Danish baby namesDanish baby names range from the very familiar to the utterly unexpected.

As of 2021, Denmark’s #1 names were Alma and Oscar – both known names in the US, if not exactly chart-toppers.

Let’s look at the Top 50 Danish baby names for boys and girls. And then, let’s look most closely at the choices that American parents probably haven’t heard, or at least aren’t using.

Some of these might make great choices for a child. They’re all taken from the current Top 50 names.

Do you need Danish heritage to pull these off? It might help for some. But most of these feel just slightly international and intriguing – not necessarily reserved for Danes.

If you’re after something brief, sleek, and unexpected, consider Danish baby names.

DANISH GIRL NAMES

TOP 50 DANISH GIRL NAMES

  1. Alma
  2. Ida
  3. Clara
  4. Ella
  5. Olivia
  6. Freja
  7. Emma
  8. Luna
  9. Agnes
  10. Nora
  11. Karla
  12. Sofia
  13. Anna
  14. Ellie
  15. Asta
  16. Lily
  17. Alberte
  18. Frida
  19. Josefine
  20. Laura
  21. Esther
  22. Ellen
  23. Astrid
  24. Isabella
  25. Saga
  26. Aya
  27. Lærke
  28. Marie
  29. Liva
  30. Hannah
  31. Mathilde
  32. Maja
  33. Vilma
  34. Merle
  35. Victoria
  36. Mille
  37. Liv
  38. Emily
  39. Sofie
  40. Leonora
  41. Molly
  42. Lea
  43. Andrea
  44. Gry
  45. Emilie
  46. Vera
  47. Rosa
  48. Alva
  49. Elina
  50. Johanne

DANISH GIRL NAMES TO BORROW

AGNES

Agnes is Agnes, a traditional name with a long history of use. But in the US – as well as much of the English-speaking world – we’ve put Agnes on the shelf. In Denmark, and elsewhere in Scandinavia, it’s the height of style. Maybe Americans should take a fresh look at this vintage charmer.

ALMA

Possible origins for Alma abound. It’s the Spanish word for soul, a Ukrainian river name, a Turkic word for apple. In Latin, it means nourishing, and there’s a Saint Almus dating to the thirteenth century. It’s nicely pan-European, at home from Stockholm to Barcelona, and nearly everywhere in between.

ASTRID

Maybe the first conventionally Scandi pick on this list of Danish baby names! Astrid brings to mind author Astrid Lindgren, as well as the Viking warrior from the How to Train Your Dragon franchise. Fans of The Office remember that it was misspelled and misunderstood by Michael Scott, but that shouldn’t attract from the name’s timeless appeal.

FREJA

Also spelled Freya and sometimes Freyja, it’s a Old Norse name meaning lady. She’s the goddess of love and beauty, a little bit like Aphrodite in Greek myth. But Norse gods are fierce – she also escorts heroes who die in battle to the afterlife. The ‘y’ spelling in bigger in the English-speaking world, though it has only ranked in the US Top 1000 for the last handful of years.

IDA

A mini name in the key of Ava and Mia, Ida could be big in the US – but it fails to make the Top 1000. Notable namesakes abound – Tennyson used it for his poetry, Ida Tarbell pioneered investigative journalism in the early twentieth century, and a handful of saints, fictional characters, and real-world women of accomplishment complete the picture.

LEONORA

Eleonora tends to appear in baby name books as the Scandi equivalent of Eleanor. But it’s this slightly shorter form that ranks on the popularity charts today.

LIV

Liv Tyler made her brief, sharp name famous. We tend to hear it as an Olivia nickname, but that’s not so. It’s an Old Norse name meaning protection … but it happens to be the same as another word meaning life. That makes Liv something of a modern cousin to Zoe.

MATHILDE

Matilda is quietly trending in the US, an antique name on the upswing. In Denmark, it’s Mathilde instead. The pronunciation is more similar than you might guess. Saints and royals have worn the name, and it has a long history of use in Scandinavia. That’s particularly true in Denmark, where it’s first found in the thirteenth century.

MERLE

Sophisticated and spare, Merle could come from the Latin word for blackbird. It might also be a Maria nickname, or possibly a distant cousin to Muriel, meaning bright sea. It’s unconventional by American standards, but feels like a perfect fit with Danish baby names.

SAGA

It sounds like a sister for Story or Fable – and that’s part of the appeal. But Saga is also a Norse goddess name. Accounts vary, but Saga presided over history and wisdom, and possibly poetry, too. It sounds thoroughly Scandi, and undeniably literary.

