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Swedish first names: the top 80

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Swedish first names are becoming increasingly popular, as they often sound particularly cheerful and playful and remind us of our own childhood with the classics by Astrid Lindgren and other children’s book authors. At the same time, they are already very established and can be pronounced well. Whether Nils, Lotta, Ronja, Ida or Bosse – the decision is not easy.

Popular Swedish first names

Are you expecting and looking for a suitable first name for your baby? Have Swedish first names come to mind? What names do Swedish children have? Here you can find the girls’ and boys’ names that currently top the lists of the most popular first names in Sweden:

Popular girls’ names:

Popular boy names:

  1. Alice – the noble one
  2. Olivia – the peaceful one
  3. Astrid – Star
  4. Maja – the higher one
  5. Vera – the true/shy one
  6. Ebba – the strong/honourable one
  7. Ella – the radiant/beautiful one
  8. Wilma – determined protector
  9. Alma – young woman/the capable one
  10. Lilly – filled with God/the lily
  1. Lucas – the shining one
  2. Liam – determined protector
  3. William – determined protector
  4. Elijah – “my God is Yahweh”
  5. Noah – the comforter
  6. Hugo – spirit/sanity
  7. Oliver – the peaceful one
  8. Oscar – divine spear
  9. Adam – man
  10. Matteo – gift of God
Swedish favourite first names
The Swedes also have their favourites first names.

Interestingly, male first names with a Y at the end, such as Tommy, Jimmy, Tony or Johnny, are particularly unpopular in Sweden. Statistically speaking, men with these names are even more likely to end up in prison in Sweden. This is why these names tend to be associated with low social status in Sweden – fortunately, this is not the case in Germany, for example.

Swedish first names for girls

If you’d prefer to choose a classic Swedish name for your girl, you might want to look at female and girl’s names, which are very common in Sweden as a whole. These include:

  1. Maria – Sea Star
  2. Anna – the graced/gracious one
  3. Margaret – pearl
  4. Elisabeth – filled with God
  5. Eve – life/the life-giving one
  6. Birgitta – the sublime
  7. Kristina – Christian woman
  8. Karin – the pure one
  9. Ingrid – the beautiful goddess
  10. Marie – sea star/the rebellious one

Swedish first names for boys

There are some names for men and boys that are very common throughout Sweden and therefore sound“classically” Swedish. Here you can find the most common ones:

  1. Erik – the autocrat
  2. Lars – the laurel-wreathed
  3. Karl – the (free) man
  4. Anders – the manly/brave one
  5. Per – rock/stone
  6. Johan – the gifted one
  7. Lennart – strong lion
  8. Nils – “victory of the people”
  9. Jan – the favoured one
  10. Sven – young man/warrior

Old Swedish first names

Old Swedish first names are particularly traditional and are often associated with Norse mythology, which is why they are often reminiscent of Vikings. When you hear them, you immediately think of the far north.

Old girls’ names:

Old boy names:

  1. Helga – the saint/healer
  2. Malin – the sublime
  3. Edda – the fighter
  4. Pia – the pious/respectable
  5. Freya / Freia / Freja – Norse goddess of love
  6. Jule – the one dedicated to Jupiter/the cheerful one
  7. Caja – the pure one
  8. Ylvie – little she-wolf
  9. Silja – the divine one, child of the forest
  10. Jorunn – the popular guide
  1. Mads – gift from God
  2. Yorick – the farm labourer/farmer
  3. Lasse – the laurel-wreathed one
  4. Ole – the heir/noble
  5. Rune – the mysterious one
  6. Knut – the bold one
  7. Mattis – gift of God
  8. Frey – Norse god of the weather
  9. Norvid – northern forest
  10. Ebbe – boar
Old Swedish names
Old Swedish names often sound typically Nordic and are reminiscent of Viking names.

Rare Swedish first names

Are you looking for an unusual name for your child? Rare Swedish names have a special recognition value for both girls and boys.

Rare girls’ names:

Rare boy names:

  1. Airin – the peaceful one
  2. Elvy – the lively one
  3. Caria – the pure one
  4. Heli – the radiant one
  5. Kina – the pure one
  6. Laja – the eloquent one
  7. Mailisa – a combination of Mai and Lisa
  8. Linnea – moss bell/the tender one
  9. Moa – mother
  10. Lovis – famous fighter
  1. Ando – bird/god
  2. Eldar – fiery fighter
  3. Ilian – the shield holder/protector
  4. Frode – the wise man
  5. Gylfi – first king of the Norse sagas
  6. Jerik – the autocrat
  7. Kjell – cauldron/helmet
  8. Folke – the people
  9. Ville – determined protector
  10. Vide – willow tree
Rare Swedish names
First names, which are rather rare even in Sweden, are particularly recognisable.

More inspiration

If you’re still looking for a suitable name with Swedish origins, you’ll find even more inspiration and ideas in books. Astrid Lindgren’s story collection in particular tells of children with typically Swedish and cheerful-sounding names. Another advantage of the book is that it makes a good gift for your child, who will recognise a character with their name in it and will certainly enjoy listening to the stories as they fall asleep.

For even more inspiration, you can check out our articles: Popular Scandinavian names, Icelandic first names, Norwegian first names or typical Danish first names.

Baby equipment checklist

We have put together a short checklist for your baby’s first outfit (in Scandinavian style, of course):

  1. Co-sleeper or cot
  2. Baby mattress
  3. Fitted sheet
  4. Baby blanket
  5. Changing unit
  6. Baby bathtub
  7. Pram
  8. Bodysuits
  9. Rompers
  10. Socks
  11. Bonnet
  12. Sleeping bag
  13. Burp cloths
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