Tag Archives: Swedish Names

Michaela

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Dr-Quinn-Medicine-Woman-dr-quinn-medicine-woman-7360888-1024-768Gender: Feminine
Origin: German
Meaning: feminine form of Michael
Germ/Czech (mee-kah-EH-lah); Eng (mih-KAY-lah)

This name is basically just a feminine form of Michael a Biblical male name that I will go further into in a future post. The reason why I have chosen to list her as separate is due to her explosive popularity and her tryndification over the last eleven years. Before I go any further, a “tryndification” is a word I have coined referring to name that has been respelled all sorts of weird ways to make it look “cuter.” This has been a common trend ever since the early 90s, though there are some instances of them going even further back to the late 60s. Such name that this have occurred to are names like Miles: Myles, Brice: Bryce. The most drastic that I have ever seen in the naming world has to be Michaela. Hence is why I felt she deserved a post all of her own. Plus, in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, September 30 is the name-day for Michaela.

In the United States, poor Michaela has been butchered mercilessly ever since her inception in 1993 via the popular TV series Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. She has appeared as Mikayla, Makayla, Mckayla and the list goes on and on ever since the series ended. In fact, I sadly report that the traditional spelling currently appears in the top 1000 at # 357, while the tryndified form of Makayla comes in at # 37 and is rising, she jumped 70 places since 1997, when Michaela first seems to have made an impression on the American public. Between 1998 and 1999, the Mikayla spelling reached # 86 and # 82. Back in 97, Michaela had made it to the top 100, coming in at exactly # 100. Since then, she has dropped 257 places, while her tryndier alternatives seem to be rising. I personally believe that many parents thought that this was just a more elaborate form of Kayla, so they spelled the name phonetically to easily shorten it to Kayla. I think a nickname does not have to correspond with the spelling of a given name. Look at Bill from William and Bob from Robert. So why change the spelling of Michaela? She can still go by Kayla or Kaylie. There is a legitimate trendier looking spelling and that is the Swedish Mikaela.

The name is quite popular in other countries as well. In Germany, she was hit in the 1960s and 1970s. In Argentina, spelled Micaela, she comes in as the 6th most popular girls name in 2008, while in Uruguay she comes in at # 10.

There is the Italian form of Michela, pronounced the same as Michaela, which recently came in as the 6th most popular female name on the Island of Malta.

Other forms of the name include the Romanian Mihaela and the Spanish Miguela. Look for Michelle and Michalina in a future installment.

Hildegard

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ch05sGender: Feminine
Origin: German/Old Norse
Meaning: “battle enclosure.”
(HIL-deh-GARD)

The name is derived from the ancient Germanic elements hild meaning “battle” and gard meaning “enclosure; garden; farm.” The name is borne by several important female personages in Medieval European history. It was borne by Hildegard, wife of Emperor Charlemagne, (758-783). It is also borne by the famous German mystic Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179). Hildegard of Bingen also known as St. Hildegard and Blessed Hildegard was a fascinating woman, not only was she known for her impressive visions from heaven, but she was a prolific songwriter, poet and play-write. She is even credited with inventing the earliest known constructed language known as Lingua Ignota. In the modern world, it is borne by German opera singer Hildegard Behrens (1937-2009).

Poor Hildegard doesn’t get much love these days, she is considered dated in places like Germany and Sweden, where the name used to be quite prevalent at the turn of the century. I don’t believe you will ever see an English speaking parent consider this for their daughter. However, with the revival of Mathilde and Matilda, it is entirely possible. A more melodic alternative is the Finnish form Hillevi (HIL-leh-VEE). There is also Hellevi and Hilla. Estonian  forms are Hille, Hilli, Ille and Illi. It’s French form is Hildegard (EEL-deu-GAHR). Nicknames include Hilde, Hilda, Hildi and Hilly. Its name-day is September 17.

