Name Help is a series at Appellation Mountain. Every Saturday, one reader’s name questions will be discussed.
We’re relying on thoughtful comments from the community to help expectant parents narrow down their name decisions. Thank you in advance for sharing your insight!
Juniper writes:
I’m searching for just the right name for our sixth child, expected in February. The new baby will be welcomed to the world by siblings Madison Grace, Kennedy Rose, Parker Benjamin, Charles Benjamin, and Odelia Josephine (nickname Lia).
We are committed to Asher Benjamin for a boy, and considering Elska Leora for a girl. I’d love to hear some suggestions from you and readers.
Please read on for my response – and leave your thoughtful suggestions in the comments!
Hi Juniper –
Congratulations on baby #6! Asher Benjamin is a great name – you definitely don’t need our help finding a name for a boy!
I think lots of parents become more daring namers over the years – I know it happened for us just between baby #1 and #2! Maybe it’s because we’re more confident as parents. Or maybe it’s because we hear a greater variety of names, and feel like there’s more opportunity for creativity – or more pressure to stand out.
And yet, I wonder if Elska Leora is a little bit too out-there?
I keep arguing with myself over this one. After all, there’s no rule that says that sibling names have to match. None whatsoever! And especially as your family grows, chances of being perfectly coordinated plummet. And I do kind of love Elska. It’s got a cool, edgy, double-diminutive, slightly Scandi/Slavic vibe that’s tough to pin down and yet easy to say. If you were naming your very first child, I think I might have a different reaction.
And yet.
Madison and Kennedy are perfectly paired. Odelia is very different, but everyday-use nickname Lia brings it back to center. If you’ll call Elska something for short – Ellie? Elle? – maybe that’s the same situation here.
I’ve never come across Elska. My first thought was that it must be a diminutive of Elisabeth, a further evolution of Elsa. There’s also Elke/Elka, which I’ve usually heard connected to Adelaide and company – but could certainly link back to Elisabeth and company, too.
A dictionary tells me that Elska is a literary term in Norwegian meaning love, and also a verb meaning “to love” in some languages derived from Old Norse. That makes Elska a fantastic find! But I’m not sure if that’s why you’ve chosen the name, and I do feel pretty comfortable saying that very few people will know that one. (Or maybe I’m wrong?) There is a Winnipeg-based actress/tee shirt designer named Elska Swandel. She’s so stylish, and a great ambassador for her name.
So here are my suggestions – and I’m eager to hear what others think, too!
Use Elska Leora as-is. It’s a gorgeous name. And yes, it’s very different, both from most of the names children are given in 2015 in the US, and from your older kids’ names specifically. But that’s not the end of the world, and if you love it, then that trumps matching.
Use a formal name that shortens to Elska. This is the approach that I tend to favor. Since Odelia uses Lia as a nickname, it might make sense for you, too. Plain Elisabeth, or even Elizabeth, would work. You could also consider the initials E.K. – or, more specifically, an El- name followed by a Ka- name, preferably with an ‘s’ sound in there, too! Elisabeth Katharine, Elise Kara, Eloise Karys, Elissa Kamille, Eleanor Kari, Elinor Kay, Ellison Kate.
Use a slightly more common name 
that shares Elska’s meaning. You could substitute a name like Amanda or Carys that means love or beloved in another language. If you widen the search, there’s also Esme, Amoret, and Kerensa – though some of those are nearly as rare as Elska!
Use another name that reflects Norwegian roots. If the whole point of the name is to celebrate your Scandinavian heritage, there are other possibilities. Anja, Britta, Elin, and Thora all come to mind.
My favorites for you are as follows:
- Carys – If it’s the meaning that matters, Carys is a Welsh name with a similar meaning to Elska. It comes from caru – love. The name got a little boost outside of Wales when Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas chose it for their daughter in 2003. It was given to 113 girls in 2014, so it’s still pretty unusual. But it’s definitely more familiar than Elska. I’d rank Esme a close second.
- Anja – If heritage is most important, I think it’s hard to beat Anja. Anja has risen and fallen over the years, but has never broken the US Top 1000. In 2014, there were 48 newborn Anyas. The downside of the ‘j’ spelling? Anya is much more popular, with 667 newborn Anyas in 2014. And yet, the ‘j’ spelling definitely has more Scandi appeal.
- Ellison Kate – If matching your daughters’ names is a concern, then I wonder what you would think of Ellison with a Ka- middle name? It potentially leaves out Odelia, though, so I’m not sure about this approach. It feels problematic – and yet, I love the idea of Ellison for your family!
- Elska Jane, Elska Mary, Elska Rebecca, Elska Lily, Elska Louise, Elska Leigh, Elska Marie – I do think Elska Leora is a name with no place to hide. If your daughter ever dislikes her rare given name, Leora is only slightly more familiar. And she can’t shorten it to Lee/Lea with a sister already answering to Lia. I wonder if there are any other middles you’ve considered? Rose, Grace, and Josephine are more traditional choices that can anchor a gender neutral or unconventional first name choice.
