The Scandinavian country of Sweden boasts many strong, Nordic baby names—and many of those baby names have been rising the charts here in the U.S. If you’re looking for a name that’s been popular in the country over the last year, or one with a distinctly Swedish sound to it, you’ve come to the right place.
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The first group of unique Swedish baby boy names here are last year’s top 50 most popular boy names chosen by Swedish parents. You’ll notice that many of these names are quite familiar to us, and have popped up on our own popularity charts. For example, Sweden’s No. 1 overall choice, Noah, has been in the top 10 for years.
There are a few other popular Swedish baby boy names that are pretty interesting choices — not because they’re names we’re familiar with, but because they have sort of a vintage American feel to them, namely Melvin and Alfred. Others are distinctly Scandinavian in nature with that Nordic flair we love, making them an amazing choice for parents searching for a unique moniker or hoping to honor their Swedish heritage.
Top 50 boy baby names in Sweden
- Noah
- William
- Hugo
- Lucas
- Liam
- Oscar
- Oliver
- Matteo
- Elias
- Adam
- Leon
- Walter
- Alfred
- Leo
- Nils
- Harry
- Alexander
- Vincent
- Isak
- Theo
- Charlie
- August
- Arvid
- Ludvig
- Theodor
- Elliot
- Frans
- Filip
- Sam
- Adrian
- Louie
- Axel
- Otto
- Gabriel
- Malte
- Josef
- Mohamed
- Elton
- Ebbe
- Benjamin
- Love
- Olle
- Henry
- Melvin
- Edvin
- Aron
- Albin
- Jack
- Frank
- Tage
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Swedish Baby Names for Boys
Here are a few more names with Swedish etymologies that, while not securing top spots in Sweden, are still solid choices for your tiny tot—they have that Nordic vibe, some with connections to Norse mythology—and many have been up-and-comers here in the U.S..
No matter what baby name you ultimately choose, looking these over can really bolster your baby name list, adding unique and interesting choices to your old favorites.
- Alf: derived from Old Norse word alfr, which means “elf”
- Alvar: from the Old Norse name Alfarr, which comes from words meaning “elf” and “warrior”
- Björn: this name means “bear”
- Claes: the Swedish shortened form of Nicholas
- Einar: meaning “alone, warrior,” this comes from an Old Norse name, Einarr
- Evert: This Swedish name means “brave boar” and can also be Americanized as the popular Everett
- Göran: this is the medieval Swedish form of George
- Halvar: the Swedish variant of the Norwegian name Halvard
- Ivar: the Scandinavian form of the English name Ivor
- Justinus: Names with an “us” ending like Magnus and Justinus (which means righteous) may sound like they come from Latin, but they’re Scandinavian in origin.
- Lennart: this name is the Swedish and Low German form of Leonard
- Loki: You can thank the Marvel universe for making this Scandinavian god name an up-and-comer
- Olav: the Swedish version of Olaf
- Rikard: the Scandinavian form of Richard
- Severin: the German and Scandinavian form of the name Severinus, an old Roman family name
- Sigge: Currently in the top 75 names in Sweden, this nickname baby name is short for Sigmund, and shares its meaning, “protection.”
- Stellan: Popularized by actor Stellan Skarsgard, this Swedish name means “calm”
- Thor: The ancient god of thunder’s name is becoming more popular, thanks to his appearance in the Marvel universe
- Torgny: This comes from the Old Norse name Þórgnýr, which means “Thor’s noise”
- Viggo: Actor Viggo Mortensen sports this fierce baby name name, which means “warlike.”
Looking for more baby name inspiration? Check out our favorite celebrity baby names:
A version of this article was originally published in June 2016.
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