Page 2 | Scandi baby names that work in the UK

Taggys · 2023-10-04T14:08:39+00:00

Hello! I am Swedish living in the UK, and we are discussing baby names that work in both languages. What are your opinion on the following names? Do they work well in English? (they are all well-known Swedish names) Boys: *Sigurd/Sigvard* *Otto* *Nils* *August* *Einar* *Edgar* *Ebbe* *Ivar* Girls: *Ilse* *Asta* - pronounced "Asda" - so I am thinking no because of the shop, or would this matter? *Eira* *Estrid* *Hilma* *Elfrida* *Willa* *Signe* Many thanks!

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AnnaMagnani · 04/10/2023 16:47

Be very wary of any girl's name ending in -e. It just won't be pronounced by at least 80% of people.

Luckily my name sounds quite nice without the -e but my mum's really really doesn't.

It's fine in school where everyone makes the effort but in adult life it's not the same. I think Ilse which is a lovely name will just get pronounced as Ils.

caringcarer · 04/10/2023 18:38

Dee1224 · 04/10/2023 16:39

I see we have another Vikings’ fan @caringcarer !

Yep, I love it.

Tarne · 04/10/2023 18:42

Lars, Leif and Klara are more beautiful scandi names

UglyModernWindows · 04/10/2023 18:51

I’m a Finn and when I was expecting my second DC I wanted to call the baby Eira if it’s a girl. My DH is Welsh and Eira means snow in Welsh. I thought it would have been so fitting.

Boys names - how about Linus?

theduchessofspork · 04/10/2023 19:03

Sigurd/Sigvard - just about if Sig day to day
Otto - yes it’s popular (though it reminds me of Nazis, sorry)
Nils - no, sounds like Nill / Nothing
August - yes it’s popular
Einar - you could, not sure I would
Edgar - yes
Ebbe - just about - but isn’t it a girls name?!
Ivar - yes but it’ll get misspelt as Ivor alot

How about
Nikolai
Stellen
Toren
Magus
Lucas
Alexander
Jens
Lars
Oliver

Sorry if some of these are only Danish (my only exp of Scandinavia is part Danish partner)

Girls:
Ilse - yes, though you might get mangled spellings / pronunciations
Asta - hard no if it’s pronounced Asda. pronounced "Asda" - so I am thinking no because of the shop, or would this matter?
Eira - yes
Estrid - yes but it will get spelt Astrid
Hilma - you could, it’s not v attractive though..
Elfrida - yes, especially if you call her Elfie or Frida day to day
Willa - yes it’s popular
Signe - no, people will mistake it for sign or signet

How about
Liv
Ida
Katrine
Emma
Sarah
Charlotte
Ida
Freya
Thora
Philippa

theduchessofspork · 04/10/2023 19:16

Taggys · 04/10/2023 15:35

haha! yes, that's what I am thinking too... It SHOULD be pronounced "As-Ta", but I think it will be "As-Da" here in the UK unfortunately...

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Oh I think if it’s meant to be Asta you will be fine - unless it’s something to do with the accent where you are?

Aster (flower name) is said the same and is used a bit, also Astra and Astrid

KirstenBlest · 04/10/2023 19:55

Eira is also a Welsh name, and we live on the Welsh border so for us that isn't a problem. I think it can be pronounced "Eye-ruh" for both English and Welsh.
It's not an English name, and it isn't Eye-ruh. It's the Welsh word for snow and doesn't have an equivalent pronunciation in English.
The nearest I can think of is Ey-ra with the ey like in someone saying Hey! really quickly, and the ra is like the ra in rat or rap.
It sounds awful said as Ayruh (or Ava with an r unstead of a v).

In South Wales it tends to get said as Ira, but probably because Welsh is spoken by fewer people there.

Original poster

Taggys · 05/10/2023 09:57

Dee1224 · 04/10/2023 16:08

Hi, I would also suggest thinking about how easy it is to both pronounce and spell the name for English speakers.

