Swedish Names: 149 Baby Names With Meanings

Swedish names such as Astrid, Linnéa, Saga, Nils, Axel and Björn (“bear”) come from Old Norse, Christian Europe and everyday Swedish words, and this list gives a checked meaning for 149 of them.

Swedish names mix Old Norse classics built from words for gods, victory, bears and wolves with Swedish forms of familiar European names, such as Kerstin for Christina and Olof for Olaf, and modern names from Swedish words and storybooks. Some already sound familiar in English, such as Alice, Elsa and Hugo, and others are rare finds.

We grouped the names into classic girl and boy names, Old Norse heritage names, Norse mythology names, nature names, short and modern names, nicknames and unisex names. Then come notes on Sweden’s naming law, official name statistics, surnames and pronunciation, plus pairing ideas for siblings and middle names.

Key Takeaways

Linnéa comes from the twinflower, named for the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus, and Tindra means to twinkle or sparkle.
Old Norse elements recur: fríðr means beautiful or beloved, hildr battle, sigr victory and herr army or warrior.
Björn means bear, Ulf and Varg mean wolf, Ylva she-wolf and Arvid joins eagle and tree.
Sweden’s naming law requires a first name to be applied for within three months of a child’s birth.
Astrid Lindgren invented Ronja for a 1981 book, and Mio comes from her 1954 book Mio, min Mio.

Table of Contents

Swedish Names at a Glance

Quick Answer

Well-loved Swedish names include girl names such as Astrid (“god” plus “beautiful, beloved”), Linnéa (from the twinflower), Saga, Freja, Ebba and Tindra (“to twinkle, to sparkle”); boy names such as Nils, Axel, Björn (“bear”), Arvid (“eagle” plus “tree”), Sixten and Ludvig; and names listed for both genders, such as Juni, Lo and Robin. All 149 names below carry a Swedish usage label on Behind the Name, with the gender and meaning their entries give.

Every gender, usage label and meaning on this page was checked against the name’s own entry on Behind the Name in November 2026, and each name is spelled exactly as the entry spells it, including Å, Ä and Ö. Where an entry says a meaning is uncertain or unknown, we say so. Names we could not verify this way are not on the list.

Swedish names come from a few big sources. Some are very old and grew out of Old Norse names built from words for gods, battle, victory, bears and wolves, such as Ingrid, Sigrid, Gunnar and Torsten. Many are Swedish forms of names shared across Christian Europe, such as Kerstin for Christina, Olof for Olaf and Mårten for Martin. And a modern group comes from everyday Swedish words or from Swedish books: Tindra means “to twinkle, to sparkle”, Vilda comes from vild, “wild”, and Ronja was invented by Astrid Lindgren.

How to read the tables: the gender column shows the gender each entry lists, and the usage column shows the entry’s own usage labels. Many Swedish names are shared with Norway and Denmark, so you will often see Swedish, Norwegian and Danish side by side; where an entry lists many languages we show the first few and add “and more”. When an entry only describes a name as a form of another name, the meaning shown comes from that original name’s own entry. If you are exploring other European heritage names, our German girl names and Welsh names lists use the same checked approach.

Classic Swedish Girl Names and Their Meanings

These are the girl names of Swedish grandmothers, queens, saints and storybook heroines, plus a few international names that Swedish families have loved for generations. Many have the gentle vintage feel that also fills our old-fashioned girl names list.

Name	Gender	Usage (per Behind the Name)	Meaning
Karin	Feminine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German and more	Swedish short form of Katherine, a name whose etymology is debated
Kerstin	Feminine	Swedish, German	Swedish form of Christina, from Christiana, the Latin feminine form of Christian (“a Christian”)
Birgitta	Feminine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish	Most likely a Scandinavian form of Bridget, or possibly a feminine form of Birger; borne by Saint Birgitta of Sweden, the 14th-century founder of the Bridgettine nuns
Margareta	Feminine	German, Swedish, Romanian and more	Form of Margaret, from Greek margarites, “pearl”
Kristina	Feminine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and more	Form of Christina, from the Latin feminine form of Christian (“a Christian”)
Ebba	Feminine	Swedish, Danish	Feminine form of Ebbe, a Danish short form of Asbjørn
Elsa	Feminine	German, Swedish, Norwegian and more	Short form of Elisabeth, typically used on its own; Elizabeth means “my God is an oath”
Greta	Feminine	German, Italian, Swedish and more	Short form of Margareta (“pearl”); borne by the Swedish actress Greta Garbo
Hedvig	Feminine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Hungarian	Form of Hedwig, from Old German elements meaning “battle, combat” and “war”
Märta	Feminine	Swedish	Swedish short form of Margareta (“pearl”)
Malin	Feminine	Swedish, Norwegian	Swedish and Norwegian short form of Magdalene, “of Magdala”
Elin	Feminine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Welsh	Scandinavian and Welsh form of Helen, probably from Greek helene, “torch”
Lovisa	Feminine	Swedish	Swedish feminine form of Louis, which comes from Ludwig, “famous in battle”
Agneta	Feminine	Swedish	Swedish variant of Agnes, from Greek hagnos, “chaste”
Annika	Feminine	Swedish, Dutch, Finnish and more	Swedish diminutive of Anna, a form of Hannah, “favor, grace”
Ellinor	Feminine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish	Scandinavian form of Eleanor, from the Old French form of the Occitan name Alienòr
Filippa	Feminine	Greek, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Italian	Feminine form of Philip, “friend of horses”
Hillevi	Feminine	Swedish, Finnish	Swedish and Finnish form of Heilwig, from Old German elements meaning “healthy, whole” and “war”
Vendela	Feminine	Swedish	Swedish feminine form of Wendel, from an old Germanic element meaning “a Vandal”
Vera	Feminine	Russian, English, German, Swedish and more	“Faith” in Russian, sometimes associated with Latin verus, “true”
Alice	Feminine	English, French, Swedish and more	From the Old French name Aalis, a short form of Adelais (see Adelaide, “nobleness, nobility”)
Alma	Feminine	English, Spanish, Swedish and more	Popularized by the Battle of Alma (1854) but probably inspired by Latin almus, “nourishing”