- Elska Leora – And yet, after all this, I do find myself drawn to Elska Leora. The rhythm is exactly right, the name is gorgeous, and, assuming you’re using it because it means love, there’s an easy story to tell. If you don’t mind repeating and explaining her name frequently, I think it could be a beautiful, unexpected choice.
Readers, what’s your reaction to Elska? Is it the perfect undiscovered gem, or is it too rare to wear? What names would you suggest to Juniper?
I LOVE Elska Leora! I have seven kids and I found my taste shifting over time and getting bolder with each child. I like it when there is a consistent feel, but Odelia changed up the feel so radically that an Elska makes perfect sense. In fact, I like Elska with Odelia because then Odelia isn’t the odd one out–she’s part of a pair. I wouldn’t change the middle name. Leora is beautiful, sounds like a name, and doesn’t feel particularly “out there” or “unusual.” Elska sounds like Freya to me (not in sound, but in usability) and Leora sounds like many names–Lenora, Sonora, Louise. It also sounds perfectly normal and usable. My advice is thank your lucky stars you found a name you love after naming all those kids. It gets harder every time!!
🙂 Solidarity, sister!
Just to clarify, “elska” doesn’t mean love in Norwegian (the word for love is “kjærlighet”/”kjærleik”). It’s the past tense of the verb “(Ã¥) elske” which means “to love”, but in Nynorsk which is the minority written language in Norway. The equivalent in English would be “(have) loved”.
That said, I feel it’s a bit of an outlier, especially with sisters Kennedy and Madison. I really like the idea of Leora Elisabeth, though. Or maybe Else? 🙂
Ingrid, thank you so much – I couldn’t quite wrap my head around exactly what Nynorsk was – I very much appreciate the clarification!
Yes, i did know the usage. Thank you for your comment, its great to hear about Nynorsk. Leora Elisabeth is lovely as well!
Wow! I am just in love with the name Elska Leora. It’s GORGEOUS.
Ellie makes for a straight-forward nickname that coordinates nicely with Lia. They are almost the inverse of each other!
I feel like I could easily ready about two 1910 sisters named Odelia and Elska. Madison and Kennedy are equally balanced. Maddy, Kenna, Lia, and Ellie feel like a modern girl sibset. (I’m not trying to leave out your boys! Parker and Charles are great surname names that work together surprisingly well, too).
Best wishes as you welcome your precious addition!
Thank you! Hmmm, maybe I should write a book! 😉
I love Elska! It’s pretty high on our list actually (as is Odelia!) It does stand out a bit in the sibling-set, but I don’t think it’s jarring considering you have an Odelia already. I really like the suggestion of getting Elska as a nickname, though Leora and Lia together gives me pause. Would you consider Elisabeta? It’s a nice bridge between your other children’s names and the more unusual Odelia and would justify using Elska as a nickname.
Elisabeta is, I think, my favorite variation of Elisabeth (which is a wonderful name in its own right). Thanks for sharing!
Elska is so wildly different from the sibling names it gives me pause. I love Abby’s advice of using something like Elisabeth Katherine for example with the Els and ka sounds and using Elska for short. This also gives the child options as she grows up, whereas Elska alone is not as flexible. In any case, it’s a sweet name and congrats on your daughter!
Thank you! Yes, it is different…but I kinda love that. I do like the idea of using Elska as a nn for traditional name combinations, it’s worth exploring. I’ve noticed in naming six children, that our list has evolved over time (and I think in observing our children’s unique personalities), names we where sure we loved with Baby #1 aren’t even on the list for Baby #6! 🙂
I love Elska!! I would definitely use it. It is quite similar to Elsa which is rising in popularity so it doesn’t seem outlandish or really strange. They both shorten to Elsie if you wanted a normal nickname. I know a toddler called Elska, I think her parents have ties to Iceland. Elska Leora makes me think of Eliora whack would shorten to Ellie or Liora. Eliska pronounced El eesh Ka is another option as well as Elke, Eliana, Enya, Elysia, Eleni, Elodie or Eleri. I think I a normal middle, or a nickname or full name is a good idea in case she does hate it. Other than Lia do any of your children get nicknames? I assume Madison gets Maddie at least some of the time. Of Abby’s suggestions I like Esme, Kerensa and Carys.
Thank you! I do very much like Eliora (but it feels too close in sound to Odelia to me). Elska Leora carries similar meaning, while adding in a nice hard consonant sound. Madison went by Mimi when she was very little (but is exclusively Madison), Kennedy is Kenna (almost always), Parker is affectionately Parky (but just to Mommy), and Charles (who is 5) insists he is Charles, not Charlie! I do find the nn Elsie very charming.
