The Most Popular Swedish Girl Names
In this article you'll find an extensive list of Swedish baby girl names. It covers everything from traditional Swedish girl names, more modern Swedish girl names and common Swedish girl names to the most popular first names for girls in Sweden over the last 100 years.
Swedish girl names: it’s a match
Mention two bright red braids, mismatched stockings, a monkey and a horse, and you immediately think of... the free-spirited Pippi Longstocking, of course, who challenged social norms for so many young children with her strength and independence.
The unconventional children's story of Pippi and her friends was written by the famous Swedish author Astrid Lindgren, and it has certainly made a name for itself in the world of books. It has made its mark beyond books, too: both Astrid's name and the names of her characters have appeared on many Swedish birth certificates ever since.
Traditional Swedish girl names
Many cultures and countries have traditional names with a long string of letters, but Swedish parents prefer to keep things short and simple. Or, as they call it: Lagom, which means “just right.” In the list below you'll find some traditional Swedish girl names and their meanings.
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Anna | Grace |
| Astrid | Divinely beautiful |
| Ebba | Strength |
| Elsa | Divine strength |
| Freja | Lady (named after the Norse goddess Freyja) |
| Hilma | Protection |
| Ingrid | Beautiful goddess |
| Karin | Pure |
| Signe | Path of victory |
| Tyra | Divine strength |
As the traditional Swedish girl names listed above show, the idea of “less is more” seems deeply rooted in Swedish culture and history. After all, as Pippi proves, you don't need a complicated name to make an impression.
Modern Swedish girl names
Taste is personal, but mismatched stockings aren't exactly the height of style. Swedish fashion has taken off in recent years, though, and Swedish girls in particular have been praised internationally for their great, contemporary looks. In the list below you'll find some modern Swedish girl names that are just as stylish as the outfits of the girls who wear them.
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Alma | Soul |
| Ava | Life |
| Ellie | Light |
| Hanna | Grace |
| Ida | Work or diligence |
| Luna | Moon |
| Maja | The great one |
| Nora | Light |
| Selma | Sure protector |
| Siri | Beautiful goddess of victory |
The modern Swedish girl names listed above are a bit like the northern lights: take a few seemingly modest elements, wrap them in a beautiful coat, and suddenly they make a big impression!
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Common Swedish girl names
You're almost as likely to hear the Swedish girl names listed below on a school playground as you are to find Astrid's books somewhere on the shelves of the same building.
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Alice | Truth |
| Elsa | Divine strength |
| Emma | Whole or universal |
| Freyja | Lady (named after the Norse goddess Freyja) |
| Hannah | Grace |
| Ida | Work or diligence |
| Maja | The great one |
| Nora | Light |
They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but the Swedish girl names above are a safe choice for any parent looking for a name for their little girl. Just be prepared to meet a few namesakes in the classroom!
The most popular Swedish girl names of the last 100 years
With environmental awareness becoming more and more important in Sweden, there's every reason to hope that Swedish biodiversity is here to stay. It was the same over the last century, when many Swedish girl names and their meanings had their roots in the country's nature. The list below gives you an overview of the most popular Swedish girl names of the last 100 years, which also reflect the many changes the country has gone through.
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Alice | of noble character or of noble birth |
| Astrid | divine strength or divine path |
| Beatrice | Happy one or blessed one |
| Elsa | Consecrated to God or noble |
| Emma | All-embracing or complete |
| Freja | Goddess of love and fertility |
| Greta | Pearl or colorful flower |
| Ingrid | Beautiful one or beloved |
| Karin | Pure one or purity |
| Lena | Radiant one or shining one |
| Maja | Wave or queen |
| Nora | Bringer of light or honor |
| Selma | Protector or secluded one |
| Sigrid | beautiful power of victory or beautiful victor |
| Stella | Star or star-shaped |
| Vera | Truth or faithfulness |
Like many other countries, Sweden has had to open and close a lot of chapters over the last 100 years. The result? The Swedish girl names listed above, which show how much can change in “just” one century.
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Our top 100 Swedish girl names
If none of our Swedish girl names has caught your eye so far, here are 100 more Swedish baby girl names and their meanings for you.
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Aada | the noble one |
| Agda | the good one |
| Alina | bright light |
| Alva | the elf, nature spirit |
| Anea | the mother |
| Amira | Princess |
| Annbritt | the graced one |
| Annika | the graceful one |
| Astrid | divinely beautiful |
| Aprilia | the blossoming one |
| Beatrice | happy one or blessed one |
| Birgit | radiant |
| Bodil | the one who makes amends |
| Britta | the exalted one |
| Celine | heavenly |
| Cecilia | blind |
| Dagmar | the day of the sea |
| Dagny | new day |
| Disa | Goddess |
| Eira | Snow |
| Elin | the radiant one |
| Elsie | Consecrated to God |
| Elvira | white lady |
| Fanny | the free one |
| Filippa | Friend of horses |
| Fiona | white |
| Freyja | Goddess of love and fertility |
| Gertrud | Spear of strength |
| Greta | Pearl |
| Gunilla | Warrior |
| Hedda | Warrior |
| Hilda | the warrior |
| Ingela | of Ing, also Yngvi |
| Ivana | God is gracious |
| Janna | God is gracious |
| Karita | the amiable one |
| Karolina | free |
| Klara | bright, clear |
| Lina | Short form of names ending in -lina |
| Livia | Life |
| Lovisa | famous warrior |
| Maj | the month of May |
| Malin | little apple blossom |
| Miri | the sea |
| Nanna | the bold one |
| Nella | Light of God |
| Nerina | the water |
| Oda | Wealth, prosperity |
| Olena | the radiant one |
| Olga | holy |
| Pernilla | the rock |
| Pia | pious, God-fearing |
| Qina | King |
| Quinna | Queen |
| Ragna | the queen, the rich one |
| Ragnhild | Counselor in battle |
| Ronja | the shining one |
| Runa | Secret |
| Sabina | from Sabinum |
| Saga | Story or legend |
| Sanna | the honest one |
| Selina | Moonlight |
| Sessa | Short form of Cecilia |
| Silja | derived from Caecilia |
| Smilla | Smile |
| Solveig | Path of the sun, strength of the house |
| Sophine | Wisdom |
| Sunniva | Giver of sun, gift of the sun |
| Synni | the sun |
| Tereza | the harvested one or the huntress |
| Teresa | Woman of the harvest |
| Thyra | Shield or warrior |
| Tilda | Mighty in battle |
| Tova | to be good |
| Tuva | Sound of bringing forth |
| Ulrika | rich heiress |
| Unni | the lovely one |
| Valina | the falcon |
| Vendela | Change or wonderfully beautiful |
| Vilma | shapely or strong-willed |
| Vilda | wild |
| Viveka | clever, wise woman |
| Vivienne | lively |
| Wanda | Wanderer |
| Xenia | Hospitality |
| Yrla | Whirlwind |
| Ylva | Wolf |
| Yva | Yew |
| Zara | Blossom |
Final thoughts on Swedish girl names
Sweden is known for its deep lakes and high standard of living, and Swedish girl names reflect exactly that. They are beautifully balanced and rooted in both the country's traditions and its trends.
Swedish girl names are like a fresh breeze blowing through every corner of the country, and we at Lottili can't wait to see which way that wind will blow next.
If you'd like to take your time and browse all of the most popular Swedish names, we're happy to share a table of the most popular Swedish names from 1988 to 2021. Just download the list of Swedish names from Statistics Sweden.
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