As the owner of an ‘unusual’ name myself apparently, (I don’t think so, particularly- but it’s not Dee🤣), I can confirm that misspellings, ghastly nicknames and mispronunciation have plagued me my entire life.

It’s also good to think about what likely abbreviations will be made once your child gets to school:

Edgar is very likely to become Eddie, Sigurd and even Signe, probably Siggy or Ziggy. I am afraid that Willa might well become Willie/Willy.

Otto works well, (although I wouldn’t rule out your child going through life as Otter!)

Ivar also works, (familiar to lots of people atm due to ‘Vikings’).

Ilse is a lovely name, but it may often be misspelled as Elsa and you will be asked if you are a big fan of Frozen.

I like Estrid, but suspect misspelling as Astrid is likely.

I like Ivar and Eira best. Otto and Estrid second.

Congratulations btw!

Edited

Thank you so much for your suggestions! 😊You are right about abbreviations... it is worth thinking about for sure!! I think "Willy" is a bit unfortunate :D

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Original poster

Taggys · 05/10/2023 09:58

AnnaMagnani · 04/10/2023 16:47

Be very wary of any girl's name ending in -e. It just won't be pronounced by at least 80% of people.

Luckily my name sounds quite nice without the -e but my mum's really really doesn't.

It's fine in school where everyone makes the effort but in adult life it's not the same. I think Ilse which is a lovely name will just get pronounced as Ils.

Good point, thank you!! 😊

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Original poster

Taggys · 05/10/2023 10:36

Tarne · 04/10/2023 18:42

Lars, Leif and Klara are more beautiful scandi names

Thank you! <3 I like Lars and Klara, Leif is not from the same era in Sweden...but it's easy to say in English, which is good!

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Original poster

Taggys · 05/10/2023 10:37

UglyModernWindows · 04/10/2023 18:51

I’m a Finn and when I was expecting my second DC I wanted to call the baby Eira if it’s a girl. My DH is Welsh and Eira means snow in Welsh. I thought it would have been so fitting.

Boys names - how about Linus?

Eira is pretty isn't it! Linus is from a different era in Sweden, otherwise it's a lovely name, thanks!

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Original poster

Taggys · 05/10/2023 10:39

theduchessofspork · 04/10/2023 19:16

Oh I think if it’s meant to be Asta you will be fine - unless it’s something to do with the accent where you are?

Aster (flower name) is said the same and is used a bit, also Astra and Astrid

Show quote history

Thank you <3 Maybe "Asta" wouldn't be a problem then... I guess it's when people say it fast it may be mis-pronounced. "Aster" is lovely!

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Original poster

Taggys · 05/10/2023 10:41

theduchessofspork · 04/10/2023 19:03

Sigurd/Sigvard - just about if Sig day to day
Otto - yes it’s popular (though it reminds me of Nazis, sorry)
Nils - no, sounds like Nill / Nothing
August - yes it’s popular
Einar - you could, not sure I would
Edgar - yes
Ebbe - just about - but isn’t it a girls name?!
Ivar - yes but it’ll get misspelt as Ivor alot

How about
Nikolai
Stellen
Toren
Magus
Lucas
Alexander
Jens
Lars
Oliver

Sorry if some of these are only Danish (my only exp of Scandinavia is part Danish partner)

Girls:
Ilse - yes, though you might get mangled spellings / pronunciations
Asta - hard no if it’s pronounced Asda. pronounced "Asda" - so I am thinking no because of the shop, or would this matter?
Eira - yes
Estrid - yes but it will get spelt Astrid
Hilma - you could, it’s not v attractive though..
Elfrida - yes, especially if you call her Elfie or Frida day to day
Willa - yes it’s popular
Signe - no, people will mistake it for sign or signet

How about
Liv
Ida
Katrine
Emma
Sarah
Charlotte
Ida
Freya
Thora
Philippa

Thank you <3 I like Jens, Lars, Ida and Thora from your suggestions!!

