Nordic Names is still in progress, so new names are being added all the time. If you are looking for information about a name you cannot find on the lists, yet, you can use the contact form to send us your request. We will try to answer (and add the name) as soon as possible.
Please note that Nordic Names is about first names! So we will not add or answer questions concerning surnames.
We have planned to add a bigger surname section and a place name section in the future. Right now we still concentrate on first names, so please do not send us questions concerning surnames and place names.
Tell us! Grammar and spelling of explanations and other text: English is not our mother tongue, so if you find any mistake, we will be very thankful, if someone told us so we can fix it. Meanings of names etc.: Most names we use today are very old and sometimes it is difficult or even impossible to find out their meanings. If there are different theories or even wrong guesses which appear very often in (bad?) name books, we will include those theories, only for your information. They are clearly marked though. If you find any different meanings anywhere else, please tell us and tell us about the source of your information as well. Thank you!
We used (and still use) many books to find out more about names. The idea about stating sources on Nordic Names is relatively new, so it will take a while, until we have added the sources to each name. You can have a look at the full list of sources in the Bibliography.
Nordic Names is about names used in the countries of Denmark (including Greenland and the Faroe Islands), Finland, Iceland, Sweden and Norway - both recent and previous. As many foreign names are used and have been used for decades or even centuries, they are included as well.
Foreign names which are very rarely used in the Nordic countries by people without immigration background, such as Mateusz, are clearly marked (no flag in the "usage" section) and only added if they are of historical interest or used by a very huge amount of immigrants.
If you want to search names of Old Norse origin only, you can go here
We might be able to help you finding out the origin meaning of your ancestors' given names but we provide no information about genealogy on Nordic Names.
You can use the contact form and send us your request in:
Swedish, Danish, Norwegian*, German, Finnish*, French* or Russian*.
* If you write in Norwegian, Finnish, French or Russian, please tell us, if you would prefer an answer in English, Swedish, Danish or German.
Frisian, Dutch, Low German and Estonian names are often regarded to be Nordic as well and we plan to include a bigger amount of them in the future. Right now only names used in Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Denmark (including Greenland and the Faroe Islands) and Finland are included. Use the search box and look for e.g. "Frisian" and you will find some Frisian names used in the Nordic countries.
Kindly use the contact form and tell us! Don't forget to give your sources. Thank you very much in advance.
I am not a professional but I have been studying the ethymology of names for more than 20 years. The information you find on Nordic Names is a collection and combination of information written down by name experts (see Bibliography). You will find my own theories as well in case I have not been able to find any other information or if I have a comment on the theories of the book authors. My own theories are marked: "Judith Ahrholdt: Nordic Names - www.nordicnames.de (2004-2024)".
Answering a request - especially if it's complicated - might take a while. As Nordic Names is only a hobby and we have got work and family and friends, it can take up to three weeks to answer a request (although we try to be quicker!).
We will not answer questions about surnames, place names and genealogy.
All name articles are written by me (© Judith Ahrholdt, 2004-2024) and the information comes from my sources or from myself.
Without my permission you are not allowed to
Without my permission you are allowed to