~Juniper
Being totally unfamiliar with the name Elska, I did a quick search for the name. Lou at Mer des noms suggested Elska as a substitute for Freya which has been very popular in the UK:
“The name Freya hit the Top 100 in 1998, and has resided there ever since. In 2011 she ranked at #19, exactly the same as she did in 2010. Freya is an interesting name; she comes from Norse mythology where she is the Goddess of love, beauty and fertility.
When it comes to selecting names for these posts, I like to look at the aspects of the name that makes it so fantastic and match up those qualities with those of other names; hence, the names I’ve collected together are either similar in sound or have similar qualities to Freya.
1. Elska
Like Freya, Elska also has Norse origins: she means love in Old Norse. With no non-English characters, such as Ã¥, to deal with, this makes the name more accessible and indeed she has potential to cross into English-speaking use as Freya has done so before her.”
Odelia and Elska: Lia and Elska — the unusualness of each name, coupled with their ending in ‘a’, give them a coordinating feeling. However, as Swistle said, Lia and Leora are close in sound, and I would use a different– more traditional — middle name. Elska Louise would make a nice pairing with Odelia “Lia” Josephine:
Madison Grace and Kennedy Rose
Odelia Josephine and Elska Louise (Lia and Elska)
Patricia,
Its been a lot of fun to search out connections and meanings (there’s is also an indie children’s duo by the name of Elska).
Louise is my middle name, yet, I hadn’t even considered it. Thank you for the suggestion!
~Juniper
I’ve been wondering if Benjamin is your husband’s first or middle name and if that’s why Benjamin is being used as the middle name for each of your sons. If that’s the case, I would definitely use your middle name Louise if this baby is a girl — and if it’s not the case, I would still use it! 🙂
I also like Louise for you because it “balances” well with Josephine (both classic names; both having a French connection) — just as Grace and Rose are complementary names (and often used for daughters within the same family). And Louise has a pleasant rhythm with Elska.
Yes! Without picking a “junior” we chose to honor Daddy’s first name through each of the boys. Benjamin has a nice meaning behind it…and of course, they’re each my favorite child in their own unique way!
Louise has a meaning of renowned warrior, I do like the name, but Elska (to love) Louise (renowned warrior) gives me pause on meaning alone. Yet, sometimes a name is just right (regardless of meaning…Kennedy, for example). What do you think?
~Juniper
I looked up Louis and Louise in several well-researched name books, hoping there was a case made for an alternative meaning, but that’s the meaning they all refer to — renown (or famous) warrior. That reminds me of Charles which is said to mean “a man” or “free man” –which leaves us with the increasingly popular Charlotte meaning … what? Many name books get around that by just saying that Charlotte is the feminine form of Charles and go no further. Louise could be viewed similarly as “the feminine from of Louis”. In fact, the books I consulted say only that and then give the meaning of *Louis”, not Louise per se, as “famous warrior.
Personally, I find meanings “interesting” but not very important. I agree that “sometimes a name is just right regardless of meaning”. If this baby is a girl, it could be “just right” that she shares her mother’s middle name. Elska would have a fine meaning for her first name and Mommy’s middle name as her middle name. So if you need a name meaning for the entire name, how about “love Mommy” or “love from Mommy”?
Now, that is a lovely sentiment! 🙂
If this baby is a girl, I would suggest matching her name with that of Odelia in some way. That would give you three “sets” of coordinating names:
1. Your two older daughters Madison Grace and Kennedy Rose (first and middle names coordinate)
2. Your sons who share the same middle name: Parker Benjamin and Charles Benjamin
3. Your two younger daughters Odelia Josephine and _____a ______________.
The suggestion of Leora Elizabeth works very well with that scheme:
Odelia Josephine “Lia”
Leora Elizabeth “Elska”
I also like Swistle’s idea of getting “Elska” from the first and middle names; I would suggest Elissa Katherine “Elska”
Odelia Josephine “Lia”
Elissa Katherine “Elska”
I noticed too that each of your children has a very traditional middle name” Grace, Rose, Benjamin, Josephine, so I would give this baby girl a traditional middle name as well.
I really like Elissa Katherine “Elska” for your sibset.
I agree with your logic, and appreciate your suggestions, thank you for commenting!
I do have a little quirk of not duplicating initials (with the exception of the boys shared middle name, of course), which does limit me from some great names. We do have some fantastic names in our family tree: Wilhelminia, Therese, Nellie, to name a few.
My only hesitation would be people hearing Elsa ala Frozen, don’t know if that is an issue or not?
I went to school with an Elke (ell-key) and an Ailsa (ale-sah), both good names but I’m not sure if either is further away from Disney?
Elska can indeed be a form of Elizabeth particularly in Czech/Polish contexts (see https://dmnes.org/name/Elizabeth). So another option would be to go with Leora Elizabeth, which leaves open the option of Elska as a nickname from the middle name.