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Original poster

Taggys · 05/10/2023 10:44

KirstenBlest · 04/10/2023 19:55

Eira is also a Welsh name, and we live on the Welsh border so for us that isn't a problem. I think it can be pronounced "Eye-ruh" for both English and Welsh.
It's not an English name, and it isn't Eye-ruh. It's the Welsh word for snow and doesn't have an equivalent pronunciation in English.
The nearest I can think of is Ey-ra with the ey like in someone saying Hey! really quickly, and the ra is like the ra in rat or rap.
It sounds awful said as Ayruh (or Ava with an r unstead of a v).

In South Wales it tends to get said as Ira, but probably because Welsh is spoken by fewer people there.

That would also be the Swedish way of saying it - "y-ra with the ey like in someone saying Hey! really quickly, and the ra is like the ra in rat or rap." - but with a hard "R". I think it may cause too much confusion, which is why I am a little hesitant to using it - but it is such a lovely name with lovely meanings both in Swedish and Welsh!

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Original poster

Taggys · 05/10/2023 10:46

Wonkydriver · 04/10/2023 16:15

Sigurd/Sigvard-no
Otto-absolutely love this
Nils-works but not keen
August-would assume august birthday but quite nice
Einar-think people would struggle with pronunciation
Edgar-bit old fashioned but ok
Ebbe-i like this but sounds more like a nickname
Ivar-good

Girls:
Ilse-yes like this
Asta - pronounced "Asda" - so I am thinking no because of the shop, or would this matter? No-the shop maters!
Eira-ok
Estrid-too similar to astrid (which I prefer)
Hilma-like
Elfrida-no
Willa-love this but would worry about ‘willy’
Signe-no

Thank you! <3

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Original poster

Taggys · 05/10/2023 10:51

northerngoldilocks · 04/10/2023 16:19

Estrid is a women's razor brand in the U.K.

Oh dear haha, thank you for pointing this out - I don't think we will use Estrid now :D

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Original poster

Taggys · 05/10/2023 10:52

caringcarer · 04/10/2023 16:32

Ragnar

Why not! :D It sounds quite harsh in Swedish, but it is definitely well-known due to Vikings

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Vallmo47 · 05/10/2023 10:53

Jag skulle personligen undvika namn som får folk att behöva upprepa sig, man kan hitta någonting relativt unikt utan att få jobbiga diskussioner. Jag ville döpa min dotter till Linnea tills en jobbig person utbrast “Va?!!! Linear??? Like a ruler?!” och då gick det bort direkt. Skulle därför undvika Asta, här skulle barn garanterat koppla till affären och du vet Hur taskiga barn Kan vara.
Lycka till!

Original poster

Taggys · 05/10/2023 10:55

SM4713 · 04/10/2023 16:38

Congrats! There are some names on the list I'm not familiar with, so would be guessing how to pronounce them. Equally, if said to me, might struggle to spell them correctly.

No matter how 'simple and easy' a name might seem though, some people will always have problems. My name is only 4 letters, and not widely unusual. Think Jane, Anna, Mary for example. Easy names right? But Jane might be spelt Jayne or pronounced Janee/Janae!

Here are my honest, 1st thoughts:

Boys:
Sigurd/Sigvard- are these both pronounced the name? If its pronounced Sig-Vard, I'd spell it like that
Otto- love
Nils- Reminds me of Nil by mouth. Not keen.
August- Quite like. Is the full name Augustus, as in Augustus Gloop from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? Is it pronounced like the month?
Einar- How is it pronounced? I-nar, EE-nar?
Edgar- Easy to pronounce and spell. I think of a much older man, but it might be due a comeback
Ebbe- I read this as EE-Bee, Like Evie with a B, and assumed it was a female name. How should it be pronounced?
Ivar- I know Ivor, and Ivo, but not Ivar. Is it pronounced like its written?