Classic Swedish girl names with the gender, usage labels and meaning given by Behind the Name.

A striking number of classic Swedish girl names are Swedish versions of names used all over Europe. Karin is the Swedish short form of Katherine, and Behind the Name is candid that Katherine’s etymology is debated, so we do not pick one meaning for it. Kerstin and Kristina both go back to Christina, from the Latin feminine form of Christian. Margareta, from the Greek word for “pearl”, produced two Swedish favorites of its own: Greta and Märta. Malin is the Swedish and Norwegian short form of Magdalene, and Annika is a Swedish diminutive of Anna.

Some of these names carry Swedish history. Birgitta was the name of Saint Birgitta of Sweden, the 14th-century founder of the Bridgettine nuns, and her entry notes that her father’s name was Birger. Lovisa is the Swedish feminine form of Louis, which goes back to Ludwig, “famous in battle”. Vendela, a Swedish feminine form of Wendel, and Hillevi, the Swedish and Finnish form of Heilwig, are rarer choices with the same old-fashioned charm.

Elsa, Alice, Alma and Vera show how Swedish naming overlaps with the rest of Europe. Elsa is a short form of Elisabeth that is typically used on its own. Alma’s entry says the name took off after the Battle of Alma in 1854 but was probably inspired by Latin almus, “nourishing”. Vera means “faith” in Russian and is sometimes linked with Latin verus, “true”. Ebba, a crisp two-syllable favorite, is the feminine form of Ebbe, which is a Danish short form of Asbjørn.

Classic Swedish Boy Names and Their Meanings

Swedish boy names are often short, strong and easy to spell. Many were carried by Swedish kings, scientists and saints, and plenty already sound familiar in the U.S. If you like solid traditional choices, our German boy names list makes a good companion.

Name	Gender	Usage (per Behind the Name)	Meaning
Lars	Masculine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Dutch, German	Scandinavian form of Laurence, “from Laurentum”, a place name probably from Latin laurus, “laurel”
Nils	Masculine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish	Scandinavian form of Nicholas, “victory of the people”
Erik	Masculine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and more	Scandinavian form of Eric, “ever ruler”; King Erik IX of Sweden (12th century) is the country’s patron saint
Gustav	Masculine	Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, German, Czech	Possibly “staff of the Geats”, though this is uncertain, or from the Old Slavic Gostislav; borne by six kings of Sweden, including Gustav I Vasa
Olof	Masculine	Swedish	Swedish form of Olaf, “ancestor’s descendant”
Anders	Masculine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish	Scandinavian form of Andreas (Andrew), “manly, masculine”; borne by the physicist Anders Jonas Ångström
Axel	Masculine	Danish, Swedish, Norwegian and more	Medieval Danish form of Absalom, “father is peace”
Per	Masculine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Breton	Scandinavian form of Peter, “stone”
Fredrik	Masculine	Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish	Swedish and Norwegian form of Frederick, “peaceful ruler”; the name of an 18th-century king of Sweden
Henrik	Masculine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and more	Form of Heinrich (Henry), “home ruler”
Johan	Masculine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch	Scandinavian form of Iohannes (John), “Yahweh is gracious”
Mårten	Masculine	Swedish	Swedish form of Martinus (Martin), from the name of the Roman god Mars
Måns	Masculine	Swedish	Swedish variant of Magnus, “great” in Latin
Melker	Masculine	Swedish	Swedish form of Melchior, possibly from Hebrew roots meaning “king” and “light”; traditionally one of the wise men
Ludvig	Masculine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish	Scandinavian form of Ludwig, “famous in battle”
Hugo	Masculine	Spanish, English, German, Swedish and more	Old German form of Hugh, from words meaning “mind, thought, spirit”
Otto	Masculine	German, Swedish, Norwegian and more	Later German form of Audo, a short form of names with an element meaning “wealth, fortune”
Oskar	Masculine	German, Swedish, Norwegian and more	Form of Oscar, possibly “deer friend” from Old Irish, or from Old English Osgar or Old Norse Ásgeirr
Isak	Masculine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish	Scandinavian form of Isaac, “he will laugh, he will rejoice”
August	Masculine	German, Polish, Swedish and more	Scandinavian form of Augustus, “exalted, venerable”
Valter	Masculine	Italian, Swedish, Slovene, Croatian, Estonian	Swedish form of Walter, “power of the army”
Alfred	Masculine	English, French, Swedish and more	“Elf counsel”, from the Old English name Ælfræd

Classic Swedish boy names with the gender, usage labels and meaning given by Behind the Name.

