Popular boy names in 1920: 1920s Boy Names With Lasting Charm

Posted on 15 сентября, 2023 by alexxlab

Fifteen children’s names that have stayed in the top 100 chart since the 1920s

New research by the Office for National Statistics shows that just 15 names have made it into the top 100 most popular names every decade since the 1920s, but just two girls’ names make the cut

These names have been the most consistently popular over the last 100 years (

Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Research carried out by the Office for National Statistics on baby name data reveals the monikers that have been consistently popular over the last 100 years.

Just 15 have made the list of the top 100 baby names every decade since the 1920’s with a number of traditional English names coming out on top.

Only two girls’ names can be spotted in the list compared to 13 boys’ monikers which could suggest parents have become more bold in their choices for their daughters.

This research highlights how some girls’ names do not stand the test of time quite as well as their boyish counterparts.

‘My friends say we have picked cruel names for kids but we don’t see the issue’

Just two girls’ names make the cut
(

Image:

Getty Images/iStockphoto)

ChronicleLive reports that the list includes a number of British names favoured by the monarchy such as George, Charles, and Elizabeth.

The numbers highlight that girls’ monikers don’t last with parents in the same way that boys’ names do. For instance, Gwendoline, Doris, and Vera were all staples of the 1920s, before being replaced by choices such as Robyn, Harriet, and Zoe in later decades.

The data analysis also reveals a shift in parents’ attitudes towards nicknames throughout the generations. For instance, Alexander is one of the most consistently popular names, having been in the charts every decade since the 1920s, whilst Alex didn’t become popular in its own right until the 80s.

The same trend can be seen with Anthony, Daniel, and Joshua, with their shortened versions – Tony, Danny, and Josh – all making appearances as given names later in the records.

This preference for nicknames as chosen names shows parents are becoming more informal with their name choices, especially when it comes to their sons. In the 1920s, just three nicknames appear in the top 100 boys’ chart — ‘Harry’, ‘Roy’, and ‘Fred’. This is compared to 15 in the 2010s chart, including ‘Teddy’, ‘Ollie’, and ‘Freddie’.

My Nametags analysed baby name data for registered births in England and Wales from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) between the 1920s and 2010s and here is the list of the most enduring 15 names.

The Most Popular Baby Names: 1921-2021

Alexander
Charles
Daniel
David
Edward
Elizabeth
George
James
Joseph
Michael
Mohammed
Robert
Sarah
Thomas
William

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Swedish boy names — Scandilife

Published: Apr 12, 2023 · by Cecilia Hoikka · Affiliate links are marked with an *asterisk

Did you know that Sweden has a rich and fascinating naming tradition? Swedish boy names are often influenced by mythology and are infused with meaning and history. From classic names like Erik and Anders to more unique options like Ragnar and Sven, Swedish boy names offer a wide range of choices for you as a parent looking for a meaningful and distinctive name. In this blog post, I’ll dive into the world of Swedish boy names, exploring some origins and meanings.

William, Liam, and Noah were the most common boy names in 2022.Jump to:

Introduction
What is namnsdag?
Most common boy names in Sweden
Most popular boy names throughout the years
Traditional Swedish men’s names and their meaning
Most common double names
Old Swedish boy names
Some special and uncommon Swedish boy names
Names inspired by nature
Swedish royal boy names
50 name ideas from Astrid Lindgrens stories
Names your boy after a food
More about Swedish culture

Introduction

Names hold significant importance in Swedish culture, and parents often take great care in selecting the right name for their child. In Sweden, there are specific laws that regulate names, and parents must follow certain guidelines when giving names.

Swedish names often are derived from Old Norse or other Scandinavian languages. For example, the name Erik, which means «eternal ruler,» is a popular Swedish name that can be traced back to the Viking era.

In recent years, there has been a trend towards using more international names in Sweden, like Matteo, Aston, and Bill, but traditional Swedish names remain popular also. Some popular Swedish boy names include Alfred, Edvin, Axel, and Emil.

Sweden is also very multicultural, and 20% of the population is foreigners. This is seen on the list of most popular boy names where Mohammed, Ali, and Amir are presented.

