The most popular Swedish names for men, women, boys and girls

Giving your child a Swedish name is very popular at the moment. Maybe it conjures up the image of a fit, healthy Nordic lifestyle, or perhaps you just like the idea of a name that’s a bit different.

Choosing a Swedish name for your baby suggest an outdoor healthy lifestyle.
Victoria_Borodinova (CC)

Either way, choosing a Swedish name for your newborn will add a touch of Scandinavian chic and a sporty vibe to your child’s name.

Maybe you’d prefer a more traditional Swedish name such as Karl or Erik, Anna or Kristina.

Or perhaps you fancy something a bit more contemporary, like Alice or Noah.

Whatever your preference, this guide to the coolest and most popular Swedish names will help you decide!

Why are Swedish names for men, women, boys and girls so popular?

Lots of people have an idea of the Swedes being strong and fit, and living a healthy outdoor lifestyle.

The Swedes are also associated with being cool, stylish and having a certain designer chic.

Clearly, these are just stereotypes – there are Swedes of all shapes and sizes living all kinds of lifestyle, of course! But it is an enduring image.

Add to that the Norse and Viking origins of many Swedish names and you can see why choosing a Swedish name for your child is appealing.

The top 100 most popular Swedish girls names for newborns

So, if you’re expecting a baby girl you’ll want to know what sort of names Swedes are giving their daughters right now. As in all countries, these are not necessarily the same as the names that have been traditionally popular.

Choosing a Swedish name for your daughter is on-trend.
Pezibear (CC)

Cultural and international influences play a big part in the choice of a name, not to mention the fact that each generation wants to make its mark and choose something a little different from their parents’ generation.

Interestingly, however, while many new parents reject the names of their own parents’ generation as being old-fashioned, those of their grandparents’ generation often come back into style and have a resurgence of popularity! 

So, here’s the top 100 Swedish girls’ names of 2021 in order of popularity, followed by the number of girls who were given each name, according to the Statistics Sweden website.

RankingNameNumber of girls given name in 2021
1Alice706
2Maja681
3Vera674
4Alma667
5Selma660
6Elsa652
7Lilly625
8Ella606
9Astrid596
10Wilma586
11Ellie584
12Olivia555
13Freja551
14Leah547
15Ines539
16Signe534
17Stella511
18Ebba509
19Clara492
20Saga481
21Alva479
22Agnes473
23Ester441
24Hedda423
25Alicia398
25Mila398
27Julia388
28Iris372
29Molly370
30Luna362
31Juni355
32Sigrid353
33Ellen346
34Leia334
35Nova306
36Livia303
37Lova298
38Celine294
39Meja289
40Emilia286
41Elvira279
42Elise275
42Nora275
44Linnea273
45Liv271
46Edith265
46Lo265
48Sofia262
49Sara259
50Tyra256
51Alba247
52Ruth244
53Majken243
54Hilma238
55Thea236
56Cleo235
57Mira229
58Emma224
58Lykke224
58Nellie224
61Bonnie213
62Sally208
63Isabelle206
64Lovisa204
65Ingrid202
65Märta202
67Ilse197
68Elsie191
69Hanna189
69Svea189
71Amelia188
71Isabella188
71Tuva188
74Stina187
75Hailey183
76Hilda178
77Ida174
77Maria174
79Ayla171
80Hedvig169
81Elin163
82Lovis156
83Melina155
84Ronja152
84Siri152
86Julie151
87Joline145
87Melissa145
89Zoe144
90Bianca141
90Millie141
90Wilda141
93Filippa138
93Jasmine138
95Maryam132
96Moa130
96Tilde130
98Cornelia129
98Elina129
100Idun127

What do Swedish girls’ names mean?

Once you’ve perused the list above and found a name that you like, you’ll want to check out what it means. Some Swedish girls’ names have their roots in the natural world, while some come from the Norse sagas and mythology.

Others have religious origins, such as Astrid, which is of Norse origin and means “divinely beautiful” or “god’s strength”. 

Check out our guide to the top 100 Swedish names for men, women, boys and girls
12019 (CC)

Some names have a more international influence or simply become popular because of a celebrity, film or sports star.

The popularity of the name Elsa, of course, comes from the strong female character in the enduring Disney film Frozen, though the name itself is a version of Elisabeth and means “pledged to god”.

For a detailed insight into the meanings and origins of Swedish girls’ name, plus a handy guide on how to pronounce them, check out our post on Swedish girls’ name and their meanings.