Erik and Gustav are royal names in Sweden. Erik’s entry notes that it was the name of kings of Sweden, Denmark and Norway, and that King Erik IX of Sweden, who lived in the 12th century, is the country’s patron saint. Gustav has been borne by six kings of Sweden, including the 16th-century Gustav I Vasa. Its meaning is honestly uncertain: possibly “staff of the Geats”, though that root name is not well attested, or possibly from the Old Slavic name Gostislav.

Several classic boy names are Scandinavian forms of names you already know. Lars and Lasse both come from Laurence, Nils from Nicholas, Anders from Andreas (Andrew), Per from Peter, Johan from John and Olof from Olaf. Mårten is the Swedish form of Martin, Måns is a Swedish variant of Magnus (“great”), and Melker is the Swedish form of Melchior, the name tradition gives to one of the wise men.

A few deserve a closer look. Axel, which feels thoroughly Scandinavian, began as a medieval Danish form of the Hebrew name Absalom, “father is peace”. Ludvig, Otto, Hugo and Alfred are Germanic and Old English names that Sweden has made its own: Alfred means “elf counsel”, and Hugo comes from words meaning “mind, thought, spirit”. Isak (“he will laugh, he will rejoice”) and August (“exalted, venerable”) are Scandinavian spellings that read easily in English.

Baby on the way? Get ahead on sleep.

Our free two-minute quiz builds a gentle, personalized sleep plan you can use from the first weeks at home.

Take the Free Sleep Quiz

Old Norse Heritage Names for Girls and Boys

This section gathers names whose Behind the Name entries trace them to Old Norse, the language of medieval Scandinavia. They are built from a small set of word elements, and once you know a few of them you can read many of these names yourself.

Name	Gender	Usage (per Behind the Name)	Meaning
Astrid	Feminine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and more	Modern form of Old Norse Ástríðr, from áss, “god”, and fríðr, “beautiful, beloved”; borne by the author Astrid Lindgren
Ingrid	Feminine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and more	From Old Norse Ingríðr, “Ing is beautiful” (Ing was a Germanic god); borne by the actress Ingrid Bergman
Sigrid	Feminine	Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and more	From Old Norse Sigríðr, from sigr, “victory”, and fríðr, “beautiful, beloved”
Ragnhild	Feminine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish	From Old Norse Ragnhildr, from regin, “advice, counsel”, and hildr, “battle”
Gunhild	Feminine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish	From Old Norse Gunnhildr, from gunnr, “war”, and hildr, “battle”
Hjördis	Feminine	Swedish	Swedish form of Old Norse Hjǫrdís, “sword goddess”
Åsa	Feminine	Swedish	Short form of Old Norse feminine names beginning with áss, “god”
Ingeborg	Feminine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German	From Old Norse Ingibjǫrg: the god Ing plus bjǫrg, “help, salvation”
Alfhild	Feminine	Norwegian, Swedish	From Old Norse Alfhildr, from alfr, “elf”, and hildr, “battle”; in legend a maiden who disguised herself as a warrior
Tove	Feminine	Norwegian, Danish, Swedish	Modern form of Old Norse Tófa, a short form of Þórfríðr (Thor plus “beautiful, beloved”)
Tyra	Feminine	Swedish, English, African American	From Old Norse Þýri, a variant of the Norse names Þórví or Þórveig
Helga	Feminine	Norwegian, Danish, Swedish and more	Feminine form of Helge, from Old Norse heilagr, “holy, blessed”
Signe	Feminine	Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Estonian, Latvian	Modern form of Old Norse Signý, from sigr, “victory”, and nýr, “new”
Frida	Feminine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish	From Old Norse fríðr, “beautiful, beloved”

Old Norse heritage girl names with Swedish usage, with the gender, usage labels and meaning given by Behind the Name.

Look for these building blocks. Fríðr means “beautiful, beloved” and sits at the end of Astrid, Ingrid, Sigrid and, in an older form, Tove, while Frida comes straight from it. Hildr means “battle” and ends Ragnhild, Gunhild and Alfhild. Sigr means “victory” and opens Sigrid and Signe. Áss means “god” and gives Åsa and the first half of Astrid. Ing was a Germanic god, which is why Ingrid means “Ing is beautiful” and Ingeborg joins Ing with a word for “help, salvation”.

Astrid has an especially Swedish story. Its entry names two famous bearers: the Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren, author of Pippi Longstocking, and a Swedish princess who became queen of Belgium. Hjördis, the Swedish form of an Old Norse name meaning “sword goddess”, is pronounced YUUR-dis according to its entry, a reminder that the Swedish hj is not said the way English readers expect.