Many gender-neutral names in Sweden can be used for both boys and girls. Some popular gender-neutral boy names are Ture, Sam, Love, Levi, Elis, and Loke.

See also the list for Swedish girl names.

What is namnsdag?

Namnsdag is a traditional celebration in Sweden, Finland, and some other countries that takes place on a specific day of the year dedicated to a particular name. Each name has its own designated day in the calendar, and people who bear that name celebrate on their respective namnsdag.

In Sweden, name days have been celebrated since the Middle Ages and were originally associated with the Christian calendar, with each day commemorating a saint. However, over time, many non-religious names have been added to the calendar, and namnsdagar have become more of a secular celebration.

On a namnsdag, people with that name are often congratulated by family and friends, and sometimes receive small gifts or cards. It is also common for workplaces and schools to acknowledge the namnsdag of their employees or students.

Check out the name days in the Swedish calendar.

Most common boy names in Sweden

Here is a list of the most common boy names given for babies year 2022.

Name	Amount named year 2022
William	690
Liam	697
Noah	677
Hugo	643
Oliver	629
Lucas	616
Nils	579
Matteo	571
Valter	566
August	565
Elias	559
Leon	559
Adam	556
Leo	545
Ludvig	507
Alfred	502
Oscar	490
Sam	488
Theo	474
Otto	469
Arvid	450
Harry	436
Frans	429
Charlie	424
Elliot	407
Isak	407
Malte	401
Theodor	395
Vincent	383
Elton	371
Olle	366
Louie	363
Benjamin	358
Gabriel	351
Ebbe	343
Alexander	338
Adrian	337
Axel	337
Love	328
Henry	325
Tage	217
Filip	315
Ted	315
Noel	310
Josef	300
Mohammed	298
Melvin	297
Jack	287
Aron	286
Viggo	281

Traditional Swedish men’s names and their meaning

Name	Meaning
Anders	The name is a form of Andreas, which in turn originates from Greece and means «man», «masculine» or «human».
Alexander	Alexander is a name of Greek origin (Aléxandros), formed from two words that mean «defend» and «man», meaning «defender of the people».
Arne	Arne is a Nordic male name that contains a Germanic root arn- «eagle». The oldest record in Sweden is from the 11th century on a stone near Nora Lake.
Bertil	An ancient German name, derived from the word bercht, which means «bright, shining». The name was a trendy name in the 1920s and 1930s, inspired by Prince Bertil.
Bengt	Bengt is a male name that has existed in Sweden since at least the 12th century. It is a Swedish form of the Latin name Benedictus, which means «the blessed».
Bror	The name means brother in Swedish.
Conrad	Konrad is a male name of ancient Germanic origin, Kuonrat. It is formed from kuoni — bold and rat — counsel, meaning «bold counselor».
Christer	Krister, or Christer, is a male name and a Nordic variant (originally Christiern) of Kristian, which in turn is of Latin origin and means «Christian».
Christian	Same as above. It was a common name among Nordic (Danish) kings in the 1400s and 1500s.
Daniel	Hebrew male name meaning «God is my judge».
Emil	Emil is likely derived from the Roman family name Emilius and came to Sweden via the French variant Émile. It originates from the Latin word «aemulus,» which means «eager» or «industrious.»
Erik	Germanic or Old Norse origin that means «honored» or «esteemed» .
Gustav	Gustav (Gustaf) has traditionally been assumed to be composed of the folk name göt and stav, i.e. «the staff of the göt».
Evert	Evert or Ewert is a male name of German origin. It is a Low German form of Eberhard which is formed from eber — «wild boar» and hard — «hard», «strong». The name has been used as a name in Sweden since the 14th century.
Fredrik	Germanic origin composed of Proto-Germanic «frithuz» (peace) and «rikz» (ruler).
Henrik	Comes from the German name Heinrich. «Heim» means home and Rich»ruler».
Johan	Comes from the Greek John which in turn is based on an Aramaic name meaning «God has had mercy».
Joakim	Joakim or Joachim is a male name, originally Hebrew Jehoiachim meaning «God will establish».
Karl	Germanic origin derived from the Proto-Germanic «karlaz» (man/free man).
Kenneth	Celtic name formed from the Gaelic word canach meaning «beautiful» or «beautiful».
Linus	Latin form of the Greek male name Li’nos, meaning «He with flaxen hair».
Nils	Nordic short form of Nikolaus, meaning «victory of the people».
Magnus	Latin nickname meaning «big».
Otto	German origin, a short form of names of Ot-, which are formed into a word meaning «property» or «wealth».
Oscar	Oskar or Oscar means the one god. The Celtic name came from the old Icelandic Ásgeirr, which is composed of the words ass as in asagudar and geirr meaning «spear». The name can perhaps be translated as «spear of god», «warrior of god» or «weapon of god».
Per, Pär	A Nordic short form of Petrus which is a Latin form of the Greek name Petros, which is a translation of the Aramaic name Kefas meaning rock.
Stefan	Stefan is a male name originating from the Greek name Stefanos which means «crowned».
Sven	Old Norse male name with the meaning «young man, youth, lad».
Thomas	Aramaic word meaning «twin».
Ulf	Ulf is an Old Norse name, a really old-fashioned spelling of the word ulv (=wolf).
Valter, Walter	Comes from the German Waltherti which is composed of two words meaning power and warrior.
Viktor	Viktor or Victor is of Latin origin and means «victorious» and «Royal».
Vidar	Old Norse name, composed of the words «tree» and «man».