Sigrid, Siri

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  • Gender: Feminine
  • Origin: Old Norse
  • Meaning: “beautiful victory”

SigridaStoradaThe name is composed of the Old Norse elements sigr meaning victory and fríðr meaning “beautiful; fair.”  The name appears in Danish and Swedish royalty. It is notably borne by the illusive Sigrid the Haughty, also known as Sigrid Storråda, a Slavic princess who married Svein Forkbeard, mother of Canute the Great and Harald II of Denmark. However, historians argue if she ever really existed or if the Medieval chroniclers actually mixed her up with Świętosława, the daughter of Mieszko I.  Świętosława later changed her name to Gunhild when she married the above mentioned Danish king.  She is mentioned quite a few times in the Sagas as Sigrid, hence the historical confusion. Another Scandinavian princess to bear this name was Sigrid Eiriksdotter Vasa of Sweden.Sigrid_Eriksdotter_VasaSigrid’s usage is also quite prevalent in German speaking countries. Other forms of the name include the Norwegian diminutive form: Siri. The usage of Siri in Norway has mostly switched over as an independent given name.  Other diminutives forms include Sigga, Siggan and Sickan. Sigrid’s designated name-day in both Sweden and Norway is September 15. In 2007, Siri ranked as the sixtieth most popular female name in Sweden and according to the Central Bureau of Norwegian Statistics, there were approximately 8,208 women who had Siri as their first name. The formal Sigrid ranked in at # 100 in Sweden’s top female names of 2007, while Sigrid came in higher in Norway, coming in at # 52. Non-Scandinavian alternatives include the Latvian, Polish and Estonian Sigrida.

Tyra, Týr

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  • Gender: Feminine
  • Origin: Old Norse
  • Meaning: debated; theorized
  • Eng (TYE-ruh); Swe/Nor (TUEW-rah).

Surely you must think of the beautiful runway model, Tyra Banks, host of the Tyra Banks Show and America’s Next Top Model. When in Sweden or Norway, where the name is prevalent, an anglophone would not recognize the name by ear. Pronounced something like Teuw-rah, the name is actually of very ancient origins, a survivor of the original Indo-European language, Tyra is a feminine form of Tyr. Tyr itself, is a derivative of the ancient Germanic Tiwaz*.


In Norse Mythology, Tyr was the one handed god who got his hand bit off by the Fenrir wolf. He was revered as the god of single handed combat, victory, glory and honesty. According to the Icelandic Prose Eddas and the Poetic Eddas, he is either the son of Odin or Hymir. In the language of Old Norse, the word tyr was possibly synonymous with the word god, as tyr is found in many Norse poems and kennings as a poetic term for a god, referring either to Odin or Thor.
Scholars tend to believe that Tyr/Tiwas was a far more important god than he is portrayed in ancient Norse religion. Before the Migration Age, he was possibly the head of an Indo-European pantheon. In fact, it is suggested by archaeologists and anthropologists that his original name was*Dyeus. It is theorized that he later evolved into the Germanic Tiwas or Tyr, the Greek Zeus, and the Latin word for a god in general, Deus. Lingusts suggest that *Dyeus is related to a Pre-Indic root, deywos, which possibly means: “celestial being.” Even more fascinating is that the Sankrit word deva: “god” is closely related. After the varying Indo-European tribes separated and became more distinct from each other, Tiwas or Tyr became relegated in power under both Odin/Wodin and Thor. In other Germanic religions, he appears as Tiw, Tuisto, Teiws and Ziu. In the ancient Rune alphabet, the t-rune, named by modern scholars as the Tiwaz rune, is believed to have been associated with the above mentioned god. The rune looks very much like an arrow pointing upward.
He even survives in modern English lexicon. Our very own name of the week: Tuesday is from the Anglo-Saxon meaning “Tiu’s Day” Tiu being the Anglo-Saxon form of Tyr. The name also survives in many modern English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German and Icelandic place names.

While Tyr has fallen out of usage, its feminine counterpart, Tyra, is still quite common in Sweden. She ranked in at # 43 in Sweden Top 100 Female Names of 2007. Meanwhile, in the States, despite the recognition of Tyra Banks, she was last seen in 2007, where she ranked in at a measly 939. As of last year of 2008, she completely fell out of the top 1000. In Sweden, the designated name day is September 12th.
So before you think of American Pop Culture when hearing the name Tyra, think twice, as the name actually has a primordial and colourful past.

Trygve, Trygg

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  • Gender: Masculine
  • Origin: Old Norse
  • Meaning: “trusty; true; safe;
  • Nor (TRIG-veh); (TRIGG)

pictured: Trygve Lie

Whatever your personal political views, many were a bit baffled when former Republican VP candidate and former governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, chose the name Trig for her youngest son. When I first heard the name, I knew I heard the name somewhere before, but I couldn’t remember where. I racked my brain, then I suddenly remembered where. In college, I was a Scandinavian Studies major, I concentrated in Viking Mythology and Scandinavian languages. As a result, I ended up living in Sweden. That is where I remembered hearing the name. I remember meeting a few Norwegian fellows named Trygve and an older Swedish man named Trygg. Sarah Palin claimed herself that her son’s name was Old Norse for “true.” She is not entirely wrong, though the spelling she chose is wrong. Trygg is derived from the Old Norse tryggr meaning “trusty; true or safe.” Trygve itself is just another form of the name, though a more popular version in Norway. The name appears in the Heimskringla, as the name of Tryggve Olafsson (d.963), a ruthless viking who was known for ravaging the spoils and countryside of Ireland and Scotland. He himself eventually met a bloody death when he was killed by Harald Greyhide.

