In ancient Norway, naming customs were pretty clear-cut: the firstborn male received their paternal grandfather’s name, the firstborn daughter got their paternal grandmother’s name, the second-born son received their maternal grandfather’s name, and so on.
However, naming traditions have long since diversified for both boys and girls. Nowadays, there are some truly beautiful Norwegian girl names that are worth bringing over to our side of the Atlantic. While their spelling and pronunciation may raise a few American eyebrows, these Scandinavian names are rich in meaning and melodic to the ear.
First, there’s Elin, which is simply the Norwegian variant of Ellen. Like its English counterpart, Elin is derived from the Greek meaning ‘sun ray or shining light.’ While it’s one of the most popular girl names in Norway, it’s yet to even break past the top 1,000 mark over here.
There’s also Ingrid, which most folks are familiar with. This name in particular comes from the Old Norse word for ‘beloved’ and ‘beautiful.’ It’s a classic name that’s rather rare here in the U.S., having only just slid under the 1500 mark of most popular American baby names in 2024.
Last but not least, there’s Laila, a lovely-sounding name that’s also popular in a number of Middle Eastern countries. Originally from the Sami people of Finland, this variant of Helga means ‘holy.’ But fun fact: in the Arab world, it means ‘dusk’ or ‘night.’
We’ve got some other beautiful Norwegian girl names on our list below, so keep reading.
Aasta
Meaning: Love
Origin: Norwegian
Astlyr
Meaning: Divine strength
Origin: Norwegian
Audny
Meaning: New prosperity
Origin: Norwegian
Beret
Meaning: A glorious and bright individual
Origin: Norwegian
Bestla
Meaning: Mother of Odin
Origin: Norwegian
Birget
Meaning: A protecting woman
Origin: Norwegian
Bodile
Meaning: A fighting woman
Origin: Norwegian
Dagrun
Meaning: A secret lore
Origin: Norwegian
Dalr
Meaning: From the valley
Origin: Norwegian
Diss
Meaning: One who is spirited
Origin: Norwegian
Dordi
Meaning: A gift from God
Origin: Norwegian
Eir
Meaning: Name of the goddess of healing
Origin: Norwegian
Elin
Meaning: Sun ray or shining light
Origin: Greek
Ella
Meaning: One who is a beautiful fairy
Origin: Norwegian
Emilie
Meaning: To strive or excel or rival
Origin: Norwegian
Frikka
Meaning: A peaceful ruler
Origin: Norwegian
Garthf
Meaning: Protection
Origin: Norwegian
Geirbjorg
Meaning: The godless
Origin: Norwegian
Gimle
Meaning: New heaven
Origin: Norwegian
Guthr
Meaning: Warlike
Origin: Norwegian
Hallfrid
Meaning: One who is half beautiful
Origin: Norwegian
Hela
Meaning: Name of the goddess of the underworld
Origin: Norwegian
Hyndla
Meaning: A giant
Origin: Norwegian
Idun
Meaning: One who is active
Origin: Norwegian
Inga
Meaning: The hero’s daughter
Origin: Norwegian
Ingrid
Meaning: Beloved, beautiful
Origin: Old Norse
Jannie
Meaning: God is gracious
Origin: Norwegian
Kine
Meaning: She is of Christian Faith
Origin: Norwegian
Kjellfrid
Meaning: A beautiful kettle
Origin: Norwegian
Laila
Meaning: Night
Origin: Arabic
Lovise
Meaning: Famous warrior
Origin: Norwegian
Lull
Meaning: Woman who is a legendary soldier
Origin: Norwegian
Marete
Meaning: Pearl
Origin: Norwegian
Maya
Meaning: Magical
Origin: Norwegian
Nikolina
Meaning: One who achieves victory for people
Origin: Norwegian
Noah
Meaning: Relaxation, restful, harmony
Origin: Norwegian
Ragnfrid
Meaning: Of the Gods
Origin: Norwegian
Rebekka
Meaning: A girl who traps and baits
Origin: Norwegian
Regna
Meaning: To advise and to make a decision
Origin: Norwegian
Sarah
Meaning: Princess
Origin: Norwegian
Siw
Meaning: She who is a bride
Origin: Norwegian
Solfrid
Meaning: She is beuatiful like the Sun
Origin: Norwegian
Sophie
Meaning: She is wise and clever
Origin: Norwegian
Tone
Meaning: A new thunder or storm
Origin: Norwegian
Torill
Meaning: Thunder God’s battle
Origin: Norwegian
Tuva
Meaning: A beautiful lady, charming
Origin: Norwegian
Unn
Meaning: She who is loved
Origin: Norwegian
Valjeta
Meaning: Dawning
Origin: Norwegian
Vibeke
Meaning: Little woman
Origin: Norwegian
Vigdis
Meaning: The battle goddess
Origin: Norwegian