Source

Most common double names

Name	Amount with this name in Sweden
Jan-Erik	7562
Lars-Erik	7171
Per-Olof	6581
Jan-Olof	4873
Lars-Göran	4828
Karl-Erik	4329
Carl-Johan	4144
Sven-Erik	4072
Per-Erik	3783
Lars-Olof	3575

Source

Old Swedish boy names

Old Swedish boy names have a rich and diverse history, with many of them dating back to the Viking Age and the Middle Ages. Here are some examples of old Swedish boy names that were used in Vikinga time and their meanings:

Ragnar — This name means «warrior» or «army rule.» It was a popular name among Viking chieftains and warriors.
Birger — This name means «to help» or «to protect.»
Björn — This name means «bear» and was a common name among Viking warriors and chieftains.
Brand- Meant sword blade in Vikinga era. Nowadays means there was a fire.
Harald — This name means means «ruler» or «leader».
Jerker- In English, the origin of Icelandic «Eirikr» and Swedish «Erik» is the Old Norse name «Eiríkr», means «one ruler» or «the always ruling».
Rudolf — Old Norse: Hrodulf. Has the words honor and wolf in it.
Ulf — This name means «wolf».
Einar — Old Norse word «einheri» refers to a warrior in Odin’s army, specifically those who have died in battle and been chosen by Odin to join his army in Valhalla. The term can be translated as «one army» or «one warrior».
Olof — Means ancestor and descendant.
Thorsten — This name means «Thor’s stone»
Viking- means «he who hides in the bay»

Some special and uncommon Swedish boy names

Abbott
Agne
Albus
Algot
Benji
Birk
Carsten
Edison
Einar
Erling
Eskil
Findus
Frej
Greger
Gunnar

Hampus
Helge
Henning
Herman
Hjalmar
Ivar
Jarl
Justus
Konrad
Luka
Maximilian
Nelix
Ossian
Peder
Reidar
Sigfrid
Sören
Theodor
Torsten
Vilgot
Öivind
Örjan

See more uncommon names

Names inspired by nature

Name	Meaning
Adrian	Association to the Adriatic sea.
Alve	A form of Alf (friend of the elves).
Björn	It means birch in Swedish.
Ilan	Means bear in Swedish. Name is used already in the Viking era. Gives association to big and strong.
Sixten	Means victory and stone. An older form of the name is Sigsten.
Björk	It means rock in Swedish
Stig	Means a path in Swedish.
Timotej	A type of grass grown in Sweden.
Orion	A star cancellation.
Vide	Willowtree in Swedish.
Sten	Means rock in Swedish