Trygve, Tryggve and Tryggvi have also been borne by the following: Tryggve Anderson, a Norwegian author and story teller (1866-1920). Tryggve Gran, a Norwegian explorer, aviator and author (1889-1980). Trygve Lie (1896-1968) the first elected general of the United Nations. Tryggvi Þórhallsson, prime minister of Iceland (1889-1935). As for the name Trygg itself, it doesn’t seem to have been as popular, although, it seems to be a common surname in Sweden, derived from a patronymic. It is also the name of a popular comic book series: Trygg the Sorcerer, and a type of torpedo boat constructed by the Norwegian navy in the early 20th-century. Other forms of both names include Trygge (that extra e is pronounced); the Finnish Rykve, the Faroese Trygvi, the Icelandic Tryggvi and the Swedish/Norwegian Tryggve. There are a few Icelandic feminine forms: Tryggva and Tryggvína.

Its name day in Norway is September 9th. Trygve is still a relatively common name in Norway. According to the Central Bureau of Norwegian Stastics, approximately 6,086 men bore the name Trygve as of 2008. To hear how Trygve is pronounced in Norwegian, you can go here: http://www.forvo.com/search/Trygve/

Dagny

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  • Gender: Feminine
  • Origin: Old Norse
  • Meaning: “new day.”
  • Nor/Swe (DAHG-nee); Dan (DOWN).

The name is composed of the Old Norse elements dag meaning day and ný meaning “new.” Its designated name-day throughout Scandinavia is September 11th. The name is far more prevalent in Denmark than in any of the other Scandinvian countries. In American literature, the name is found in Ayn Rand’s novel Atlas Shrugged as the name of a character. In Norwegian and Swedish, the name has the more pleasant pronounciation of (DAHG-nee) while in Danish, it rhymes and sounds like the English word “down.” To hear how the names are pronounced in both languages, consult this site: http://www.forvo.com/search/Dagny/da/ There is a Sami version: Dávdna

Tova, Tove, Tofa

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Gender: Feminine
 Origin: Old Norse
 Meaning: “beautiful Thor.”

The name is derived from the Old Norse Tófa, which is a short form of Þórfríðr which in turn is composed of the elements Thor and fríðr meaning “beautiful.” In 2006, Tove ranked in at # 98 in the Top 100 female names of Sweden. While in 2007, its other form of Tova came in at # 87.

Tova is coincidentally a Hebrew female ( טוֹבָה) name meaning “good”, which is sometimes transliterated as Tovah.

In Sweden, the designated name day for Tove and Tova is September 10, while in Norway it is November 2.

Tord

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Gender: Masculine
Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: “peace of Thor; Thor’s peace.”


The name is a modernization of the Old Norse name Þorröðr which is composed of the Old Norse elements Thor meaning “thunder” but in this case, the name was most likely created in reference to the god Thor, and fröðr meaning “peace.” The names usage technically extends to all the Scandinavian countries, including the Swedish speaking areas of Finland, but seems to be particulary popular in Norway. Its designated name day is September 10.

Ingrid

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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.


Alfhild, Alvilde

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: “elf battle.”

The name comes from the Old Norse elements alf meaning elf and hildr meaning “battle.” In Norse Mythology, it is the name of a beautiful maiden who was guarded by two deadly dragons. Any suitor who approached the dragons were instantly killed, except for King Alf. Alfhild ran away from Alf and disguised herself as a male warrior. Alf eventually found her while fighting her in battle, when he knocked her helmet off, he realized who it was. Alfhild eventually married Alf. Other forms include the Icelandic Alfhildr, the Danish Alvilda, and the Norwegian Alvilde.

Currently, Alvilde (ahl-VEEL-deh) comes in as the eleventh most popular female name in Norway. In Sweden, Alfhild’s designated name-day is September 3rd, but is very rare in Sweden.