Name	Gender	Usage (per Behind the Name)	Meaning
Sven	Masculine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and more	From the Old Norse byname Sveinn, “boy”; borne by kings of Denmark, Norway and Sweden
Gunnar	Masculine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Norse Mythology	From Old Norse Gunnarr, from gunnr, “war”, and herr, “army, warrior”
Bror	Masculine	Swedish	From the Old Norse name Bróðir, “brother”
Einar	Masculine	Norwegian, Icelandic, Swedish and more	From Old Norse Einarr, from einn, “one, alone”, and herr, “army, warrior”
Hjalmar	Masculine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish	From Old Norse Hjálmarr, “helmeted warrior”
Leif	Masculine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish	From Old Norse Leifr, “descendant, heir”; borne by the explorer Leif Eriksson
Sixten	Masculine	Swedish	From Old Norse Sigsteinn, from sigr, “victory”, and steinn, “stone”
Torsten	Masculine	Swedish, Danish, German	From Old Norse Þórsteinn, “Thor’s stone”
Helge	Masculine	Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, German, Finnish	From Old Norse Helgi, from heilagr, “holy, blessed”
Ragnar	Masculine	Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic and more	Modern form of Ragnarr, from regin, “advice, counsel”, and herr, “army, warrior”
Ivar	Masculine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian	Scandinavian form of Ivor, from Old Norse Ívarr, probably from ýr, “yew tree, bow”, and herr, “army, warrior”
Sigurd	Masculine	Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Norse Mythology	From Old Norse Sigurðr, from sigr, “victory”, and vǫrðr, “guard, guardian”; the dragon-slaying hero of the Völsungasaga
Vilgot	Masculine	Swedish	From Old Norse vili, “will, desire”, and góðr, “good”, or guð, “God”; created in the 19th century
Viking	Masculine	Swedish	From the Old Norse name Víkingr, “viking, raider”, ultimately from vík, “cove, inlet”
Stellan	Masculine	Swedish	Meaning unknown, perhaps related to Old Norse stilling, “calm”, or perhaps of German origin
Rune	Masculine	Norwegian, Danish, Swedish	From Old Norse rún, “secret lore, rune”
Orvar	Masculine	Swedish (Rare), Norse Mythology	“Arrow” in Old Norse; Orvar Odd is a legendary hero of a 13th-century Icelandic saga
Jarl	Masculine	Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Norse Mythology, Old Norse	“Chieftain, nobleman” in Old Norse, a cognate of English earl

Old Norse heritage boy names with Swedish usage, with the gender, usage labels and meaning given by Behind the Name.

Boys’ names reuse many of the same elements. Herr, “army, warrior”, ends Gunnar, Einar, Hjalmar, Ragnar and Ivar. Steinn, “stone”, ends Sixten (“victory” plus “stone”) and Torsten (“Thor’s stone”). Sigurd, “victory” plus “guardian”, is the dragon-slaying hero of the Norse Völsungasaga, and Leif, “descendant, heir”, was borne by the explorer Leif Eriksson, who reached North America in the early 11th century.

Some are delightfully plain. Sven comes from an Old Norse byname meaning “boy” and Bror from a name meaning “brother”. Viking is a Swedish name from the Old Norse name Víkingr, “viking, raider”. Stellan is the honest exception: its entry says the meaning is unknown, perhaps related to an Old Norse word for “calm” or perhaps of German origin, so that is how we print it.

Names From Norse Mythology

Behind the Name labels these names Norse Mythology alongside Swedish, or gives them a Swedish form of a mythological name. Norse myths include battles and dark endings, so read each full entry before you decide; we keep the summaries short.

Name	Gender	Usage (per Behind the Name)	Meaning
Saga	Feminine	Norse Mythology, Swedish, Icelandic	From Old Norse Sága, possibly “seeing one”, a goddess; as a Swedish name also from the word saga, “story, fairy tale, saga”
Idun	Feminine	Norse Mythology, Swedish, Norwegian	Modern form of Iðunn, probably from ið-, “again”, and unna, “to love”; the goddess who guards the apples of youth
Embla	Feminine	Norse Mythology, Icelandic, Swedish, Norwegian	Meaning uncertain, perhaps related to Old Norse almr, “elm”; with Ask, the first humans in Norse mythology
Freja	Feminine	Danish, Swedish	Danish and Swedish form of Freya, “lady”, a Norse goddess
Hulda	Feminine	Icelandic, Swedish, Norwegian, Norse Mythology	From Old Norse hulda, “hiding, secrecy”; as a modern name also from archaic Swedish huld, “gracious, sweet, lovable”
Thor	Masculine	Norse Mythology, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish	From Old Norse Þórr, “thunder”; the Norse god of storms, thunder, war and strength
Tor	Masculine	Norwegian, Swedish	Modern Scandinavian form of Þórr (Thor), not used as a personal name until the 18th century
Loke	Masculine	Norse Mythology, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish	Modern form of Loki, whose meaning is unknown; the trickster god of Norse mythology
Njord	Masculine	Norse Mythology, Swedish (Rare), Norwegian (Rare), Danish (Rare)	From Old Norse Njǫrðr, possibly from a root meaning “strong, vigorous”; the god of the sea, sailing and fishing
Frej	Masculine	Danish, Swedish	Danish and Swedish form of Freyr, “lord” in Old Norse, a Norse god of fertility, sunlight and rain
Vidar	Masculine	Norwegian, Swedish, Norse Mythology	From Old Norse Víðarr, possibly from víðr, “wide”, and herr, “army, warrior”; a son of Odin
Alf	Masculine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Norse Mythology	From Old Norse alfr, “elf”; in legend the king who wins over the warrior maiden Alfhild

Norse mythology names used in Sweden, with the gender, usage labels and meaning given by Behind the Name.

