognate of Fulk.
Frank m English, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, French
From an Old German name that referred to a member of the Germanic tribe, the Franks. The Franks settled in the regions now called France, Belgium and the Netherlands in the 3rd and 4th century. They possibly derived their tribal name from a type of spear that they used, from Proto-Germanic *frankô. From medieval times, the various forms of this name have been commonly conflated with the various forms of Francis. In modern times it is sometimes used as a short form of Francis or Franklin.... [more]
Frans m Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish
Dutch, Scandinavian and Finnish form of Franciscus (see Francis).
Fred m English, Dutch, German, French, Portuguese, Swedish, Norwegian
Short form of Frederick and other names containing the same element. A famous bearer was the American actor and dancer Fred Astaire (1899-1987). It was also borne by the cartoon caveman Fred Flintstone on the television series The Flintstones (1960-1966).
Frederik m Danish, Dutch, Low German
Danish, Dutch and Low German form of Frederick. This was the name of nine kings of Denmark over the past 500 years, alternating each generation with the name Christian.
Frederikke f Danish
Danish feminine form of Frederick.
Fredrik m Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish
Swedish and Norwegian form of Frederick. This was the name of an 18th-century king of Sweden.
Fredrika f Swedish, Finnish
Swedish and Finnish feminine form of Frederick.
Fredrikke f Norwegian
Norwegian feminine form of Frederick.
Frej m Danish, Swedish
Danish and Swedish form of Freyr.
Freja f Danish, Swedish
Danish and Swedish form of Freya.
Freyja f Icelandic, Norse Mythology
Icelandic and Old Norse form of Freya.
Freyr m Norse Mythology, Icelandic
Means "lord" in Old Norse, derived from the Germanic root *fraujô. This is the name of a Norse god. He may have originally been called Yngvi, with the name Freyr being his title. Freyr is associated with fertility, sunlight and rain, and is the husband of the giantess Gerd. With his twin sister Freya and father Njord he is one of the group of deities called the Vanir.
Frida 2 f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Derived from Old Norse fríðr meaning "beautiful, beloved".
Fríða f Old Norse, Icelandic
Old Norse form of Frida 2.
Friðrik m Icelandic
Icelandic form of Frederick.
Friðrika f Icelandic
Icelandic form of Frederica.
Fritjof m Swedish (Rare), Norwegian (Rare)
From the Old Norse name Friðþjófr meaning "thief of peace", derived from the elements friðr "peace" and þjófr "thief".
Frode m Norwegian, Danish
From the Old Norse name Fróði, which was derived from fróðr meaning "learned, wise".
Frøya f Norwegian
Norwegian form of Freya.
Gabriel m French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Catalan, English, Romanian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Georgian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
From the Hebrew name גַבְרִיאֵל (Ḡavriʾel) meaning "God is my strong man", derived from גֶּבֶר (gever) meaning "strong man, hero" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". Gabriel is an archangel in Hebrew tradition, often appearing as a messenger of God. In the Old Testament he is sent to interpret the visions of the prophet Daniel, while in the New Testament he serves as the announcer of the births of John to Zechariah and Jesus to Mary. According to Islamic tradition he was the angel who dictated the Quran to Muhammad.... [more]
Gaute m Norwegian
Norwegian form of Göte.
Geir m Norwegian, Icelandic
Derived from the Old Norse element geirr meaning "spear".
Georg m German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Estonian
Form of George in several languages. This name was borne by the German idealist philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831).
Gerd 2 f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Norse Mythology
From Old Norse Gerðr, derived from garðr meaning "enclosure, yard". According to Norse myth, Gerd was a beautiful giantess (jǫtunn). After Freyr fell in love with her, he had his servant Skírnir convince her to marry him.
Gerda 2 f Danish, Swedish, Norwegian
Latinized form of Gerd 2.
Gerhard m German, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Germanic
German, Dutch and Scandinavian form of Gerard.
Gert m German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish
German, Dutch, Danish and Swedish short form of Gerhard.
Gillis m Swedish (Rare), Dutch (Rare)
Swedish and Dutch form of Gilles.
Gina f Italian, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Short form of Georgina, Regina, Luigina and other names ending in gina. It can also be used as a diminutive of Virginia or Eugenia. It was popularized in the 1950s by Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida (1927-2023), whose birth name was Luigina.
Gittan f Swedish
Swedish diminutive of Birgitta.
Gitte f Danish
Danish short form of Birgitte.
Gjermund m Norwegian
Norwegian form of Geirmundr.
