Please help us with Scandi girl names!

[Taggys]

Hello,

We are expecting a little one late summer :) We already have a boy name sorted, but need some help with girl names... We are a half Swedish, half English family, living in the UK. We already have two children - a boy and a girl, and they have names that are very common in Scandinavia. Now, we need help with a girl name, that works in both regions.

We want the name to "sound" Scandinavian to fit with our other children's names, but work in the UK.

Our top 3 is (all of them "old lady" names that are well-known in Sweden):
Eira - derives from Norse godess "Eir", godess of health who could heal the sick. also Welsh name, meaning "snow".
Ilse - German/Scandi name meaning "oath of God".
Iris - Greek name meaning "rainbow".

But we also like:
Elfrida (nicknames could be Frida, Ida, Effie/Elfie)
Ida
Astrid (nice but a bit too common in Swe, was No.1 given name to girls 2022)
Hilma
Signe
Selma
Saga
Asta
Thora
Helga
Freja (nice but a bit too common in both Swe and UK)

Please help! Which ones "sound" Scandi? Which ones are pretty? Which ones work in the UK??

Such gorgeous names!

love….
Elfrida (nicknames could be Frida, Ida, Effie/Elfie) esp Elfie
Astrid
Saga
Freja - if you choose this one definitely spell it this way!

Ingrid

Eira - pronounced differently in Welsh. Gets said as Eye-ra a lot otherwise.
Ilse - lovely
Iris - How would you say it?

Elfrida (nicknames could be Frida, Ida, Effie/Elfie) - no
Ida - no. will be Eye-da
Astrid - yes
Hilma - not sure
Signe - How do you say it?
Selma - no
Saga - no, has 'elderly' associations here
Asta - Hasta la vista! Asda.
Thora -love it
Helga - ok. Prefer Hilda
Freja - Freya's been done to death here

all are fine except Elfrida which is awful.

My Name is a Scandinavian/ Viking name.

I love Effie or Elfie from Elfrida - great name.
Also love Asta - so beautiful
I love Freja and it wouldn't bother me that it is popular
I also love Solveig and Katja

I really love Eira, Asta, Freja and Iris - stunning names!

I really like - Astrid, Ida and Elfrida (love Frida)

I quite like - Selma and Ilse.

Im personally less keen on Helga, Thora, Saga, Signe and Hilma, as I’m not sure they work as well in the Uk as your other name ideas.

I think Signe is something like Sinn-ya? I reckon that one would cause too many difficulties, sorry. (I knew one once, and she suited it very well, but this was in Germany, where pronunciation patterns are closer to Scandi ones). Saga would probably be made fun of (sadly), Helga I think would be considered as old-fashioned in a not-good way, possibly Hilma too.

I love Iris and Ida, but they would both get different pronunciations from your two sides of the family/in Sweden and the UK), if that bothers you. I think if I were you I might go for Elfrida, known as Frida. If I wanted Ilsa I might spell it with an A at the end, which I know isn't 'correct' but would avoid it being pronounced 'Ils' in the UK.

Have you thought about something like Linnea or An(n)ika? Or Lotta?

I have a Freya and an Iris so little biased but my favourite girls' names. I love most of your list. What about Maja?

What about Ineke, nick name Inky?

I like your top 3 but tbh I don't think any of the rest very nice-all seem quite harsh to my ears

Well I have one of those names and it is mispronounced but doesn't bother me. If I lived in another country then they would mispronounce traditional English names.

Britt

Line or Lina?

Also I've only met one Ida.

Elfrida - Elfie. Gorgeous!
Ida and Iris are also lovely.

Love Ida and Thora. What about Nor?

Asta was on my list but husband vetoed it because it starts with ass. I like all of them! She will have to tell people how to pronounce Signe but that's not necessarily a problem. Freya/Freja was on my list but I also cut it because of the current popularity. Ilsa would be easier for English speaker than Ilse, if it works for you.

Of the names you posted I like Freja, Astrid and Iris.

Some other suggestions: Lena, Mia, Maja, Heidi, Noomi, Ebba, Annika

Your top 2 are absolutely beautiful!!

Signe 👍

Pronounced See-na

Iris is my favourite, followed by Astrid.

I wouldn't choose Saga as for me the association is with Saga Holidays for old people. I also wouldn't choose Asta, as I bet a lot of people would red/say it as Astra.

How about Inga?

Lisbeth
Hanne
Erika
Helena

I like Signe, I know one and her name is pronounced properly, people only have to ask once.

I don’t like Asta as it’s a computer programme we use at work!

Thank you so much everyone!:) Are there any of the names that "sound" more Scandinavian than others...?

I heard the other day a little girl called 'Svea'.
They pronounced it as 'Zvaya'. (Aya part like May - a) hope that makes sense lol.
I believe the mother was Swedish. I thought it was beautiful.