250 Nordic Female Names


The Nordic people make up one of the most homogenous populations in the world, and their distinct cultures stretch back to the Bronze Age. [1] [2]

Names are an important marker of their identity today. Increasingly, Nordic girls’ names are also popular beyond the region. 

The Nordic region’s most popular girl’s name is some variant of the original Hebrew name Hannah.

This list includes Ann, Anne, Anna, Annika, Hanna, and the distinctively German-Scandinavian, Hanne. Christian names like Maria are also popular, as are Old Norse names such as Ingrid.

This article will list 250 Nordic names for girls and women, provide a historical context to Nordic naming conventions, and list some of the most popular names across the region today. [3] [4]

Also, see 250 Viking Names for Boys for more.

baby girl

250 Nordic Names for Girls and Women

Here are 250 feminine Nordic names: 

  • Aada
  • Aase
  • Aasel
  • Aaselia
  • Aaselie
  • Abellona
  • Ådel
  • Ådis
  • Åfrid
  • Agnetha
  • Ågota
  • Ågote
  • Ågoth
  • Ågun
  • Ågunn
  • Åhsa
  • Åhse
  • Aino
  • Alith
  • Alma
  • Almeta
  • Ama
  • Anja
  • Annaliesa
  • Annalina
  • Anneli
  • Annelisse
  • Annemari
  • Annika
  • Ånny
  • Ansa
  • Ånunda
  • Årfrid
  • Årfryd
  • Åsa
  • Asa
  • Åsah
  • Åsali
  • Åsalie
  • Åsalill
  • Åsalinn
  • Åsamaria
  • Åsamarie
  • Åsbera
  • Åsbjørg
  • Åsbritt
  • Åse
  • Åsfrid
  • Åsgärd
  • Astra
  • Astrid
  • Atalie
  • Beadohild
  • Bergdis

Also, see Nordic Names for Boys for more.

Viking girl
  • Birgit
  • Birgitta
  • Bodil
  • Borghil
  • Brynhild
  • Carin
  • Carita
  • Carola
  • Cilla
  • Dahlia
  • Darby
  • Ebba
  • Eevi
  • Eira
  • Elea
  • Elin
  • Elise
  • Elli
  • Ellika
  • Elsa
  • Else
  • Embla
  • Erica
  • Estrid
  • Evelina
  • Filippa
  • Free
  • Freya
  • Frida
  • Fridgeir
  • Gale
  • Gertrud
  • Gisla
  • Gisliica
  • Gitte
  • Gitty
  • Gjertrud
  • Grid
  • Gro
  • Gudrun
  • Gun
  • Gunda
  • Gunel
  • Gunhild
  • Gunhilda
  • Gunilla

Also, see Nordic Names for Girls for more.

Viking baby names
  • Gunnell
  • Gunneuare
  • Gunnhild
  • Gunnilda
  • Gunnild
  • Gunnilde
  • Gunnildes
  • Gunnilla
  • Gunnilt
  • Gunnora
  • Gunnore
  • Gunnota
  • Gunnote
  • Gunn
  • Gunora
  • Hag
  • Heidrun
  • Hel
  • Helga
  • Hilda
  • Hilja
  • Idunn
  • Inga
  • Inger
  • Jorine
  • Juheta
  • Juni
  • Juska
  • Jutta
  • Kaari
  • Kaja
  • Kajsa
  • Kara
  • Karin
  • Karina
  • Karitas
  • Karly
  • Karni
  • Karoline
  • Karriana
  • Karrie
  • Karrigan
  • Katariina
  • Katen
  • Katha
  • Katla
  • Katrena
  • Katri
  • Katrin
  • Keki
  • Kelda
  • Kels
  • Kelson
  • Kelsye
  • Kemma
  • Kerstin
  • Kervin
  • Kiersten
  • Kiira
  • Kikkan
  • Kindle
  • Kindra
  • Kirsi
  • Kjellaug

Also, see Facts About Viking Women for more.

Viking babies
  • Klara
  • Kolka
  • Kortnee
  • Krista
  • Laila
  • Langliva
  • Laurina
  • Leea
  • Lena
  • Leofa
  • Lif
  • Liia
  • Lili
  • Lilja
  • Lill
  • Lindy
  • Linnea
  • Lisabeta
  • Lisbet
  • Liselott
  • Liseth
  • Lis
  • Liv
  • Lollie
  • Lotta
  • Lotti
  • Louiza
  • Lova
  • Lovisa
  • Lovise
  • Lulla
  • Lynae
  • Lynnae
  • Madicken
  • Madlen
  • Maja
  • Maj
  • Malin
  • Mans
  • Margareta
  • Marna
  • Mia
  • Noora
  • Öd
  • Öda
  • Ödborg
  • Odell
  • Ödgärd
  • Ödgerd
  • Ödgon
  • Ödgun
  • Ödha
  • Ödhfridh
  • Otta
  • Petra

Also, see Did Vikings Wear Braids? for more.