DANISH BOY NAMES

TOP 50 DANISH BOY NAMES

  1. Oscar
  2. Karl
  3. William
  4. Oliver
  5. Alfred
  6. August
  7. Valdemar
  8. Malthe
  9. Arthur
  10. Emil
  11. Lucas
  12. Aksel
  13. Noah
  14. Victor
  15. Elias
  16. Theo
  17. Otto
  18. Viggo
  19. Magnus
  20. Felix
  21. Elliot
  22. Nohr
  23. Liam
  24. Matheo
  25. Anton
  26. Hugo
  27. Loui
  28. Alexander
  29. Theodor
  30. Frederik
  31. Konrad
  32. Lauge
  33. Anker
  34. Albert
  35. Johan
  36. Storm
  37. Adam
  38. Milas
  39. Erik
  40. Pelle
  41. Vincent
  42. Villads
  43. Villum
  44. Marius
  45. Christian
  46. Holger
  47. Ebbe
  48. Walter
  49. Luca
  50. Benjamin

DANISH BOY NAMES TO BORROW

AKSEL

We think of Axel, the far more familiar spelling in the US. But Aksel is preferred in Denmark. It’s the medieval Danish form of Biblical figure name Absalom. The ‘x’ makes it cool, edgy, and familiar in the US. The ‘ks’ version takes it a little closer to its roots.

ALFRED

In the 800s, King Alfred the Great of Wessex fought tirelessly against invading Danes. But today, Alfred is heard equally in both countries. In England, cuddly nickname name Alfie is a chart-topping favorite. Danish parents have put the full name into their Top Ten in recent years. American parents remain lukewarm on both forms, but that could change.

EMIL

Despite our love for Emily, Emma, Emilia, and Emmett, American parents tend to overlook Emil. But it’s a nicely pan-European name with a current sound and a long history of use.

FREDERIK

File Frederik with Alfred – a traditional favorite overlooked in the US, but finding a well-deserved place in the sun elsewhere. It’s the name of Denmark’s current Crown Prince, though that seems to reflect the name’s long-standing classic status, not explain the name’s current popularity.

JOHAN

The Danish form of John, Johan has a long history in Scandinavia. (But then, factoring in related names, John has been wildly popular for ages – and remains so today.) Several Swedish kings and plenty of Scandi notables answered to the name. And while it’s easy to dismiss it as a classic in long use, I suspect it’s more like Henry or Theodore – a trending classic – than simply one that’s never fallen out of favor.

KONRAD

Konrad feels German, and indeed, that reflects the name’s roots. We tend to spell it with a C in English, but K is preferred throughout much of Europe, including Scandinavia. It’s much more popular in Denmark today than in neighboring countries.

MARIUS

The Italian Mario comes from an old Roman family name – Marius! Les Miserables fans will recognize the valiant Marius Pontmercy, who falls in love with Cosette. (Eddie Redmayne played the character in the 2012 movie.) But Marius isn’t exclusive to the novel, or to France.

NOHR

Nohr makes for an intriguing and modern name. It’s brief and unexpected, but not out of place in our age of Jax and Kai. It turns out that Nohr comes from antiques like Norman and Norbert. Still, Nohr feels thoroughly modern, a wintry name with style to spare.

OTTO

Another name with German roots and a pan-European vibe, Otto reads as quirky and classic in the US. Now that Oliver is so popular, perhaps Otto is the next O name for boys primed to catch on.

STORM

Storm feels like a weather name, one that some might argue sounds more like a vocabulary word than a child’s name. But the Old Norse Stormr had the exact same meaning. It lends Storm some history in Denmark, where it’s a surprisingly popular pick.

Do you have any favorite Danish baby names?

First published on July 29, 2020, this post was revised and re-published on January 1, 2023.

Danish baby names Danish baby names

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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5 Comments

  1. I noticed Vilma, which was my beloved great-grandmother’s name. I’ve toyed with the idea of Vilma Rosamunde, called Rosamunde.

  2. I love so many of these!

    In addition to the ones Abby featured, Holger stands out to me. I had a professor in college named Holger, and he was the quintessential refined continental gentleman. Apparently, it means “island spear” (same root as Edgar, Gerald, Oscar, and Roger).

  3. I love Emil ! It’s such an underused name, possibly because of the past popularity of Emily. Still, I’d easily consider this for a son.
    I’ve met an Astrid from Sweden. She pronounced it with a really soft D, almost like Astri.