Girls:
Ilse- Like it, but might get pronounced Il-sa rather than EL-sa.
Asta - pronounced "Asda" - so I am thinking no because of the shop, or would this matter? Yes it matters and would be a no.

Eira- I agree with the above comment about it being Irish
Estrid- Also agree, I prefer Astrid
Hilma- Also reminds me of Hilda, but prefer Hilma
Elfrida- Quite like
Willa- Like it, but somehow feels like a nickname/unfinished. I prefer Willow.
Signe- Never seen it before. Before reading your pronunciation, assumed it was 'Sig-na'

My Swedish friend has a Vilgot and Gustaf and her husband is Thomas.

No, it's just "August" and pronounced like the month yes :D Famous Swede August Strindberg was a writer..

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Original poster

Taggys · 05/10/2023 10:57

BarbieKew · 04/10/2023 16:43

I like Otto and Nils from your boy list, but I absolutely love Sven - is that discounted? Or Linus? Ebbe sounds like Emma with a cold, though I do like it.

For girls I like Eira and Willa. I live up north though where Willow might be pronounced Willa. Hilma reminds me of Himmler (which in turn…) Estrid is nice but you’d have an easier time with Astrid. Other Swedishy names I like are Elin, and I once met a Swedish Alice. I also know a Welsh Alys, could that work?

Thank you <3 Sven is also very nice, yes! Linus I don't like as much for some reason. But yes, Alice is very popular in Sweden and also from the same era!

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Original poster

Taggys · 05/10/2023 10:58

FlossTea · 04/10/2023 16:44

My son went to nursery with an Asta, I never even thought of it as like the shop! I assumed it was Aster (like the flower) until I saw it written down. I like it!

Oh, lovely! Thanks for this - "Aster" isn't a bad association at all! <3

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Original poster

Taggys · 05/10/2023 11:05

Thank you all so much for your kind suggestions. It has been very helpful to get an English perspective on these names :D

We have narrowed it down to:

Girls:
Ilse
Elfrida (nn Elfie / Frida)
Eira (maybe including this, but worried it will be pronounced in many different ways which will just be a pain)
Iris (new!)
Beata (new, not sure though...?)

Boys:
Otto
Nils (I know a lot of people didn't like this name, but we want to honour our both grandfathers, whose names were Neil and Nils)
Edgar
August
Ivar

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Original poster

Taggys · 05/10/2023 12:38

Vallmo47 · 05/10/2023 10:53

Jag skulle personligen undvika namn som får folk att behöva upprepa sig, man kan hitta någonting relativt unikt utan att få jobbiga diskussioner. Jag ville döpa min dotter till Linnea tills en jobbig person utbrast “Va?!!! Linear??? Like a ruler?!” och då gick det bort direkt. Skulle därför undvika Asta, här skulle barn garanterat koppla till affären och du vet Hur taskiga barn Kan vara.
Lycka till!

Tack Vallmo! Jag tror också att man ska göra det så enkelt för sina barn som möjligt...Linnea kanske skulle kunna kopplas till "linear" som du säger och jag tror heller inte att Asta funkar tyvärr... dock vill jag så gärna hedra vår svenska sida med att använda svenska namn, men det är jättesvårt!

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thislittlebird · 05/10/2023 14:20

Hi OP, lots of these would work fine, I particularly like Edgar, Otto, Iris, Elfrida. We're considering Ivor (the British version) and it would be worth noting people might not pronounce Ivar as EE-var, assuming that's how you hear it, as Brits would usually say EYE-ver (roughly). You might already know or not care, but I know the pronunciations differ so thought it worth mentioning.

theduchessofspork · 05/10/2023 15:50

Don’t think I’d use Beata just because it sounds like beat as in beaten up

Maybe Beatrice/Beatrix nn Beata and she can use Beatrice or Bea if she doesn’t like it ?

Iris is lovely but mega popular if that bothers you. Ines might be an alternative.