Ready to coast around the rich world of Scandinavian baby boy names? Let’s go.
Scandinavia is a region in Northern Europe made up of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
Sometimes people also include the Nordic countries of Iceland and Finland, because all these cultures have strong ties in their language and history.
Scandinavian culture is steeped in storytelling tradition, bringing us the richness of Norse myths and the magic of fairy tales.
So when it comes to names, some have been around for centuries and never seem to go out of style.
Maybe you’re looking for Scandinavian baby boy names because you have roots in the region.
Or you’re asking, What’s a badass name for a boy? And you realize that the answer has to be linked to the Vikings. Either way, we’ve got you covered.
So, let’s get started—what are some male Scandinavian names?
What are common Scandinavian names?
Here’s our pick of top Scandinavian boy names and their meanings.
Before we dive in, we should say that many of these names are considered gender-neutral in Scandinavian cultures.
The bottom line? If you like a name, use it.
Scandinavian boy names
Here are our favorite popular Scandinavian boy names:
- Aaren. “Inspired”. ✨
- Alrick. A name for a regal ruler, this name means “noble”.
- Anders. This is the Nordic equivalent of the English name “Andrew” and means “brave and strong”.
- Anker. A Danish name meaning “harvester”. 🌾
- Ansfrid. Of Norwegian origin, Ansfrid means “protected by the gods”.
- Ari. This name, popular in many Scandinavian countries, is from the Old Norse meaning “eagle”. 🦅
- Asbjorn. A potent Viking name, Asbjorn is made up of two parts: “as” = god/divinity, and “bjorn” = bear. 🐻
- Asmund. “God is protector”.
- Astor. This name’s mighty Icelandic meaning is “thunder god”. As an English surname, it also means “hawk”.
- Asva. “One who is as fast as a horse”. 🐎
- Axl. Let’s cut straight to the chase. This name wields power. From medieval Danish roots, it means “my father is peace”. It could also derive from “Asketill”, the Old Norse for “helmet of god”.
- Bjorn. Now a popular name in many other parts of the world, this name is sweet and strong at the same time. It means “bear”. 🐻
- Boden. “Messenger”. ✉️Alternatives to this name? Bodine, Bodie, Bodin and Bode.
- Boe. Like the French “Beau”, this name means “admirer” or “sweetheart”. 💓
- Booth. The perfect name to bring your little one home with, Booth means “dwelling place”. 🏠
- Borge. Meaning “helping person”, this name is a great foundation for a lifetime of kindness.
- Borghild. “Protection in battle”.
- Bori. “The father of the warrior”.
- Brage. This name is simply the best. Really. That’s what it means: “The Best”. 🥇
- Britt. This popular gender-neutral name means “the exalted one”.
- Burr. “Youth”.
- Cajetan. “Rejoiced”. 🙌🏼
- Canute. Perfect for creating lasting ties. This name means “knot”.
- Carson. What started as a surname is now becoming a popular first name. It means “son of marsh dwellers”.
- Colborn. A fiery name meaning “burning coal”. 🔥
- Dagen. This beautiful name simply means “day”. Shorten it to the sweet “Dag” for the best in one-syllable Scandinavian baby boy names.
- Daube. “Dove”. 🕊️
- Ebbe. A courageous little name meaning “brave boar”. 🐗
- Edzard. With the option of shortening this name to the ever-popular “Ed”, Edzard means “strong edge”.
- Eero. “Ruler”. 👑
- Eilif. Meaning “immortal”, this name may just live on and on in your family.
- Eino. This Old Norse name simply means “one”.
- Elias. This Swedish name means “the Lord is my God”.
- Erik. “Eternal ruler”. Fun fact? Erik the Red was a famous Viking warrior and explorer.
- Erlend. A Norwegian name meaning “foreigner”.
- Eudelme. “A grove of yew trees”.
- Finn. Meaning “fair”, this lovely name has found its way into a range of pop culture hits, including Star Wars and the TV series Misfits.
- Fiske. “Fisherman”. ⚓
- Fridtjof. This Old Norse name means “prince of peace”.
- Gunner. A heavy-duty name meaning “warrior”.
- Hannes. “God is gracious”.
- Hanson. Meaning “son of Hans”, this name was made famous in the 90s by a band of musical brothers.
- Havard. “High guardian”.
- Hendrixx. Fans of Jimi may love this one. It means “ruler of the estate”.
- Ivar. “Archer”. 🏹
- Jakob. A version of the biblical “Jacob”, this popular name means “supplanter”. An alternative is Jakoby.
- Jens. “God is gracious”.
- Jerk. While this word may have different connotations in English, the “j” is pronounced with the English “y” sound. It’s actually a variant of Erik and means “ruler”.
- Josef. Meaning “god increases”, this is the Scandinavian (and German and Czech) variation of the strong biblical name “Joseph”. Shorten it to “Jo” for an old classic.
- Kai. The Scandinavian version means “keeper of the keys”. 🔑
- Kare. “Curly-haired”.
- Kasper. So much more than a friendly ghost, this name means “a trusted secret”.
- Klaus. Meaning “the people’s victory”.
- Kristoffer. Meaning “bearing Christ”, this name was recently made famous by the Frozen franchise.
- Lars. This name is a force. It means “Lord of Lightning”. ⚡ Variants are Larsen and Larson.
- Lief. This popular Old Norse name means “heir”.
- Ludvigs. “Famous warrior”.
- Magnus. Of Latin origin, this name means “the greatest”.
- Marten. “War-like”.
- Mathias. This popular name means “gift of God”.
- Mimir. “He who remembers”. (Good to have at least one of these per household.)
- Nanne. “Grace”.
- Nels. A Norwegian and Swedish variation of “Nicholas”.
- Odin. Yep, he was the Norse god of war. That’s one notorious Viking name for you.
- Olaf. He’s not only the lovable character from Frozen but also a Viking sea-king. The name means “descendent”.
- Olsen. Meaning “Olaf’s son”—so, yes, the descendent of the descendent.
- Oslo. Meaning “the meadow beneath the hill”, Oslo is also the Norwegian capital.
- Oswin. “God’s friend”.
- Otto. “Wealthy”.
- Peer. Like the English “Peter”, this name means “rock” or “stone”.
- Quirinus. The Roman god of thunder and lightning. 🌩️
- Raulin. “A wise little wolf”. 🐺
- Rorik. “Red”. 🟥
- Rosco. Referring to a wood inhabited by deer, this vintage name may just be making a comeback. (Looking for more vintage names?)
- Soren. This popular Danish name means “stern” and was the first name of the famous philosopher Kierkegaard.
- Somerled. “Summer sailors”. ⛵
- Stellan. This peaceful name means “calm”.
- Stieg. From Old Norse origins, this name means “wanderer”. And for fans of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, this could be a great way to honor a particular Larsson.
- Sven. One of the better-known Scandinavian names out there, Sven means “young warrior”.
- Syver. “Victorious defender”.
- Tassilo. “Shining like the day”. ☀️
- Thor. Marvel has recently given this Norse god of thunder a big comeback.
- Torsten. “The stone of Thor”.
- Viggo. Yep, as in Mortensen. The name means “battle”.
- Von. “Hope”.
For more Scandinavian names, head here.
Happy choosing!
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