Saga has a lovely double meaning. Its entry explains that the Norse goddess name Sága may mean “seeing one”, and that as a Swedish name it also comes from the unrelated word saga, “story, fairy tale, saga”. Idun is the modern form of Iðunn, the goddess who guards the gods’ apples of youth, and Embla, with her husband Ask, is one of the first two humans in Norse mythology; her name’s meaning is uncertain, perhaps related to a word for “elm”.

Freja is the Danish and Swedish form of Freya, “lady”, and her brother’s name appears here as Frej, the Swedish form of Freyr, “lord”. Thor (“thunder”) is the famous god of storms and strength, and Tor is the modern Scandinavian form, which its entry says was not used as a personal name until the 18th century. Loke is the modern form of Loki, whose meaning is unknown, and Hulda can come from Old Norse “hiding, secrecy” or from an archaic Swedish word meaning “gracious, sweet, lovable”.

Swedish Nature Names: Wolves, Bears, Flowers and Stars

Parents often look for Swedish names with nature meanings, and there are wonderful choices, many from Old Norse animal and landscape words. For more ideas across languages, see our nature names guide.

Name	Gender	Usage (per Behind the Name)	Meaning
Linnéa	Feminine	Swedish	From the twinflower, named for the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus; it was his favorite flower
Tindra	Feminine	Swedish (Modern)	“To twinkle, to sparkle” in Swedish
Vilda	Feminine	Swedish	From Swedish vild, “wild, untamed”
Malva	Feminine	Swedish	From the name of a genus of flowering plants, called mallow in English
Ylva	Feminine	Swedish, Norwegian	“She-wolf”, from Old Norse úlfr, “wolf”
Liv	Feminine	Norwegian, Swedish, Danish	From Old Norse Hlíf, “protection”, influenced by the Scandinavian word liv, “life”
Dagny	Feminine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish	From Old Norse Dagný, from dagr, “day”, and nýr, “new”
Solveig	Feminine	Norwegian, Swedish, Danish	From Old Norse sól, “sun”, and veig, “strength”; the heroine of Ibsen’s play Peer Gynt
Björn	Masculine	Swedish, Icelandic, German	From an Old Norse byname derived from bjǫrn, “bear”
Ulf	Masculine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German	From the Old Norse byname Úlfr, “wolf”
Varg	Masculine	Norwegian (Rare), Swedish (Rare)	“Wolf” in Old Norse
Vide	Masculine	Swedish	“Willow” in Swedish, from Old Norse víðir
Arvid	Masculine	Swedish, Norwegian	From Old Norse Arnviðr, from ǫrn, “eagle”, and viðr, “tree”
Sten	Masculine	Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Estonian	From the Old Norse name Steinn, “stone”
Dag	Masculine	Norwegian, Swedish	From Old Norse dagr, “day”
Knut	Masculine	Swedish, Norwegian, German	From Old Norse knútr, “knot”; Knut the Great ruled Denmark, Norway and England in the 11th century

Swedish nature names, with the gender, usage labels and meaning given by Behind the Name.

Linnéa may be the most Swedish name of all. Its entry explains that it comes from the name of a flower, the twinflower, which was named for the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus because it was his favorite. Malva comes from the plant genus called mallow in English, Vilda from Swedish vild, “wild, untamed”, and Tindra, a modern Swedish name, means “to twinkle, to sparkle”.

Animals are a strong theme. Björn means “bear”, Ulf and Varg both mean “wolf”, and Ylva means “she-wolf”. Arvid joins the Old Norse words for “eagle” and “tree”, and Vide simply means “willow”. For the sky, Solveig combines “sun” and “strength” (it is also the heroine of Ibsen’s Peer Gynt), and Dagny means “new day” from dagr, “day”, and nýr, “new”.

Liv is a good example of why we check entries. Many people read it as the Scandinavian word for “life”, and its entry agrees that the word has influenced the name, but the name itself comes from the Old Norse name Hlíf, “protection”.

Short and Modern Swedish Names

Swedish naming is full of short, bright names of one or two syllables, many of them short forms that now stand on their own. They make easy first names and excellent middle names; our short girl names and short boy names lists have more.

