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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Danish/Scandi baby names!

67 replies

cambridgecoral · 07/04/2024 17:34

Looking for inspiration! DH is Danish.
We've already a DS with a fairly common Danish/Swedish name.
Would love some suggestions, both boys and girls.
Left-field suggestions which may not have made it into the most popular rankings lists.
Might go for a common one as the primary name, and a more radical choice for middle name :-)

Tak! ❤️

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MumChp · 08/04/2024 23:51

ScabbyHorse · 08/04/2024 22:00

Danika -meaning morning star

But not very Danish.

ScabbyHorse · 08/04/2024 22:00

Danika -meaning morning star

Goldfishonabike · 08/04/2024 21:22

user1492757084 · 08/04/2024 08:25

Astrid
Ingrid
Benedikte
Ivalo
Mathilde
Anneke
Sophie

Ivor
Igor
Bertil
Christian
Anders
Hans
Brett
Oscar

Ivalo is a lovely name but it’s Greenlandic, not Danish. so very different, as Greenland is part of the king of Denmark but has another indigenous Inuit language.

Mathilde and Sophie are widely used in Denmark but are not Danish names.

Ivor is Swedish, Igor is Russian. Berti is Swedish, the Danish equivalent is Bertel.

Hans is German and Brett and Oscar also not Danish names per se.

Goldfishonabike · 08/04/2024 21:13

here is a list of the top 50 baby names for boys and girls in Denmark the first half of 2023:https://www.dst.dk/da/Statistik/emner/borgere/navne/navne-til-nyfoedte

as you will see, more than half the names are international rather than Danish, but some classic Danish names are on there too.

For girls the top Danish ones on the list are Frida, Freja, Esther, Merle, Ingrid and Solveig.

For boys, Emil, Valdemar, Anker, Erik, Holger, Viggo, Asger, Pelle, Kalle, Johan, Storm, Frederik, Johan.

you can also take a look at names from Nordic mythology.

Navne til nyfødte

Se de mest populære fornavne til nyfødte - både i dag og helt tilbage til 1985.

https://www.dst.dk/da/Statistik/emner/borgere/navne/navne-til-nyfoedte

sonjadog · 08/04/2024 19:51

Maiken
Annelise
Ingeborg
Solveig
Ingunn
Frida

Kristian
Emil
Anders
Johan
Isak
Ragnar

JustaSmallSlice · 08/04/2024 19:40

Cecilie - Danish version for Cecilia. I would pronounce the English way similar to Cecily

Floortile · 08/04/2024 19:36

peaceinourtime · 08/04/2024 15:49

For boys Leif or Soren. I knew two who were brothers.
for girls Liv, I love it it’s simple and elegant.

But do you know how to pronounce those names? ( And it should be spelt Søren or Sören)

Original poster
cambridgecoral · 08/04/2024 15:59

motherofbantams · 08/04/2024 10:06

I like Styrka (steer-ka) as a name - is Swedish for strength.

Very cool!

OP posts:
peaceinourtime · 08/04/2024 15:49

For boys Leif or Soren. I knew two who were brothers.
for girls Liv, I love it it’s simple and elegant.

MidnightPatrol · 08/04/2024 10:07

Danish friend of mine just named her son Aksel

motherofbantams · 08/04/2024 10:06

I like Styrka (steer-ka) as a name - is Swedish for strength.

motherofbantams · 08/04/2024 10:03

Astrid

MonkeyTennis34 · 08/04/2024 10:02

We have Danish friends whose children are Kirsten and Oskar.

ChanelNo19EDT · 08/04/2024 09:57

I also used to work for a Danish company in London many years ago. The Danes can make all of 'our' sounds but we cannot make all of theirs. So, agree, be careful choosing a Danish name! I had a grá for languages and over estimated my ability to pick up Danish! ha!

hellobello25 · 08/04/2024 09:36

Dana

ThankFitsFriday · 08/04/2024 09:04

I used to work for a Danish company, I worked in both the London office and the Copenhagen office. In the London office I’d regularly hear Danish names being mispronounced. Having a particularly unusual Danish name will likely result in pronunciation problems which might become annoying to DC.

I’d probably lean more towards Kasper, Ida etc - names which are Danish but still easy to pronounce.

Floortile · 08/04/2024 08:46

There is no such thing as "Scandi" names. Some names are used in all three countries ( Denmark, Norway and Sweden) but they are different cultures/countries. Also make sure you choose a name that is pronounced the same in English and in Danish, otherwise it might be a bit annoying for your son/daughter. **

dancingsands · 08/04/2024 08:44

I love the name torben and noa

Whitewatergrafting · 08/04/2024 08:37

No suggestions but I would check with DH and family about any pitfalls like the Danish equivalent of Nigel, Barry and Ian. Unless that's your vibe.

user1492757084 · 08/04/2024 08:35

😀

InfoComet · 08/04/2024 08:31

How important is the pronunciation to you/your DH?

Even seemingly straightforward names like Lotte and Mikkel will be pronounced quite differently by English speakers.

Original poster
cambridgecoral · 08/04/2024 08:27

user1492757084 · 08/04/2024 08:25

Astrid
Ingrid
Benedikte
Ivalo
Mathilde
Anneke
Sophie

Ivor
Igor
Bertil
Christian
Anders
Hans
Brett
Oscar

Love Anders, but it's pronounced an us (sort of) 😫

OP posts:
user1492757084 · 08/04/2024 08:25

Astrid
Ingrid
Benedikte
Ivalo
Mathilde
Anneke
Sophie

Ivor
Igor
Bertil
Christian
Anders
Hans
Brett
Oscar

EveSix · 08/04/2024 05:49

Danish names have a slightly different ring to them than Swedish and Norwegian names, never mind the names found in Finland. There are of course the names with roots in ancient nordic history, but many Danish names have a hint of the germanic about them too.
Pronunciation is very particular, most names won't sound, when rolling off an English-speaking tongue, like they would if uttered by a Dane.
I love Theis for a boy and Gry and Saga for a girl. They sound lovely and soft in Danish but perhaps a bit harsh in English?

Fifi80 · 08/04/2024 05:34

Stellan
Roselie