Gjertrud f Norwegian
Norwegian form of Gertrude.
Godtfred m Norwegian
Norwegian form of Godfrey.
Göran m Swedish
Medieval Swedish form of George.
Gøran m Norwegian
Medieval Norwegian form of George.
Gösta m Swedish
Swedish variant of Gustav.
Göstav m Swedish (Archaic)
Swedish variant of Gustav.
Göta f Swedish
Feminine form of Göte.
Göte m Swedish
Swedish form of the Old Norse name Gauti, derived from gautr meaning "Geat" (a North Germanic tribe).
Gottfrid m Swedish
Swedish form of Godfrey.
Greger m Swedish
Swedish form of Gregorius (see Gregory).
Gregers m Danish, Norwegian (Rare)
Danish and Norwegian form of Gregorius (see Gregory).
Gréta f Hungarian, Icelandic
Short form of Margaréta (Hungarian) or Margrét (Icelandic).
Greta f German, Italian, Swedish, Lithuanian, Polish, English
Short form of Margareta. A famous bearer of this name was the Swedish actress Greta Garbo (1905-1990).
Grete f German, Danish, Norwegian
German, Danish and Norwegian short form of Margaret.
Grethe f Danish, Norwegian
Short form of Margrethe.
Gro f Norwegian
Norwegian form of Gróa.
Gróa f Norse Mythology, Icelandic
Derived from Old Norse gróa meaning "to grow". This is the name of a seeress in Norse mythology.
Gry f Norwegian, Danish, Swedish
Means "to dawn" in Norwegian, Danish and Swedish.
Gudbrand m Norwegian
From the Old Norse name Guðbrandr meaning "god's sword", derived from the elements guð "god" and brandr "fire, torch, sword".
Gudmund m Norwegian, Danish
From the Old Norse name Guðmundr, which was derived from the elements guð "god" and mundr "protection".
Gudrun f Norse Mythology, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German
From the Old Norse name Guðrún meaning "god's secret lore", derived from the elements guð "god" and rún "secret lore, rune". In Norse legend Gudrun was the wife of Sigurd. After his death she married Atli, but when he murdered her brothers, she killed her sons by him, fed him their hearts, and then slew him. Her story appears in Norse literature such as the Eddas and the Völsungasaga. She is called Kriemhild in German versions of the tale. This is also an unrelated character in the medieval German epic Kudrun.
Gulbrand m Norwegian (Rare)
From the Old Norse name Gulbrandr, a variant of Guðbrandr (see Gudbrand).
Gull f Swedish
Short form of various Scandinavian names beginning with the Old Norse element guð meaning "god".
Gun f Swedish
Modern form of Gunnr.
Gunborg f Swedish
From the Old Norse name Gunnbjǫrg, derived from the elements gunnr "war" and bjǫrg "help, save, rescue".
Gunda f German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Germanic
Short form of names containing the Old German element gunda meaning "war" (Proto-Germanic *gunþī).
Gunhild f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
From the Old Norse name Gunnhildr, derived from the elements gunnr "war" and hildr "battle".
Gunilla f Swedish
Swedish variant of Gunhild.
Gunn f Norwegian, Swedish
Modern form of Gunnr.
Gunna f Danish, Old Norse
Feminine form of Gunne.
Gunnar m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Norse Mythology
From the Old Norse name Gunnarr, which was derived from the elements gunnr "war" and herr "army, warrior" (making it a cognate of Gunther). In Norse legend Gunnar was the husband of Brynhildr. He had his brother-in-law Sigurd murdered based on his wife's false accusations that Sigurd had taken her virginity.
Gunne m Swedish (Rare), Norwegian (Rare)
Short form of Old Norse names beginning with the element gunnr "war".
Gunnel f Swedish
Swedish variant of Gunhild.
Gunnhildur f Icelandic
Icelandic form of Gunhild.
Gunnvor f Norwegian
Variant of Gunvor.
Gunvald m Norwegian
From the Old Norse name Gunnvaldr, derived from gunnr "war" and valdr "ruler".
Gunvor f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
From the Old Norse name Gunnvǫr meaning "cautious in war", derived from gunnr "war" and vǫr "vigilant, cautious".
Guro f Norwegian
Norwegian diminutive of Gudrun.
Gustaf m Swedish
Swedish variant of Gustav.