Name	Gender	Usage (per Behind the Name)	Meaning
Siri	Feminine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish	Short form of Sigrid (“victory” plus “beautiful, beloved”)
Stina	Feminine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish	Scandinavian short form of Christina and other names ending in stina
Tuva	Feminine	Swedish, Norwegian	Swedish and Norwegian variant of Tove
Moa	Feminine	Swedish	Possibly from Swedish moder, “mother”; the pen name of the author Moa Martinson
My	Feminine	Swedish	Swedish diminutive of Maria, whose meaning is not known for certain
Lova	Feminine	Swedish	Short form of Lovisa
Tilda	Feminine	English, Swedish, Finnish	Short form of Matilda, “strength in battle”
Maja	Feminine	Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, German and more	Diminutive of Maria
Alva	Feminine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish	Feminine form of Alf, “elf”
Nea	Feminine	Swedish, Finnish	Short form of Linnéa
Linn	Feminine	Swedish, Norwegian	Short form of Linnéa and other names with the same sound
Tora	Feminine	Swedish, Norwegian	Modern form of Þóra, a feminine form of Þórr (Thor) or a short form of names beginning with Þór
Ronja	Feminine	Swedish, Finnish	Invented by Astrid Lindgren from part of Juronjaure, the name of a lake in Sweden, for her 1981 book Ronia the Robber’s Daughter
Meja	Feminine	Swedish (Modern)	Possibly a Low German diminutive of names with megin, “power, strength”; popularized by the Swedish singer Meja
Nova	Feminine	English, Swedish (Modern), Dutch (Modern)	From Latin novus, “new”; first used as a name in the 19th century
Svea	Feminine	Swedish	A personification of Sweden in use since the 17th century, from Svear, the Swedish name for the tribe the Swedes

Short and modern Swedish girl names, with the gender, usage labels and meaning given by Behind the Name.

Several of these names come from Swedish storytelling. Ronja was invented by Astrid Lindgren for her 1981 book Ronia the Robber’s Daughter, based on part of the name of a Swedish lake, and Moa was the pen name of the Swedish author Moa Martinson. Svea is a personification of Sweden itself, in use since the 17th century and taken from Svear, the Swedish name for the tribe the Swedes. Meja was popularized by the Swedish singer of that name, and Nova, from Latin novus, “new”, carries a Swedish (Modern) label.

Others are affectionate short forms. My and Maja are diminutives of Maria, Lova is a short form of Lovisa, and Nea and Linn are both short forms of Linnéa. Siri is a short form of Sigrid, Stina of Christina, and Tuva is a Swedish and Norwegian variant of Tove.

Name	Gender	Usage (per Behind the Name)	Meaning
Bo	Masculine	Swedish, Danish	From the Old Norse byname Búi, from bua, “to live”
Love	Masculine	Swedish	Swedish form of Louis, which comes from Ludwig, “famous in battle”
Stig	Masculine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish	Modern form of Stigr, “path” in Old Norse
Joar	Masculine	Norwegian, Swedish	Modern form of Old Norse Jóarr, from jór, “horse”, and herr, “army, warrior”
Kai	Masculine	Frisian, German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and more	Meaning uncertain, possibly a Frisian diminutive of several names; a boy in Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen
Sune	Masculine	Swedish, Danish	Modern form of Suni, from Old Norse sunr, “son”
Uno	Masculine	Swedish, Estonian	Meaning uncertain; possibly from the Old Norse name Uni or from Latin unus, “one”
Mio	Masculine	Literature, Swedish (Modern), Norwegian (Modern)	From Astrid Lindgren’s 1954 book Mio, min Mio, where Mio is a boy who learns he is a prince; apparently created by Lindgren

Short and modern Swedish boy names, with the gender, usage labels and meaning given by Behind the Name.

Bo comes from an Old Norse byname from a word meaning “to live”, Stig from Stigr, “path”, and Sune from Suni, “son”. Love, which its entry transcribes as /ˈluː.vɛ/, is the Swedish form of Louis. Mio comes from Astrid Lindgren’s 1954 book Mio, min Mio, and its entry says the name was apparently created by Lindgren. Uno and Kai are both marked as uncertain in meaning, so we print them that way.

Swedish Nicknames and Unisex Swedish Names

Many Swedish nicknames for boys end in -e, as the table shows. Behind the Name lists each of these as a diminutive or short form, and some are used as full names.

Name	Gender	Usage (per Behind the Name)	Meaning
Calle	Masculine	Swedish	Swedish diminutive of Carl
Kalle	Masculine	Swedish, Finnish, Estonian	Swedish diminutive of Karl; used in Finland and Estonia as a full name
Bosse	Masculine	Swedish	Swedish diminutive of Bo
Lasse	Masculine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish	Scandinavian and Finnish form of Laurence
Pelle	Masculine	Swedish	Swedish diminutive of Per
Olle	Masculine	Swedish	Swedish diminutive of Olaf or Oliver
Sigge	Masculine	Swedish	Diminutive of Sigurd, Sigfrid and other names beginning with sigu, “victory”
Ludde	Masculine	Swedish	Swedish diminutive of Ludvig
Janne	Masculine	Swedish, Finnish	Swedish diminutive of Jan, also used as a full name in Finland
Hampus	Masculine	Swedish	Swedish diminutive of Hans, a short form of Johannes (John)
Kajsa	Feminine	Swedish	Swedish diminutive of Katarina
Majken	Feminine	Danish, Swedish	Danish and Swedish diminutive of Maria
Lotta	Feminine	Swedish, Finnish	Short form of Charlotta
Cilla	Feminine	Swedish, Dutch	Diminutive of Cecilia
Britta	Feminine	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish	Scandinavian short form of Birgitta

Swedish nicknames and diminutives, with the gender, usage labels and meaning given by Behind the Name.