The top 20 most popular Swedish women’s names

Established names may fall out of favour for a generation or two, but then come back into fashion from time to time. So if you prefer something a little more traditional, here are the top 20 most popular women’s names overall, followed by the number of women in Sweden that are currently called each name.

RankingNameNumber of women called name in 2021
1Maria447 686
2Elisabeth340 668
3Anna304 000
4Kristina280 543
5Margareta244 641
6Eva200 882
7Linnéa166 531
8Karin161 897
9Birgitta159 159
10Marie145 978
11Ingrid111 657
12Sofia102 653
13Marianne89 526
14Lena85 551
15Sara84 968
16Helena82 673
17Kerstin81 638
18Emma76 579
19Johanna73 885
20Katarina73 824

The top 100 most popular Swedish boys’ names for newborns

Of course, Swedish names are also popular for boys, conjuring up an image of a tall, blonde, super-strong Viking-like figure!  

If you're looking for an unusual name for your newborn, check out our guide to Swedish names for girls, boys, men and women
mcconnmama (CC)

So, if you’re expecting a boy, check out the top 100 most popular Swedish boys’ names, followed the number of babies given each name in 2021.

RankingNameNumber of boys given name in 2021
1Noah745
2William726
3Liam683
4Hugo679
5Lucas668
6Adam643
7Oliver635
8Matteo632
9Frans581
10Elias577
11Walter576
12Leo562
13Leon550
14Oscar547
15Alfred540
16August531
17Nils521
18Harry509
19Theo505
20Sam498
21Otto481
22Ludvig476
23Arvid468
24Elliot456
25Charlie442
26Malte439
27Isak438
28Alexander429
29Louie425
30Theodor420
31Ebbe406
32Adrian403
33Olle398
33Vincent398
35Benjamin394
36Filip389
37Melvin377
38Love375
39Axel368
40Gabriel366
41Henry343
42Mohammed337
43Jack329
44Elton327
45Colin325
46Josef322
47Aron319
48Viggo309
49Edvin305
50Albin304
51Noel302
52Tage295
53Frank276
54Vidar269
55Ted265
56Sixten262
57Melker260
58Kian245
59Loke244
60Dante241
60Jacob241
60Julian241
63Ivar238
64Carl237
64Milo237
64Sigge237
67Levi236
68Emil235
69Gustav221
70Björn220
71Elis218
72Max213
73Casper210
73Viktor210
75Erik207
76Alvin197
77Milton191
77Nicholas191
79Wilhelm186
80Hjalmar175
81Wilmer170
82Alve169
83Omar164
84Ture163
85Vilgot162
86Felix161
86Vide161
88Anton159
89Elvin152
90Otis149
91Jonathan148
92Folke146
93Svante145
94Alvar144
95Samuel141
96Algot140
97Daniel137
98Ali133
98Aston133
100Joel129

What do Swedish boys’ names mean?

Like girls’ names, Swedish boys’ names come from a number of different roots.

Names with religious origins are very popular, with Noah topping the list in 2021.

Classic names with Germanic and Norse backgrounds are also popular, such as William and its derivation Liam.

Choosing a Swedish name for your baby boy is on-trend.
lark49 (CC)

For a detailed run-down of what Swedish boys’ names mean and a useful pronunciation guide, see our post on the most popular Swedish boys names and their meanings.

The top 20 most popular Swedish mens’ names

While international trends may have a strong influence on the choice of  a baby boy’s name, more traditional Scandinavian names are also popular. 

Check out the top 100 most popular Swedish names for boys and girls.

Names that have a definite Swedish ring to them, such as Karl, Erik, Lars, Anders and Per may not rank very highly in the choice of names in 2021, but are at the top of the list of the most popular Swedish men’s names overall.

While lots of Swedes might see these as old fashioned, they’re definitely ripe for a comeback, we think! 

So, here’s the top 20 most popular Swedish men’s names overall, with the number of Swedes who are registered with this name in 2021.

RankingNameNumber of men called name in 2021
1Karl341 187
2Erik331 575
3Lars226 139
4Anders186 455
5Per181 851
6Mikael181 017
7Johan176 355
8Olof143 401
9Nils140 589
10Jan125 957
11Gustav120 228
12Hans114 847
13Peter114 455
14Lennart107 473
15Fredrik101 503
16Gunnar100 155
17Thomas99 015
18Sven98 930
19Daniel91 721
20Alexander88 771

See also:
Norse names and their meanings
Cool male Viking names and their meanings
Cool female Viking names and their meanings

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