Swedish royal boy names

Here are some traditional Swedish boy names that members of the royal family have used:

Gustav, Karl Gustav
Adolf
Bertil
Oscar
Magnus
Philip
Wilhelm
Erik
Carl + Carl Filip
Fredrik
Ragnvald
Sigvard
Sten
Styrbjörn
Sven

Albrekt
Alf
Anund
August
Bengt
Birger
Edmund
Holmger
Håkan
Johan
Ludvig
Lennart
Olof
Sverker
Sigismund

The current ruling family can be of inspiration of names also:

Carl XVI Gustaf Folke Hubertus
Olof Daniel
Oscar Carl Olof
Carl Philip Edmund Bertil
Alexander Erik Hubertus Bertil
Gabriel Carl Walther
Chris O’Neill
Nicolas Paul Gustaf

50 name ideas from Astrid Lindgrens stories

Abbe: Abbe Nilsson in Lugnet is Madicken’s friend and neighbor.
Albin: Albin is one of the main characters in the story «Hop, Skip, and Jump High» which is included in the collection «Kajsa Kavat».
Alfred: in the books about Emil of Lönneberga.
Anders: Anders is the leader of the White Rose in the books about Kalle Blomkvist
Anton: Anton Svensson is Emil and Ida’s hard-working father in Lönneberga.
Assar: The master thief Assar Bubbla steals Astrid Lindgren’s Pippi manuscript in the picture book «Assar Bubbla».
Artur: Uncle Einar’s villainous acquaintance in «Mästerdetektiven Blomkvist».
Benka, Bengt: Bengt is a classmate of Tommy and Annika in Pippi Longstocking.
Bertil: The main character in «Nils Karlsson-Pyssling», also the name of Britt-Mari’s friend in Astrid Lindgren’s first book «Britt-Mari Opens Her Heart».
Birk: Birk Borkason from Ronja the Robber’s Daughter.
Björn: The primary school teacher in «Vi på Saltkråkan» who is in love with Malin Melkerson.
Bosse, Bo: Several characters have this name in Astrids books.
Dodik: One of the guards at the wall in «The Brothers Lionheart».
Efraim: Captain Efraim Longstocking, formerly the terror of the seas, now the king of the South Seas, is Pippi Longstocking’s father.
Einar: Eva-Lotta’s mother’s shady cousin in the first book about «Mästerdetektiven Blomkvist».
Elof: A little boy who is in the story «Pippi Longstocking’s Christmas Tree», also the name of one of Madicken’s classmates.
Emil: Emil in Lönneberga.
Eno: The name of an old man that Mio and Jum
Filip, Fille: Filip and Rulle are two thieves in Pippi Longstocking.
Fiolito: The chief robber who tries to steal Mimmi’s pearls in Ronia, the Robber’s Daughter.
Fjosok: One of Mattis’s robbers in Ronia, the Robber’s Daughter. Like some of the other names in the book, it is taken from the Swedish mountain world: Fjosoken is a lake.
Fredrik: «Fredrik with the foot» is a kind bully in Bill Bergson Lives Dangerously.
Fridolf: A sailor on the Hoppetossa, Captain Efraim Longstocking’s ship.
Gottfrid: The mayor’s son in Emil in Lönneberga.
Gunnar: The boy who becomes Peter and Petra’s classmate in the story with the same name.
Göran: The main character from the story In Twilight Land.
Hilding: One of the villains in Rasmus and the Vagabond.
Hubert: The hunter in The Brothers Lionheart.
Jerker: Britt-Mari’s little brother in Britt-Mari Opens Her Heart.
Jim: Jim and Buck are two bandits who want to steal the pearls of Kurrekurredutt Island in Pippi in the South Seas.
Jiri: Jiri and his siblings live in the Land of Faraway in Mio, My Son.
Jocke: Jocke Kis is a pauper in the story Plays My Lind, Sings My Nightingale?
Joel: The shopkeeper’s son in The Children of Noisy Village.
Joen: One of Mattis’s robbers in Ronia, the Robber’s Daughter.
Johan: Johan is one of the Melkerson children in Seacrow Island.
Jonas: Jonas is Lotta’s older brother in Lotta on Troublemaker Street, and Madicken’s father.
Jonatan: Jonathan Lionheart, Skorpan’s older brother.
Jonte: Jonte is one of the members of the Red Roses in the Bill Bergson books.
Julius: Uncle Julius is a difficult old relative who comes to live with Lillebror in The Brothers Lionheart.
Krister: Krister and Gunilla are Lillebror’s friends in Karlsson on the Roof.
Laban: A terrible bully who steals a hot dog vendor’s sausages in Pippi Goes Aboard.
Labbas: One of Mattis’s robbers in Ronia, the Robber’s Daughter.
Lars, Lasse: Lisa’s and Bosse’s brother in The Children of Noisy Village. Astrid Lindgren’s son was also named Lasse.
Lennart: Kati’s boyfriend, whom she later marries, in the books about Kati.
Martin: Doctor Berglund’s son in Madicken and Junibacken’s Pims.
Mattias: Skorpan calls Mattias his grandfather in The Brothers Lionheart.
Nicke: One of the villains in Bill Bergson Lives Dangerously.
Niklas: One of the Melkerson children in Seacrow Island.
Nonno: A cowherd on Green Meadow Island in Mio, My Son. Nonno carves wooden flutes for Mio and Jum-Jum, and his grandmother bakes the Bread that satisfies hunger.
Ola: Ola from Jola, a poor boy in the Norka Poorhouse, in Play My Lute, Sing My Nightingale?