Gustav m Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, German, Czech
Possibly means "staff of the Geats", derived from the Old Norse elements gautr meaning "Geat" and stafr meaning "staff". However, the root name Gautstafr is not well attested in the Old Norse period. Alternatively, it might be derived from the Old Slavic name Gostislav.... [more]
Guðlaug f Old Norse, Icelandic
Derived from the Old Norse elements guð meaning "god" and laug possibly meaning "vowed, promised, bound in oath".
Guðmundur m Icelandic
Icelandic form of Gudmund.
Guðni m Icelandic
Icelandic form of Guðini.
Guðríður f Icelandic
Icelandic form of Guðríðr.
Guðrún f Old Norse, Norse Mythology, Icelandic
Old Norse form of Gudrun, as well as the modern Icelandic form.
Gyda f Danish, Norwegian
Danish and Norwegian form of Gyða (see Gytha).
Gyða f Old Norse, Icelandic
Old Norse and Icelandic form of Gytha.
Haakon m Norwegian
Variant of Håkon.
Hafdís f Icelandic
Derived from Old Norse haf "sea, ocean" and dís "goddess".
Håkan m Swedish
Swedish form of Hákon (see Håkon).
Hákon m Old Norse, Icelandic
Old Norse form of Håkon, as well as the modern Icelandic form.
Håkon m Norwegian
Modern Norwegian form of the Old Norse name Hákon, derived from the element hár "high" or hǫð "battle, combat" combined with and konr "son, descendant". This was the name of seven kings of Norway.
Hákun m Faroese
Faroese form of Hákon (see Håkon).
Haldor m Norwegian
From the Old Norse name Hallþórr, which meant "Thor's rock" from hallr "rock" combined with the name of the Norse god Þórr (see Thor).
Hálfdan m Old Norse, Icelandic
Old Norse and Icelandic form of Halfdan.
Halfdan m Norwegian, Danish
From the Old Norse name Hálfdan meaning "half Danish", composed of the elements hálfr "half" and Danr "Dane", originally a nickname for a person who was half Danish.
Hallbjörn m Icelandic
Icelandic form of Hallbjǫrn.
Halldór m Icelandic
Icelandic form of Haldor.
Halldóra f Icelandic
Icelandic feminine form of Haldor.
Halle 1 m Norwegian (Rare)
From the Old Norse name Halli, a diminutive of names containing the element hallr meaning "rock".
Hallstein m Norwegian
From the Old Norse name Hallsteinn, derived from the elements hallr "rock" and steinn "stone".
Halsten m Swedish (Rare)
Old Swedish form of Hallsteinn (see Hallstein).
Halvar m Swedish (Rare)
Swedish form of Halvard.
Halvard m Norwegian
From the Old Norse name Hallvarðr, which meant "rock guardian" from hallr "rock" combined with vǫrðr "guard, guardian".
Halvor m Norwegian
Variant of Halvard.
Hampus m Swedish
Swedish diminutive of Hans.
Hanne 1 f & m Danish, Norwegian, German, Dutch
Danish and Norwegian short form of Johanne, or a German and Dutch short form of Johanna. This can also be a Dutch short form of Johannes (masculine).
Hans m German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
German short form of Johannes, now used independently. This name has been very common in German-speaking areas of Europe since the late Middle Ages. From an early period it was transmitted to the Low Countries and Scandinavia. Two famous bearers were Hans Holbein (1497-1543), a German portrait painter, and Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), a Danish writer of fairy tales.
Harald m Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, German
Scandinavian and German cognate of Harold, from the Old Norse elements herr and valdr and the Old German elements heri and walt. This was the name of several kings of Norway and Denmark.
Haraldur m Icelandic
Icelandic cognate of Harold.
Harpa f Icelandic
From the name of the first summer month in the old Icelandic calendar, which might have originally been named for an unattested pre-Christian goddess. It also means "harp" in Icelandic.
Harry m English, Dutch, Swedish, German
Medieval English form of Henry. In modern times it is used as a diminutive of both Henry and names beginning with Har. Famous bearers include the American president Harry S. Truman (1884-1972), who was named after his uncle Harrison, and the British royal Prince Harry (1984-), who is actually named Henry. It is also the name of the boy wizard in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series of books, first released in 1997.
Hasse m Swedish
Swedish diminutive of Hans.
Håvard m Norwegian
Norwegian form of Hávarðr.
Hedda f Norwegian, Swedish
Diminutive of Hedvig. This is the name of the heroine of the play Hedda Gabler (1890) by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen.
Hedvig f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Hungarian
Scandinavian, Finnish and Hungarian form of Hedwig.
Hege f Norwegian
Norwegian diminutive of Helga.