  • Randi
  • Revna
  • Roar
  • Runa
  • Sif
  • Signe
  • Sigrid
  • Solvi
  • Stina
  • Svanhild
  • Thurid
  • Thyra
  • Tora
  • Tove
  • Tyra
  • Ulfhild
  • Ulla
  • Urd
  • Verdandi
  • Wilma
  • Yrsa
  • Ødhælf
  • Øli
  • Ølla
  • Øllegaard
  • Øllegård
  • Østine
  • Øthgerth
  • Øvet
  • Øyfrid
  • Özlem

Also, see Did Vikings Have Tattoos? for more.

baby girl

Feminine Names in Nordic Culture Explained

Names are essential in every society. Besides helping maintain separate identities in a group, they often carry other vital information about individuals and their culture. 

Traditionally, surnames and family names have served to situate individuals in the world by announcing who their kin are or what they do, while first names frequently describe the values to which they aspire. [5] 

For self-evident reasons, names also carry information about the language of a people. 

How Nordic Culture Explains Nordic Naming Conventions

Understanding the religion and language of a people is vital to making sense of their naming conventions.

The Nordic regions are no different.

Most importantly, both Christian and pre-Christian traditions exert a strong influence on Nordic names.

Christianity in the Nordics

Today, the Nordic countries are among the least religious societies in the world. [6] However, Lutheran Christianity profoundly influenced their modern history.  

This influence may help explain the overwhelming popularity of variations of the name Anne.

While it derives from Hebrew roots, it is a Christian name that means grace, a value that rhymes harmoniously with the Lutheran creed.  

Norse Paganism and Language

As late as the 8th Century CE, Norse tradition was predominantly pagan.

Although they eventually converted to Christianity, many remnants of the earlier pagan tradition continue to inform Nordic language and culture. 

This history explains the popularity of a name like Ingrid, which derives from the Old Norse Ingifríðr, itself made up of ing, meaning divine, and frid, meaning beauty. [7]

Many other Nordic names, both for boys and girls, point to these earlier pagan traditions. 

With the decline of Christianity in recent years, pagan traditions are making something of a comeback across the region. Norse names may see a dramatic resurgence going forward.

Finns, Sami, and Other Influences

In Scandinavia, as elsewhere, there are also less easily explainable name trends. 

Karina and its variants are widespread across the region despite their Greek and Latin roots, which are quite distinct from the northern Germanic tradition.

However, note that Karina means pure, aligning well with Norse and Lutheran traditions. [8] 

Moreover, a few populations within the Nordic countries do not fall under the influence of Norse culture.

Finnish culture, for instance, derives from a Finno-Ugric tradition separate from the Norse, as do the reindeer-herding Sami people. [9] [10] 

The uniqueness of the Finnish language and traditions mean that Finnish names can differ somewhat from those in other Nordic countries.

For instance, the most popular girl’s name in Finland is Aino.

A name for both sexes, meaning the only one, Aino is the name of a character from the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala. [11]

Sami names can be even more distinctive, sometimes including information about entire generations.

However, many Sami use modern Nordic names these days. [12]

Also, see How Did Female Vikings Wear Their Hair? for more.

The Most Popular Names in Major Nordic Countries

Having looked at a long list of Nordic names and understood a little about the culture’s naming conventions, let’s look at the most popular names for girls by country. [13] [14] [15] [16] [17]

The Most Popular Girls Names in Sweden

The most popular names for girls in Sweden, beginning with the most popular, are:

  • Anna
  • Eva
  • Maria
  • Karin
  • Sara
  • Christina
  • Lena
  • Emma
  • Kirstin
  • Marie
  • Malin
  • Jenny
  • Ingrid
  • Hanna
  • Linda
  • Annika
  • Susanne
  • Elin
  • Monica
  • Birgitta

The Most Popular Girls Names in Denmark

The most popular names for girls in Denmark are:

  • Anne
  • Mette
  • Kirsten
  • Hanne
  • Helle
  • Anna
  • Susanne
  • Lene
  • Maria
  • Marianne
  • Lone
  • Camilla
  • Louise
  • Pia
  • Charlotte
  • Tina
  • Gitte
  • Jette
  • Bente
  • Julie

The Most Popular Girls Names in Norway

The most popular names for girls in Norway are:

  • Anne
  • Inger
  • Kari
  • Ingrid
  • Marit
  • Liv
  • Ida
  • Maria
  • Anna
  • Ann
  • Eva
  • Hilde
  • Nina
  • Marianne
  • Elizabeth
  • Kristin’
  • Astrid
  • Berit
  • Bente
  • Heidi

Also, see What Did Vikings Look Like? for more.

The Most Popular Girls Names in Finland

The most popular names for girls in Finland are:

  • Aino
  • Olivia
  • Sofia
  • Pihla
  • Aada
  • Eevi
  • Isla
  • Lilja
  • Helmi
  • Ellen
  • Ella
  • Aava
  • Venla
  • Linnea
  • Hilla
  • Emma
  • Emilia
  • Enni
  • Elli
  • Kerttu

The Most Popular Girls Names in Iceland

The most popular names for girls in Iceland, beginning with the most popular, are:

  • Guðrún 
  • Anna
  • Kristin
  • Sigriður
  • Margret
  • Helga
  • Sigrún
  • Ingibjörg
  • Maria
  • Jóhanna
  • Elin
  • Katrín
  • Hildur
  • Eva
  • Lilja
  • Ragnheiður
  • Ásta
  • Guðbjörg
  • Elísabet
  • Erla

Christian Christensen

Christian started Scandinavia Facts to explore his family heritage, raise awareness of one of his academic interests as a professor, and civilly promote the region. Please see the About page for details.

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