The pattern is easy to spot: Karl or Carl becomes Kalle or Calle, Per becomes Pelle, Bo becomes Bosse, Ludvig becomes Ludde and Sigurd becomes Sigge. Olle can come from Olaf or Oliver, and Lasse, listed as a form of Laurence, sits naturally beside them. Hampus is a Swedish diminutive of Hans, which is itself a short form of Johannes. On the girls’ side, Kajsa comes from Katarina, Majken from Maria, Lotta from Charlotta, Cilla from Cecilia and Britta from Birgitta.

Behind the Name lists the names below as both feminine and masculine, and the details matter. Inge’s entry says it is primarily masculine in Sweden and Norway but usually feminine elsewhere, while Vanja is primarily feminine in Scandinavia. Lo is a short form of Lovisa and other names beginning with Lo, and it also matches the Swedish word for “lynx”. Our gender neutral names guide has more options.

Name	Gender	Usage (per Behind the Name)	Meaning
Robin	Masculine & Feminine	English, French, Dutch, Swedish, Czech	Medieval English diminutive of Robert (“bright fame”), now usually an independent name
Alex	Masculine & Feminine	English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and more	Short form of Alexander, Alexandra and other names beginning with Alex
Inge	Feminine & Masculine	Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, German, Dutch, Estonian	Short form of names beginning with ing, after the god Ing; in Sweden and Norway primarily masculine
Juni	Feminine & Masculine	Swedish, Norwegian, Indonesian	Swedish, Norwegian and Indonesian cognate of June, from the month named for the goddess Juno
Lo	Feminine & Masculine	Swedish	Short form of Lovisa and other names beginning with Lo; it also matches the Swedish word for “lynx”
Vanja	Masculine & Feminine	Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Swedish, Norwegian	Form of Vanya (a diminutive of Ivan or Ivana); used in Scandinavia, where it is primarily feminine

Swedish names listed for both genders, with the gender, usage labels and meaning given by Behind the Name.

How Swedish Names Work: The Law, Popular Names, Surnames and Pronunciation

Sweden has a personal names law. According to the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket), the current law took effect on July 1, 2017. Everyone must have at least one first name, and a newborn’s guardian applies for the child’s first name within three months of the birth. Skatteverket says a first name cannot be approved if it could be perceived as offensive or cause discomfort for the person who will carry it, or if it could be perceived as a surname or is otherwise unsuitable as a first name. Our illegal baby names guide looks at naming rules in other countries.

Sweden publishes official statistics on names given to newborns. Skatteverket has produced these statistics since 2024; before that they came from Statistics Sweden (SCB). In Skatteverket’s statistics for children born in 2025 (updated June 15, 2026), the top five girl names were Vera, Astrid, Alice, Olivia and Elsa, and the top five boy names were Noah, Hugo, Liam, Nils and Alfred. Vera, Astrid, Alice, Elsa, Hugo, Nils and Alfred all appear in the tables above. For comparison, in the U.S. the Social Security Administration (SSA) ranked Olivia No. 1 for girls and Noah No. 2 for boys among babies born in 2025.

Swedish surnames have their own history. A FamilySearch guide to Swedish surnames explains that patronymics were formed from the father’s first name plus -son for a son or -dotter for a daughter, so that a surname usually changed every generation; Sweden kept the possessive s, as in Olofsson. The same guide says the Names Act of 1901 required everyone to adopt a fixed surname, and that many families created surnames from nature words such as berg (mountain), björk (birch), ström (river) and lund (grove).

Swedish uses three extra letters, Å, Ä and Ö, and the names on this page keep them exactly as their entries spell them (Åsa, Märta, Björn, Hjördis). U.S. records and forms do not always carry special characters, so ask your hospital or birth registration office what can be recorded and decide early how you will write the name at home.

Behind the Name gives pronunciations either as simple respellings or in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), where ˈ comes before the stressed syllable and ː marks a long vowel. Here is what the entries give for a sample of names on this page.

Name	Pronunciation given by Behind the Name
Freja	FRAY-ah (Swedish)
Lovisa	loo-VEE-sah
Hjördis	YUUR-dis
Tyra	TUY-rah (Swedish)
Siri	SEE-ree (Swedish)
Stina	STEE-nah
Moa	MOO-ah
Ronja	RON-yah (Swedish)
Svea	SVEH-ah
Dagny	DAHNG-nuy (Swedish)
Majken	MIE-kehn (Swedish)
Mårten	MAW-tehn
Torsten	TOSH-tehn (Swedish)
Ragnar	RAHNG-nahr (Swedish)
Sigurd	SEE-gurd (Swedish)
Loke	LOO-keh (Swedish)
Vidar	VEE-dahr (Swedish)
Vide	VEE-deh
Jarl	YAHRL (Swedish)
Åsa	/ˈoː.sa/
Olof	/ˈuː.lɔf/
Hjalmar	/ˈjal.mar/ (Swedish)

Pronunciations as printed on each name’s Behind the Name entry.