Heidi f German, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, English
German diminutive of Adelheid. This is the name of the title character in the children's novel Heidi (1880) by the Swiss author Johanna Spyri. The name began to be used in the English-speaking world shortly after the 1937 release of the movie adaptation, which starred Shirley Temple.
Heimir m Norse Mythology, Icelandic
From Old Norse heimr meaning "home" (a cognate of Hama). In the Völsungasaga he is a king of Hlymdalir.
Heiðdís f Icelandic
Derived from Old Norse heiðr "honour" and dís "goddess".
Heiðrún f Norse Mythology, Icelandic
Old Norse and Icelandic form of Heidrun.
Hekla f Icelandic
From the name of an active Icelandic volcano, derived from Old Norse hekla meaning "cloak".
Helen f English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Greek Mythology (Anglicized)
English form of the Greek Ἑλένη (Helene), probably from Greek ἑλένη (helene) meaning "torch" or "corposant", or possibly related to σελήνη (selene) meaning "moon". In Greek mythology Helen was the daughter of Zeus and Leda, whose kidnapping by Paris was the cause of the Trojan War. The name was also borne by the 4th-century Saint Helena, mother of the Roman emperor Constantine, who supposedly found the True Cross during a trip to Jerusalem.... [more]
Helena f German, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Portuguese, Catalan, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Finnish, Estonian, Slovene, Croatian, Sorbian, English, Ancient Greek (Latinized), Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinate form of Helen. This is the name of the heroine of William Shakespeare's play All's Well That Ends Well (1603).
Helene f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology
Ancient Greek form of Helen, as well as the modern Scandinavian and German form.
Helge m Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, German, Finnish
From the Old Norse name Helgi, derived from heilagr meaning "holy, blessed".
Helgi m Icelandic, Old Norse
Old Norse and Icelandic form of Helge.
Hella f German, Danish
Diminutive of names beginning with Hel, such as Helga or Helena.
Helle 1 f Danish, Norwegian, Estonian
Danish diminutive of names beginning with Hel, such as Helga or Helena.
Helmi f Finnish, Swedish
Diminutive of Vilhelmiina or Vilhelmina. It also means "pearl" in Finnish.
Hemming m Swedish (Rare), Norwegian (Rare), Danish (Rare)
Perhaps derived from Old Norse hamr "shape", and possibly originally a nickname for a person believed to be a shape changer.
Henny f & m Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
Diminutive of Henriette, Hendrika and other names containing hen. In Dutch it can also be masculine as a diminutive of Hendrik.
Henrietta f English, Hungarian, Finnish, Swedish
Latinate form of Henriette. It was introduced to England by Henriette Marie, the wife of the 17th-century English king Charles I. The name Henriette was also Anglicized as Harriet, a form that was initially more popular.
Henriette f French, German, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian
French feminine diminutive of Henri.
Henrik m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Low German, German, Hungarian, Slovene, Croatian, Armenian
Form of Heinrich (see Henry) in several languages. A famous bearer was the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906).
Henrika f Lithuanian, Swedish (Rare)
Lithuanian and Swedish feminine form of Henrik.
Herbert m English, German, Dutch, Czech, Swedish, French
Derived from the Old German elements heri "army" and beraht "bright". It was borne by two Merovingian Frankish kings, usually called Charibert. The Normans introduced this name to England, where it replaced an Old English cognate Herebeorht. In the course of the Middle Ages it became rare, but it was revived in the 19th century.... [more]
Herleif f & m Old Norse, Norwegian (Rare)
Old Norse feminine form and modern Scandinavian masculine form of Herleifr.
Herman m English, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Slovene, Germanic
Means "army man", derived from the Old German elements heri "army" and man "person, man". It was introduced to England by the Normans, died out, and was revived in the English-speaking world in the 19th century. It was borne by an 18th-century Russian missionary to Alaska who is venerated as a saint in the Orthodox Church, though in his case the name is an alternate transcription of German. Another famous bearer was the American writer Herman Melville (1819-1891), the author of Moby-Dick.
Hilda f English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Spanish, Hungarian, Anglo-Saxon (Latinized), Germanic
Originally a short form of names containing the Old Frankish element hildi, Old High German hilt, Old English hild meaning "battle" (Proto-Germanic *hildiz). The short form was used for both Old English and continental Germanic names. Saint Hilda (or Hild) of Whitby was a 7th-century English saint and abbess. The name became rare in England during the later Middle Ages, but was revived in the 19th century.
Hilde f German, Dutch, Norwegian
German, Dutch and Norwegian variant of Hilda.
