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Scandinavian Names For A Baby Girl
 One of the hardest choices you face as a parent is deciding on what name to give your new child. Unless you have some sort of family tradition to follow then parents pretty much have free reign although there was a time when a baby's name would be chosen from a fairly limited set. However, it has become far more common of late for parents to look for something a little more unusual or to let their imagination run wild!
With this in mind, I thought it would be nice to share with you some of my favourite names that are used in Scandinavia but may not be so common outside the Nordic region. I've tried to give you some names that I think are cool but should be a bit different without ever bordering on the ridiculous!
In the first part of this article, we will look at my favourite ten names for baby girls which I will later follow up with a similar list of my favourite Scandinavian names for baby boys. They aren't listed in any particular order but I have tried to supply you with a little background as to the origin of the name so you don't get any shocks at a later date.
 Peppi
Pronounced:
Peppi is derived from the name Perpetua which means "continous" or "everlasting". However, to me it will forever mean accidental mischief, stripy socks and a house full on fun! Pippi Longstocking, Astrid Lindgren's tale of young girl who had red pigtails, lots of freckles and incredible strength, was named Peppi Pitkätossu when it was translated into Finnish. When I was a little girl I absolutely adored her and the tales she was in which are some of the most popular kids stories in all of Scandinavia. Truly magical!
Lotta
Pronounced:
Lotta is a Scandinavian version of the name Carlotta or Charlotta. This has a very pretty meanings with its Latin origin translating as "petite beauty" or "womanly" or even "feminine". All lovely choices for your little girl!
Lotta is also the name of a fictional character featuring in one of the most famous Finnish poems by J.L. Runeberg. "Lotta Svard" was the name of a soldiers wife in the Swedish-Russian war of 1808-1809 and is from the book "Vanrikki Stoolin tarinat" (Stories of 2nd Lieutenant Stool"), which gives a heroic picture of the Finnish soldiers involved.
 Karolina
Pronounced: ka-ra-LEE-na
At first the meaning of this name isn't too encouraging with many labelling it as meaning "man", not the nicest thing to call a girl! However, alternatively it can also be considered to have come from a Germanic element meaning "army" or "warrior" or possibly even "tiny and feminine". Of these, I think the final one is certainly the most attractive for a young lady!
Carolina Kluft is one of the most famous sportswomen to have come out of Scandinavia in recent times and I have occasionally seen her name spelt as Karolina! She is the current World, European and Olympic champion at the Heptathlon and was also named the Waterford Crystal European Athlete of the Year Trophy 2003.
Ebba
Pronounced:
Ebba has been a popular name with origins in both Scandinavia and Anglo-Saxon areas. The Scandinavian meaning is literally "strength" or "strong as a boar" whilst the Anlgo-Saxon name is derived from Eadburga, from the Old English words "ead", meaning "rich" and "burg" meaning "fortress". It is also the name of a 9th century saint.
 Ebba Lund, also known as the "girl in the red cap", is one of the most famous people with this name in Scandinavia. She was a Christian woman who risked her own life countless times to help smuggle them from Nazi-occupied Denmark to nearby neutral Sweden during the 2nd World War. A member of the Danish resistance group Helga Dansk, she always wore a red cap which is how the Jews recognised her. It is believed she saved the lives of between 500 and 800 people.
 Tove
Pronounced:
As a name, Tove is the Scandinavian form of the Old Norse name "Tófa" so it certainly has long roots in the Nordic region! "Tófa" itself was derived from the Norse words for "Beautiful Thor" where Thor was the word for thunder but also the name of the Norse god of strength, thunder and war. I certainly think "beautiful thunder" has a certain ring to it and can think of one or two young ladies that I have met that can go from beautiful to thunder in a moment!
Tove is also a name which has huge resonance for all Finns since it is the first name of probably our most famous author, Tove Jansson. Her most famous literary creations were the Moomins who have achieved worldwide fame but she was also responsible for many other books and works of art. I absolute adore the Moomins and even now like to think I have some similarities to the character Little My!
Pia
Pronounced:
 Pia is a very popular name in Finland but actually has its roots in as the feminine form of Pius, which means pious or dutiful. It certainly has religious connections with Pius being the name of 12 popes but also has a meaning in the Punjabi and Hindi languages where is means beloved or love one.
Putting all that together, I live to think of it as a dutiful loved one! At Nordic Kids, we have one particular Pia that we are huge fans of and that is Pia Wallen, who designs the baby and children's slippers that we stock. She's an award winning designer so I know we're not the only ones who love her work.
 Linnea
Pronounced: le-NEE-ah
This name has it origins in Old Norse and has the meaning of "lime or linden tree or blossom". It is also the name of the national flower of Sweden, a small pink mountain flower that in English is known as the "twinflower".
The flower was named after the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus who was the inventor of the universally recognized system of classifying plants and animals and Swedish girls are often given this name with this small flower in mind.
Venla
Pronounced:
Venla is the Finnish feminine form of the German name Wendel, meaning "a Wend" or "a wanderer" which was a term used to refer to migrant Slavs in the sixth century. The Wends were a Slavic people living between the Elbe and the Ober.
In the Finnish speaking population during 2004, this was the 4th most popular girls name for newborn babies.
 Elina
Pronounced: e-LEE-na
This is the Finnish form of the Greek name Helen which comes from either the Greek word for "torch" which is "helene" or the word for "moon" which is "selene". In Greek mythology Helen was the most beautiful woman in the world and it was her kidnapping that provoked the Trojan War.
Elina Karjalainen was the author of the beautiful Uppo-Nalle series of Finnish children's books, about an animate teddy bear. The bear was named Uppo-Nalle (Finnish for "sunken bear") because he was originally found underwater during a river cruise.
Kerttu
Pronounced:
Kerttu is the Finnish form of the German name Gertrude, which has been derived from the Germanic words ger meaning "spear" and þruþ meaning "strength". So, quite literally "Spear strength"! However, for me its meaning is soft and caring beyond any other name in the world as it is also the name of my mother.
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