Veslemøy

Gender: Feminine
Origin: Norwegian
Meaning: “little girl”

The name is composed of the Norwegian words vesle meaning “little” and møy an old slang term for girl which was derived from the Old Norse word mey meaning “girl; virgin.”. It first appeared as a name in the 1895 epic Nynorsk poem by Arne Garborg Haugtussa (Fairy Maid). The Haugtussa is a cycle of poems that recount the exploits of a young psychic Norwegian girl named Gislaug, nicknamed Veslemøy. The name seems to have caught on after the publication of the poems and is relatively common in Norway. Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg later set some of the poetry to music. Its designated name-day is November 1. Common nickname is Mey which is also used as an independent name in Denmark.