Hildegard f German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements hilt "battle" and gart "enclosure, yard". This was the name of the second wife of Charlemagne (8th century). Also, Saint Hildegard was a 12th-century mystic from Bingen in Germany who was famous for her writings and poetry and also for her prophetic visions.
Hildegunn f Norwegian
Norwegian form of Hildigunnr.
Hildigunnur f Icelandic
Icelandic form of Hildigunnr.
Hilding m Swedish
Modern form of Hildingr.
Hildur f Icelandic, Norwegian
Icelandic form of Hildr.
Hillevi f Swedish, Finnish
Swedish and Finnish form of Heilwig.
Hilma f Finnish, Swedish
Possibly a variant of Helma or a feminine form of Hilmar.
Hilmar m German, Icelandic, Norwegian, Danish
From the Old German name Hildimar, derived from the elements hilt "battle" and mari "famous".
Hinrik m Icelandic
Icelandic form of Heinrich (see Henry).
Hjálmar m Icelandic, Faroese
Icelandic and Faroese form of Hjalmar.
Hjalmar m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
From the Old Norse name Hjálmarr meaning "helmeted warrior" from the element hjalmr "helmet" combined with herr "army, warrior".
Hjördís f Icelandic
Icelandic form of Hjördis.
Hjördis f Swedish
Swedish form of the Old Norse name Hjǫrdís meaning "sword goddess", derived from the elements hjǫrr "sword" and dís "goddess".
Hjørdis f Danish, Norwegian
Danish and Norwegian form of Hjördis.
Hjörtur m Icelandic
Means "deer" in Icelandic.
Hlíf f Old Norse, Icelandic
Old Norse and Icelandic form of Liv 1.
Hlynur m Icelandic
Means "maple" in Icelandic.
Holger m Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, German, Carolingian Cycle
From the Old Norse name Hólmgeirr, derived from the elements holmr "small island" and geirr "spear". In Scandinavia and Germany this is the usual name for the hero Ogier the Dane from medieval French romance.
Hrafn m Icelandic, Old Norse
Means "raven" in Old Norse.
Hrafnhildur f Icelandic
Icelandic form of Hrafnhildr.
Hrefna f Icelandic, Old Norse
Feminine form of Hrafn.
Hrönn f Icelandic
Icelandic form of Hrǫnn.
Hugo m Spanish, Portuguese, English, Dutch, German, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Germanic
Old German form of Hugh. As a surname it has belonged to the French author Victor Hugo (1802-1885), the writer of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Les Misérables.
Hulda 1 f Icelandic, Swedish, Norwegian, Norse Mythology
Derived from Old Norse hulda meaning "hiding, secrecy". This was the name of a sorceress in Norse mythology. As a modern name, it can also derive from archaic Swedish huld meaning "gracious, sweet, lovable".
Ib m Danish
Danish diminutive of Jakob.
Iben f Danish, Norwegian
Possibly a feminine form of Ib. It is associated with Danish ibenholt meaning "ebony".
Ida f English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Italian, French, Polish, Finnish, Hungarian, Slovak, Slovene, Germanic
Derived from the Germanic element id possibly meaning "work, labour" (Proto-Germanic *idiz). The Normans brought this name to England, though it eventually died out there in the Middle Ages. It was strongly revived in the 19th century, in part due to the heroine in Alfred Tennyson's poem The Princess (1847), which was later adapted into the play Princess Ida (1884) by Gilbert and Sullivan.... [more]
Idun f Norse Mythology, Swedish, Norwegian
Modern Scandinavian form of Iðunn.
Idunn f Norse Mythology, Norwegian
Norwegian variant form of Iðunn.
Ina f German, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, English, Slovene, Latvian
Short form of names ending with or otherwise containing ina, such as Martina, Christina and Carolina.
Indriði m Icelandic
Icelandic form of Eindride.
Ine f Norwegian, Dutch
Short form of names ending with ine, such as Martine, Christine and Caroline.
Inez f English, Swedish, Dutch
Variant of Inés.
Ingalill f Swedish
Combination of Inga and Swedish lilla, an inflected form of liten meaning "little".
Inge f & m Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, German, Dutch, Estonian
Short form of Scandinavian and German names beginning with the element ing, which refers to the Germanic god Ing. In Sweden and Norway this is primarily a masculine name, elsewhere it is usually feminine.
Ingebjørg f Norwegian
Norwegian variant of Ingeborg.