A few patterns show up. Swedish j sounds like an English y (Ronja, Majken, Hjalmar), and in Hjördis and Hjalmar the h is silent. Å is a long vowel written oː in the IPA (Åsa), and a long Swedish o is often closer to the English “oo” (Olof, Moa, Lovisa). Final e is pronounced, as in Loke and Vide. When in doubt, listen to a Swedish speaker or check the entry itself.

Names That Travel Well in English, Plus Sibling and Middle Name Pairings

Many families want a name that honors Swedish roots and is easy to use in the U.S. These groupings from the tables are our opinion, not a statistic.

Already familiar in English: Alice, Vera, Alma, Elsa, Greta, Nova, Hugo, Otto, Oskar, Axel, August and Alfred.
Easy to say, clearly Scandinavian: Astrid, Ingrid, Freja, Saga, Linnéa, Siri, Liv, Nils, Sven, Arvid, Leif and Björn.
Swedish spellings of familiar names: Kerstin (Christina), Lovisa (a feminine form of Louis), Isak (Isaac), Ludvig (Ludwig), Valter (Walter) and Olof (Olaf).
Bolder choices that may need spelling out: Hjördis, Märta, Åsa, Mårten, Måns and Hjalmar.

A practical tip: say the name the way an American teacher would read it off a class list. Names with hj, j, Å, Ä or Ö may be read differently in English, and Love and Lo may draw comments because they match English words. That is not a reason to avoid them, just a reason to decide in advance how you will say and spell the name.

These pairings are our suggestions, built only from names on this page and their checked meanings.

Wolf and bear: Ylva and Björn, Ulf and Ylva, or Varg and Saga.
Day and sun: Dagny and Dag, or Solveig and Dag.
Astrid Lindgren siblings: Ronja and Mio, or Astrid and Mio, all tied to the author and her books.
Norse myth siblings: Freja and Frej (sister and brother in the myths), or Idun and Vidar.
Classic first, short middle: Astrid Linn, Ingrid Moa, Gustav Bo, Arvid Stig and Ebba Siri.

For more name traditions to compare, see our Scottish girl names list. Whatever you choose, say the full name aloud with your surname, write out the initials, and picture it on a birthday card.

Related Betteroo Guides

The Bottom Line

Swedish names range from Old Norse classics such as Astrid, Ingrid, Gunnar and Torsten, to names from Norse mythology such as Saga, Freja and Frej, to nature names such as Linnéa, Björn and Ylva, to storybook names such as Ronja and Mio. Shortlist a few, read the full entry for each, keep any Å, Ä or Ö the name carries, and decide how you will say and spell it in the U.S.

Then say each name out loud with your surname, picture it on a kindergarten cubby, and choose the one that feels like your baby.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some traditional Swedish names?

Traditional Swedish names for girls include Karin, Kerstin, Birgitta, Margareta, Ingrid, Astrid and Märta. For boys, Lars, Nils, Erik, Gustav, Olof, Anders and Sven are long-standing classics. Many of these are Swedish forms of names used across Europe, while others, such as Astrid, Ingrid and Sven, come from Old Norse names built from words for gods, beauty and victory.

What are the most popular Swedish names right now?

According to Sweden’s Tax Agency, Skatteverket, the top five names for girls born in 2025 were Vera, Astrid, Alice, Olivia and Elsa, and the top five for boys were Noah, Hugo, Liam, Nils and Alfred. The figures were updated in June 2026. Skatteverket took over newborn name statistics from Statistics Sweden in 2024.

What Swedish names mean wolf or bear?

Björn comes from an Old Norse word meaning bear. For wolf, Ulf comes from an Old Norse byname meaning wolf, Varg means wolf in Old Norse, and the girl name Ylva means she-wolf. Arvid joins the Old Norse words for eagle and tree, and Vide means willow, if you would like other animal or nature meanings.

Are there rules for naming a baby in Sweden?

Yes. Skatteverket says a child must have at least one first name, and the guardian applies for it within three months of the birth under the personal names law that took effect on July 1, 2017. A first name may not be approved if it could be seen as offensive, could cause discomfort for the child, or looks like a surname.

What are Swedish names from Norse mythology?

Swedish names from Norse mythology include Saga, Idun, Embla and Freja for girls, and Thor, Loke, Njord, Frej and Vidar for boys. Saga may mean seeing one and also matches the Swedish word for story or fairy tale. Freja means lady and Frej means lord, and they are sister and brother in the myths.

How do Swedish surnames work?

Older Swedish surnames were patronymics, made from the father’s first name plus son for a son or dotter for a daughter, so they changed every generation. According to FamilySearch, the Names Act of 1901 required everyone to adopt a fixed surname, and many families created new surnames from nature words such as berg, mountain, and lund, grove.

Calmer days, better nights.

Betteroo builds a personalized sleep plan for your baby. Take the free two-minute quiz and have it ready before the newborn weeks.

Take the Free Sleep Quiz

6 Sources