Gender: Feminine
Origin: Swedish/Norwegian
Meaning: “beautiful Ing.”
(ING-rid)
When you hear this name you probably think of a golden legend Swedish actresses and tow-headed Scandinavian maidens.
Ingrid is viewed as the quintessential Scandinavian name to most English-speakers, thanks to the fame of Ingrid Bergman.
The name is composed of the Old Norse elements Ing which is derived from the name of a divinity, Ingwaz, an ancient Germanic fertility god. He was an obscure god who was considered the progenitor of the Ingaevones, a Germanic tribe. Though not much is known of him, he seems to have left his mark on many classic Scandinavian names: Ingmar, Ingri, Inga, Inger, Ingela and of course Ingrid to name a few.
The second part of the name is from the Old Norse word fríðr meaning beautiful.
In Sweden and Norway, Ingrid is rather timeless. It has never seemed to have gone out of style and remains in the popularity charts as of last year.
In Sweden, Ingrid was the seventieth most popular female name, while in Norway, she came in even higher, at # 12, tying with her sister names Ingri and Ingerid.
The name has received widespread usage outside of Scandinavia. It is used to a certain extent in German-speaking countries. In Germany she even boasts her own name-day, September 2nd, while in Sweden the name day is a month ahead, October 9.
Ingrid is occasionally used in Eastern Europe, particularly the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Latvia and Lithuania boast their own elaborated form: Ingrida, while in Poland its spelled Ingryda.
In Finland she is Inkeri.
She is occasionally used in France.
Ingrid has gotten plenty of usage in the US, thanks to the large influx of Norwegian and Swedish immigrants at the turn of the century. In 1913, she managed to move her way into the top 1000, coming in at # 934. The highest that Ingrid has ever peaked in the US, however, was in 1967, when she came in at # 381.
It is interesting to note that Ingrid has never dropped out of the US top 1000 since. She currently stands at # 545.
Ingrid seems to have a fond following in the upper midwest, browse through Minnesota and North Dakota birth announcements and I wouldn’t be surprised if you saw at least one Ingrid. Ingrid might be appealing to English speakers who are looking to names like Eleanor and Matilda as inspiration. Strong, yet decidedly feminine names fit for a down to earth medieval queen.
Origin: Latvian
Meaning: “amber.”
(dZEEN-tahrs); (dZEEN-trah)
Dzintars and Dzintra are both indigenous Latvian names that were revived during the Latvian National Awakening of the 19th century. Dzintars comes directly from the Latvian word for amber and its feminine counterpart is Dzintra along with the more unusual feminine form of Dzintara. The Baltic sea and the surrounding countries are known for their very large natural amber resources. According to the Latvian Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, there were approximately 4,000 men in Latvia who bore the name Dzintars, while about 5,000 women bore the name Dzintra. Meanwhile, only 20 women bore the name Dzintara. Dzintars and Dzintra’s designated name day is September 4th. Dzintars is borne by Latvian football players Dzintars Sprogis (b. 1971) and Dzintars Zirnis (b. 1977) and is borne by Latvian pop singer Dzintars Cica (b. 1993). Due to its deep rich brown, green and yellow colours, amber is often associated with the autumn months.
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Latvian
Meaning: “slim; thin; delicate.”
(SLY-dah)
The name is derived from the Latvian adjective slaids meaning “thin” or in some cases “delicate.” Its designated name day is September 3rd. Today the name is very rare, it did not make it to the Latvian top 1000 as of 2008.
Gender: Masculine
Origin: Latvian
Meaning: “from the East; from the Orient.”
(OWST-rooms)
The name is derived from the Latvian word austrumi meaning “east; Orient.” The designated name day is September 1st. The name is rather unusual in Latvia, it borne by approximately 11 people in Latvia.
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Latvian
Meaning: “oar; scull.”
(I-rah).
I have seen this name listed across the internet before, with the dubious meaning “of the wind” and its origins listed as “American.” While the windy meaning seems nice and “airy,” (no pun intended), I am almost certain this is just another name that has been given an embellished meaning, much like Vanessa being listed as Slavic for “butterfly” and Ashley meaning “pretty ash tree of God.” Apparently, Aira is a traditional Latvian female name. A google search brought me the personal web pages of Latvian women of varying ages. I cannot confirm how popular Aira is in its home country as I couldn’t find a stastical data past Latvia’s top 10. Aira is listed on the Latvian national calender, deeming the name an accepted female given name in the Latvian lexicon. I had a hard time finding a meaning for this one. There are not very many sites listing Latvian names with meanings. There are plenty of baby name websites in Latvian that tend not to list the meanings. Mostly because the meanings of many Latvian given names are obvious to native speakers. Though there are plenty of Greek, Latin, German and Russian names that have been borrowed over the centuries, the Latvians have, as do other Baltic countries, their own set of unique names derived from vocabulary in their language. Nature names and word names are apart of the norm. Upon further research, I found that at least in Latvian etymology, Aira is a feminine form of Airis, Airis in turn comes directly from the Latvian word for oar. Not surprising to find such a name among a sea-fearing people. I also found that Aira is scientific name for hair grass. In Latvia, Aira’s name day is August 31st.
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Latvian
Meaning: “red.”
(roo-DEE-teh)
Gender: Masculine
Origin: Latvian
Meaning: “brave.”
(DROSE-mis)
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Latvian
Meaning: “dimple; ruffle.”
(VEER-mah)
This name comes directly from the Latvian word for a “dimple, ripple or ruffle”. Its reference as a name is most likely the dimple meaning. Its designated name day is August 14.
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Latvian
Meaning: debated
(VIS–mah)
I have tracked this name down mercilessly, and as to its origins and meanings, the only relation I could find is the Latvian word vismaz meaning “at least” or “at any rate.” However, I would find that relation to be dubious because phrases like that don’t usually become names. One Russian site even had it listed as meaning “moon path lit on water” what a nice meaning! Though the site I got it from is usually spot on when it comes to the etymology of Russian and Baltic names, I found it odd that a two-syllable name would have a meaning longer than it sounds. I consulted a few Latvian dictionaries looking up moon and any phrases related to the moon, but did not find anything that even remotely resembles Vizma. I even looked up path and water and again, fruitless. So I think it is safe to say that that meaning is just plain wrong. Perhaps its possibly just another one of those ancient Baltic names whose meaning has been lost, in my research I have found a few Baltic female names that have been used for centuries but whose origins and meanings seem to have been lost along the way. Perhaps a name that is left over by one of the various dead Baltic languages such as Prussian.
In Latvia, it’s a fairly common name, and its most attributed to nobel prize winning poetess, Vizma Balsevica (1931-2005). Her most famous work concerned an autobiographical female character by the name of Bille, (I’m guessing this is pronounced BIL-leh). The series chronicles Bille’s life as she grows up through Nazi occupation and then Stalinist Soviet ism era in 1940s Latvia. She is considered one of Latvia’s most renowned authors. Further research turned up several other Vizmas living in Latvia. Its designated name day is August 12.
Update: Well somebody has just informed me that this name is derived from the Latvian verb vizēt – (mirdzēt) meaning to glimmer; glisten; shimmer; glitter”. So I stand corrected. The Moon path lit on water meaning wasn’t that far off after all. Thanks goes to Evelina!