Ingeborg f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German
From the Old Norse name Ingibjǫrg, which was derived from the name of the Germanic god Ing combined with bjǫrg meaning "help, save, rescue". This name was borne by a Danish princess who married Philip II of France in the 12th century.
Ingegerd f Swedish
From the Old Norse name Ingigerðr, which was derived from the name of the Germanic god Ing combined with garðr meaning "enclosure, yard".
Ingela f Swedish
Old variant of Ingegerd. It can also be considered a diminutive of other names beginning with Ing.
Ingemar m Swedish
From the Old Norse name Ingimárr, derived from the name of the Germanic god Ing combined with mærr "famous".
Inger f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Originally a variant of Ingrid or Ingegerd.
Ingi m Icelandic, Old Norse
Old Norse and Icelandic form of Inge.
Ingibjörg f Icelandic
Icelandic form of Ingeborg.
Ingmar m Swedish
Variant of Ingemar. This name was borne by the Swedish film director Ingmar Bergman (1918-2007).
Ingolf m Norwegian, Danish, German
From the Old Norse name Ingólfr, which was derived from the name of the Germanic god Ing combined with ulfr meaning "wolf".
Ingrid f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, German, Dutch
From the Old Norse name Ingríðr meaning "Ing is beautiful", derived from the name of the Germanic god Ing combined with fríðr "beautiful, beloved". A famous bearer was the Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman (1915-1982).
Ingunn f Norwegian, Icelandic, Old Norse
From the name of the Germanic god Ing combined with Old Norse unna meaning "to love".
Ingvar m Swedish, Icelandic, Norwegian, Danish
From the Old Norse name Yngvarr, which was derived from the name of the Germanic god Yngvi combined with herr meaning "army, warrior".
Ingvild f Norwegian
From the Old Norse name Yngvildr, derived from the name of the Norse god Yngvi combined with hildr "battle".
Irene f English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, German, Dutch, Ancient Greek (Latinized), Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From Greek Εἰρήνη (Eirene), derived from a word meaning "peace". This was the name of the Greek goddess who personified peace, one of the Ὥραι (Horai). It was also borne by several early Christian saints. The name was common in the Byzantine Empire, notably being borne by an 8th-century empress, who was the first woman to lead the empire. She originally served as regent for her son, but later had him killed and ruled alone.... [more]
Íris f Portuguese, Icelandic
Portuguese and Icelandic form of Iris.
Iris f Greek Mythology, English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, French, Spanish, Catalan, Italian, Slovene, Croatian, Greek
Means "rainbow" in Greek. Iris was the name of the Greek goddess of the rainbow, also serving as a messenger to the gods. This name can also be given in reference to the word (which derives from the same Greek source) for the iris flower or the coloured part of the eye.
Irma f German, English, Dutch, Finnish, Swedish, Danish, Spanish, Italian, Georgian, Lithuanian, Hungarian, Slovene, Germanic
German short form of names beginning with the Old German element irmin meaning "whole, great" (Proto-Germanic *ermunaz). It is thus related to Emma. It began to be regularly used in the English-speaking world in the 19th century.
Ísabella f Icelandic
Icelandic form of Isabella.
Isabella f Italian, German, English, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Dutch, Romanian
Latinate form of Isabel. This name was borne by many medieval royals, including queens consort of England, France, Portugal, the Holy Roman Empire and Hungary, as well as the powerful ruling queen Isabella of Castile (properly called Isabel).... [more]
Isac m Romanian (Rare), Swedish
Romanian form of Isaac, as well as a Swedish variant form.
Ísak m Icelandic
Icelandic form of Isaac.
Isak m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Scandinavian form of Isaac.
Iðunn f Norse Mythology, Old Norse, Icelandic
Probably derived from the Old Norse prefix ið- "again, repeated" and unna "to love". In Norse mythology Iðunn was the goddess of spring and immortality whose responsibility it was to guard the gods' apples of youth.
Ivan m Russian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Serbian, Macedonian, Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, English, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Estonian
Newer form of the Old Church Slavic name Іѡаннъ (Ioannŭ), which was derived from Greek Ioannes (see John). This was the name of six Russian rulers, including the 15th-century Ivan III the Great and 16th-century Ivan IV the Terrible, the first tsar of Russia. It was also borne by nine emperors of Bulgaria. Other notable bearers include the Russian author Ivan Turgenev (1818-1883), who wrote Fathers and Sons, and the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936), who is best known for his discovery of the conditioned reflex.
Ivar m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian
Scandinavian form of Ivor.
Iver m Norwegian
Norwegian variant of Ivar.