How many names do Swedish people have?

Swedish people typically have one or two given names, followed by a family name. By law, a child must have one first name and one last name. There are no rules to how many first names a person can have. The highest count is 12 names with 10 persons having that amount of first names.

Nearly 90 percent of all people have more than one first name. An interesting fact is that within the current royal family, they bear more first names than the average person. For example, Princess Birgitta’s daughter, a cousin of the king’s children, has seven first names: Désirée Margaretha Victoria Sibylla Catharina Louise Maria.

During the late Middle Ages, the use of multiple first names began to spread on the continent. It first appeared among princes and nobles and eventually made its way to Sweden. In the nobility, it became increasingly common during the 17th century to have two first names. However, in other social classes, it was still most common to have only one first name, and it wasn’t until the middle of the 18th century that people began giving their children two first names.

Jansson’s temptation is a famous potato casserole, named after Pelle Janzon.

Names your boy after a food

Many Swedish dishes have some names included. Some examples are Napoleonbakelse, Biff a la Lindström, and Janssons frestelse.

Napoleonbakelse

Cake with layers of puff pastry, vanilla cream, whipped cream, and jam. Famous in Sweden since the mid-1800s. May refer to the French emperor Napoleon.

File a la Oscar

Butter-fried veal fillet garnished with asparagus, lobster meat, and truffle. Named after Oscar II’s 25th anniversary as regent in 1897.

Crepes a la prins Bertil

These thin pancakes are filled with hollandaise sauce, prawns, and dill. Then gratinated with cheese in the oven.

Karl XV: kringlor

Karl XV became one of Sweden’s most popular kings of all time, largely due to his reputation as a partygoer. Did not find any information on how these pastries were named after him.

Biff a la Lindström

Beef made from ground meat, egg yolks, whipped cream, grated onion, capers, chopped beets, and chopped potatoes. Named after: Captain Henrik Lindström (1831-1910). He is said to have introduced the dish in the 1860s, inspired by Russian cuisine, at a hotel in Kalmar.

Some sources: Institut för språk o folkminnen. Svenska akademien. Babyhjälp, Expressen.se, Matkult, Baam.se

More about Swedish culture

Swedish dinner-habits and foods
Swedish Easter
Swedish fika
How to eat pickled herring

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Most popular names for girls and boys in 2023 in Moscow

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Find out what other names have become the most popular among newborns in Moscow in the Gazeta.Ru infographic.

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