The baby name Arendelle isn’t really a given name at all. But as generations of Frozen fans grow up, that could change.

Thanks to Jennie for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.

Table of Contents

IMAGINARY KINGDOM

Quick, where does The Little Mermaid take place? The traditional story is set in Denmark, but not the movie itself. The live action reboot takes the story specifically to the Caribbean and the underwater kingdom of Atlantica. 

Beauty and the Beast is set in France – Lumière, the singing candlestick tells us that. But it’s tough to pin down an exact location.

We know the countries and time periods for Pocahontas and Mulan. Tiana cooks in New Orleans, and Merida is from the Scottish Highlands. The look of those locations was dictated by reality.

And then came Frozen …

Frozen’s story was inspired by a traditional fairy tale by Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen, The Snow Queen. Disney could have created a fictional kingdom that was broadly Scandinavian.

Instead, Arendelle is clearly inspired by Norway. Not Oslo or another big city, but a Norwegian village.

So much so that Epcot’s Norwegian Pavilion turned its signature boat ride through the fjords into Frozen Ever After. Adventures by Disney takes visitors to the Norwegian locations that inspired the movie’s animators. And in Paris, a major expansion brings the World of Frozen to the Disney parks in 2026.

So Arendelle is different from the places other Disney princesses call home – a place that is fictional and real at the same time.

The main definition for the baby name Arendelle, then? The kingdom ruled by Queen Elsa in Frozen. 

Adventures by Disney takes guests to Bryggen, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Bryggen means “the wharf.” It’s part of modern-day Bergen, which remains a major center for shipping and other maritime businesses. The city was established way back in 1070, on Norway’s west coast.

Back in the 12th century, Bergen was briefly the capital of Norway, and saw a king crowned in its cathedral. More recently, it’s the site that Disney imagineers visited as inspiration for Elsa’s kingdom.

WHAT DOES THE NAME ARENDELLE MEAN?

So that’s the look of the movie, but how about the name?

Arendelle may have been borrowed from a city on Norway’s southern coast. Arendal was founded in the 1500s, though it wasn’t officially incorporated for another two hundred years. The name probably comes from arn – eagle – plus the element –dell meaning valley or dale. Like Bergen, Arendal is also a port city.

ON-TREND SOUND

If you didn’t know anything about English-language names, the baby name Arendelle would seem perfectly in line with parents’ preferences now.

  • Arendelle sounds something like Isabelle or Gabrielle, as well as Adeline – all popular girls’ names in recent years.
  • Aren suggests Erin, a name that was big in the 1980s, as well names across gender lines, like Aaron and Oren. Ari- names, from Aria to Ariana to Ariella are popular.
  • Brooklyn and London, Savannah and Denver all appear in the US Top 1000. Some parents might name their children after those locations specifically, but others like the idea of the place and the image it conveys.
  • A generation is growing up with Frozen as part of their cultural memory.

Nancy tracked Arendelle as part of the annual Pop Culture Baby Name Game back in 2015. The movie debuted late in 2013, so this reflected the first year Arendelle might debut in the data.

As of 2024, the baby name Arendelle is still quite rare. It’s never been given to even five girls in a single year.

That said, it has been spotted on the fringes very occasionally, like this data search from Alberta, Canada.

ANIMATED OPTION

Overall, the baby name Arendelle reads fanciful. It’s very Mouse Ears and magic, “Let It Go” and ice blue princess dresses. 

But it has an appealing sound, and could be the perfect name for parents with deep love for all things Disney, or for a wintry, December-themed daughter.

What do you think of the baby name Arendelle?

First published on August 5, 2015, this post was revised on March 24, 2026.

dark-haired young girl sitting on floor wearing Elsa/Frozen style dress with hair in a braid; baby name Arendelle
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About Abby Sandel

Whether you're naming a baby, or just all about names, you've come to the right place! Appellation Mountain is a haven for lovers of obscure gems and enduring classics alike.

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What do you think?

5 Comments

  2. Love that you covered this one. 🙂 Now if parents-to-be are googling it, this might just tip them over the edge in its favour. 🙂

    It’s not exactly my style, but I agree that it does sound namelike with the -elle ending and people do like placenames. Slightly reminds me of Araminta too, with the beginning and the length.

    Recently my daughter read a Penderwicks book (by Jeanne Birdsall) and a place mentioned right on the first page is Arundel. Slightly different vowel sound, but very similar. And it’s an actual place in the UK. The Arendelle spelling is a lot prettier though.

    I guess the nickname Aren could be confused with the male name Aaron – which I know some people pronounce AIR-en, but I say it more like Ah-ren, which is the same as I would say Aren. Della is another nickname option I like though. 🙂

    Reply