Scandinavian baby names
Scandinavian names come from Old Norse and the modern Nordic languages: names of gods (Freya, Odin), old personal names (Eric, Astrid, Axel), surnames such as Jensen ("son of Jens") and Colby, and place names left by Viking settlers in England. Of the names we have researched, 28 are Scandinavian, given to 20,057 US babies in 2025.
Rising Scandinavian names
Biggest climbers in rank since 2020: Colbie (#1,149 to #881), Freyja (#951 to #772), Kaia (#300 to #193), Astrid (#449 to #376), Freya (#178 to #176), Jensen (#302 to #282), Colby (#618 to #615).
Scandinavian girl names (13)
| Name | Meaning | Rank 2025 | Babies 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freya | lady (Old Norse goddess name) | #176 | 1,746 |
| Kaia | #193 | 1,618 | |
| Astrid | #376 | 818 | |
| Freyja | lady (Old Norse goddess) | #772 | 352 |
| Karina | Scandinavian Katherine; or Latin Carina | #750 | 363 |
| Liv | protection (Norse); associated with 'life' | #896 | 296 |
| Colbie | Koli's farm or charcoal farm (via Colby) | #881 | 303 |
| Ingrid | "Ing is beautiful" | #1,121 | 209 |
| Erika | ever-ruler (feminine of Eric) | #1,109 | 213 |
| Brenda | perhaps 'sword' (Old Norse) | #1,527 | 139 |
| Randi | Norwegian name; or pet form of Miranda | #4,252 | 34 |
| Olga | Russian form of Helga; "holy" | #3,201 | 50 |
| Thelma | literary invention (19th century) | #4,745 | 29 |
Scandinavian boy names (15)
| Name | Meaning | Rank 2025 | Babies 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kai | #93 | 3,768 | |
| Axel | #79 | 4,140 | |
| Eric | eternal ruler (probably) | #273 | 1,256 |
| Jensen | son of Jens (John) | #282 | 1,207 |
| Odin | frenzy, inspiration (Norse god) | #502 | 604 |
| Colby | Koli's farm, or charcoal farm (English place name) | #615 | 455 |
| Ronald | ruler with counsel (Norse, via Scottish Gaelic) | #638 | 438 |
| Corey | from Norse Kóri (meaning uncertain) | #778 | 327 |
| Gustavo | Spanish/Italian form of Gustav | #625 | 447 |
| Dustin | probably from Norse Thorsteinn, 'Thor's stone' | #729 | 365 |
| Bjorn | bear | #829 | 298 |
| Leif | heir, descendant | #917 | 257 |
| Howard | high guardian (Old Norse, probable) | #1,004 | 226 |
| Lamont | "lawman" | #2,739 | 47 |
| Kirk | "church" | #2,551 | 52 |
How origins are assigned
Each name gets one origin: the language its meaning comes from, which is not always the language it reached English through. Mateo is Spanish in form but Hebrew in origin, so it is listed as Hebrew. The lists cover the roughly 2,000 most used names we have researched so far. Common meanings among Scandinavian names: king or queen, god, names from places.