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Looking for a Danish baby name that’s perfect for your little one? Check out our list of popular and unusual options and their meanings.
The Danes have over 1,500 years of rich history and culture.
Whether you have Danish heritage or just love Denmark, Danish names could be perfect for your little peanut!
We’re going to explore our favorite options and check out their meanings.
In this article 📝
- How do Danish people name their babies?
- What are typical Danish names?
- What is the most popular Danish name?
- What are Danish names for girls?
- What are Danish names for boys?
How do Danish people name their babies?
From names describing personality traits to those connected to nature, there are some wonderful choices here.
And you might be surprised to hear that they’ve all been given the seal of approval by the Danish government!
That’s because parents in Denmark have to abide by specific laws in naming their children.
These aim to preserve tradition and protect children from having a name that could be offensive or embarrassing.
And most of them are gender-specific.
Parents usually choose their child’s name from an officially approved list.
It’s possible to pick something different — but only if you get approval from the National Social Appeals Board first. Yikes!
Fortunately, in the US, there’s nothing to stop you from varying the name or changing the spelling if you wish.
But there’s also something nice about tapping into centuries-old traditions.
Whichever route you take, read on for some truly inspirational Danish baby names!
What are typical Danish names?
Danish names often refer to positive characteristics like being brave, joyful, or lovable.
Others are connected with appearance, referring to hair color or height.
And yet others refer to the natural world.
Here are some of our favorites.
Danish names connected to positive values or characteristics
- Agnetha/Agnete: “Sacred” or “chaste.” It can be spelled either way and is used for girls.
- Enok: Meaning “dedicated” or “faithful,” this name is used for boys.
- Gregers: “Awake” or “watchful.” This one’s for the boys.
- Katrine: This popular name for girls means “pure.”
- Knud: This name means “kind,” although it can also mean “knot.” It’s for boys.
- Nanna: For girls, Nanna means “courageous.”
Danish names connected to appearance
- Asta: Meaning “divine beauty,” this name’s for girls.
- Kennet: “Handsome one.” It’s for boys.
- Tove: This name meaning “gorgeous” is for girls.
- Caesar: Aside from its Roman connotations, the Danish version of Caesar is a boy’s name meaning “long hair.”
- Mettalise: This sweet name meaning “graceful pearl” is for girls.
- Poul: For boys, this cute name means “little.”
Danish names connected to religion and mythology
- Dorit/Dorete/Dorte: “God’s gift.” All of these versions are for girls.
- Jannik/Jonna: “God is merciful.” Jannik is used for boys and Jonna for girls.
- Lisbet/Lise: “Promise of God.” Both variants are used for girls.
- Mads: “God’s present.” This one’s used for boys.
- Tarben: “Bear of Thor.” It’s for boys.
- Asbjorn/Esben: “God of bears.” This one’s for the boys too.
Danish names connected to status or occupation
- Edvard: Meaning “wealthy guard,” this one’s used for boys.
- Erling: This one means “offspring of a nobleman” and is for boys.
- Frederikke: A girl’s name, Frederikke means “calm monarch.”
- Jorg/Jorgen/Jorn: This one means “farmer” and is for boys.
- Lulla: “Female warrior.”
- Stefan/Steffen: “Man with a crown.”
Danish names connected to nature
- Bertram: Meaning “glorious raven,” Bertram is used for boys.
- Bjorn: This boy’s name means “bear.”
- Maja: Used for girls, Maja means “of the palm tree.”
- Per/Peter: Meaning “rock,” this one’s for boys.
- Rolf: This mighty name means “renowned wolf.” It’s for boys.
- Sanne: For girls, this lovely name means “lily.”
What is the most popular Danish name?
Every year, the national organization Statistics Denmark publishes information on the most popular names over the last 12 months.
Like names everywhere, certain options tend to wax and wane in popularity.
But some traditional Danish names seem to always be at the top of the charts.
Danish girl names with enduring popularity include Alma, meaning “nurturing soul,” and Ida, meaning “hard worker.”
Amongst Danish boy names, William has been the most frequently chosen every year since 2017. It means “resolute protector.”
What are Danish names for girls?
The official list of approved Danish names includes 18,000 options for girls — so you won’t be short of choice!
Here’s our selection.
- Agata: Also spelled Agatha, this name means “good-hearted.”
- Ane/Anja: “Gracious” and “merciful.”
- Birgit: “Strong and powerful.” Similar names with the same meaning are Brit and Birte.
- Caroline: Commonly used outside Denmark too, Caroline is another name that means “strong.”
- Elin: A variant of “Ellen,” this spelling is distinctively Danish. The meaning is “torch of light.”
- Embla: This pretty name means “elm tree.”
- Freja: A very popular Danish name, Freja means “like a lady.”
- Grete: “Pearl”
- Gunda: Gunda is one of many Danish names linked to prowess in battle. It means “war-like.”
- Hella/Hella: “Divine woman”
- Kirstine: “Christian woman”
- Lovise: “Another name linked to battle, Lovise means “renowned fighter.”
- Lykke: “Fortunate woman.”
- Marna: “From the shore.”
- Mathilde: Swap the “a” for an “e,” and Roald Dahl’s heroine becomes a Danish warrior. Her name means “powerful and mighty in battle.”
- Ragna: This name means “giving advice.”
- Rakel: This one has an unusual meaning — “friend of sheep.”
- Runa: “Secret tradition.”
- Siri: Long before the electronic assistant came along, the Danish Siri meant “marvelous victory.”
- Thyra: Perfect for a little girl born to make an impression, Thyra means “like thunder.”
What are Danish names for boys?
The approved list of Danish names doesn’t have quite as many options for boys as girls.
But with 15,000 different choices, you’ll still have plenty to pick from!
Our list includes some common Danish names and meanings — as well as others that are more unusual.
- Aksel: This name either means “peace of the father” or “the father is peace.”
- Anker: The Danish version of Andrew, Anker means “strong and manly.”
- Ansgar: Unmistakably Scandinavian, this name means “spear of god.”
- Casper: Casper was one of the three kings who brought gifts to the baby Jesus in the Christian nativity story. The Danish name means “king of the treasure.”
- Dag: “Day”
- Edvin: “Wealthy friend.”
- Einar: “Lone fighter.”
- Fritjof: Prepare yourself for nighttime feeds with this one. It means “one who steals peace.”
- Gudmund: “God is protecting”
- Harald: This name refers to a man of power or status in the army.
- Hemming: A curious name, Hemming means “changing shapes.”
- Jerrik: “Eternal king.”
- Lasse: “City of laurels”
- Mogens: “Greatness”
- Nikolaj: “The triumph of the people.”
- Osvald: “God’s rule.”
- Preben: “Another name linked to warfare, this one means “the first in battle.”
- Rasmus: “Dear” or “dearest.”
- Stig: This name comes from Old West Norse and means “wanderer.”
- Ulrik: This one means “rich heritage” — perfect for any baby with a connection to Denmark!
Ready to choose?
There might be lots of rules about Danish names, but there are also a whole bunch of incredible options to pick from.
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