Swedish Boy Names
Swedish boy names are having a moment. Parents in the US and UK have discovered Axel, Nils and Leif, while Swedes themselves are reviving great-grandfather names like Sixten, Ture and Hjalmar. Most are short, strong and rooted in Old Norse or the saints’ calendar.
This list gathers 100+ Swedish boy names with their meanings and English pronunciation hints, grouped from today’s favorites to Viking classics and characters from Astrid Lindgren’s beloved books. See our Swedish names overview, the matching Swedish girl names, or cross the border for Norwegian boy names.
Popular Swedish boy names today
These rank high in recent Statistics Sweden (SCB) data. Notice the mix of international names and old Swedish favorites.
| Name | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Noah | Rest, comfort | NOH-ah |
| William | Resolute protector | VIL-yam |
| Hugo | Mind, spirit | HOO-goh |
| Lucas | Man from Lucania | LOO-kas |
| Liam | Short for William | LEE-am |
| Oliver | Olive tree | OH-li-ver |
| Adam | Man, earth | AH-dam |
| Matteo | Gift of God | mat-TEH-oh |
| Elias | My God is Yahweh | eh-LEE-as |
| Alexander | Defender of the people | ah-lek-SAN-der |
| Leo | Lion | LEH-oh |
| Viggo | Battle, war | VIG-goh |
| Axel | Father of peace (from Absalom) | AHK-sel |
| Nils | Victory of the people | NILS |
| Ludvig | Famous warrior | LOOD-vig |
| Arvid | Eagle tree, or eagle forest | AR-vid |
| Theo | God | TEH-oh |
| Oskar | Divine spear, or deer lover | OS-kar |
| Charlie | Free man | CHAR-lee |
| Vincent | Conquering | VIN-sent |
Viking and Old Norse Swedish boy names
Names carved on Swedish runestones a thousand years ago and still in use. Browse our Viking boy names for more.
| Name | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Björn | Bear | BYURN |
| Gunnar | Bold warrior | GOON-nar |
| Torsten | Thor’s stone | TOSH-ten |
| Sigurd | Victory guardian | SEE-gurd |
| Ragnar | Warrior of the gods’ counsel | RAHNG-nar |
| Leif | Heir, descendant | LAYF |
| Ivar | Bow warrior | EE-var |
| Ulf | Wolf | OOLF |
| Sten | Stone | STAYN |
| Arne | Eagle | AR-neh |
| Tor | Thor, god of thunder | TOOR |
| Ingvar | Ing’s warrior | ING-var |
| Halvar | Rock guardian | HAHL-var |
| Torbjörn | Thor’s bear | TOOR-byurn |
| Ragnvald | Ruler with the gods’ counsel | RAHNG-vahld |
| Knut | Knot | K’NOOT |
| Egil | Edge, blade | EH-gil |
| Alvar | Elf warrior | AHL-var |
| Frej | The Norse god Freyr, “lord” | FRAY |
Classic Swedish boy names
Kings, grandfathers and the names you’d find in any Swedish phone book in the 1960s. Many make great classic boy names in English too.
| Name | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gustav | Possibly “staff of the Geats” | Name of six Swedish kings |
| Karl | Free man | Current king: Carl XVI Gustaf |
| Erik | Eternal ruler | Saint Erik, patron of Sweden |
| Olof | Ancestor’s descendant | Old royal name |
| Magnus | Great | Borne by several medieval kings |
| Johan | God is gracious | Most common Swedish male name for decades |
| Anders | Manly, brave (Andrew) | Hence the surname Andersson |
| Lars | Laurel (Laurence) | Nickname Lasse |
| Per | Rock (Peter) | Nickname Pelle |
| Sven | Young man, boy | Viking-age favorite |
| Bengt | Blessed (Benedict) | Very Swedish |
| Göran | Farmer (George) | Pronounced YUR-an |
| Stig | Wanderer, path | Mid-century classic |
| Åke | Ancestor | Pronounced OH-keh |
| Mats | Gift of God (Matthias) | Popular in the 1960s |
| Fredrik | Peaceful ruler | Timeless |
| Ingemar | Ing’s fame | Ingemar Stenmark, ski legend |
Old-man Swedish names back in fashion
Swedes call this trend gubbnamn, “old-man names.” These were grandfather names a generation ago and are now among the coolest picks for baby boys.
| Name | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Sixten | Victory stone | SIX-ten |
| Ture | Thor | TOO-reh |
| Hjalmar | Warrior’s helmet | YAHL-mar |
| Gösta | Short for Gustav | YUS-ta |
| Sigge | Short for Sigurd, “victory guardian” | SIG-geh |
| Tage | The one who takes, receives | TAH-geh |
| Melker | King of light (Melchior) | MEL-ker |
| Malte | Short for Helmold, “helmet ruler” | MAHL-teh |
| Valter | Ruler of the army | VAHL-ter |
| Edvin | Rich friend | ED-vin |
| Albin | White, fair | AHL-bin |
| Ebbe | Strong as a wild boar | EB-beh |
| Folke | People, folk | FOL-keh |
| Harald | Army ruler | HAH-rahld |
| Holger | Island spear | HOL-ger |
| Algot | Elf Goth | AHL-got |
Short Swedish boy names
One and two-syllable Swedish names that are easy to say in English.
| Name | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Bo | To live, dwell | BOO |
| Ola | Ancestor’s descendant (from Olof) | OO-la |
| Otto | Wealth, fortune | OT-toh |
| Loke | The trickster god Loki | LOO-keh |
| Elis | Swedish form of Elias | EH-lis |
| Tore | Thor | TOO-reh |
| Vide | Willow | VEE-deh |
| Kalle | Nickname for Karl | KAHL-leh |
| Emil | Rival, eager | EH-meel |
| Isak | He will laugh | EE-sak |
| Frans | Frenchman, free | FRAHNS |
| Olle | Nickname for Olof | OOL-leh |
| Jon | God is gracious | YON |
Swedish forms of biblical names
Sweden’s Lutheran heritage shows in these Scandinavian spellings of biblical names.
| Name | English form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Mikael | Michael | Who is like God? |
| Jakob | Jacob | Supplanter |
| Josef | Joseph | God will add |
| Petter | Peter | Rock |
| Tobias | Tobias | God is good |
| Samuel | Samuel | God has heard |
| Johannes | John | God is gracious |
| Markus | Mark | Of Mars |
| Mattias | Matthias | Gift of God |
| Simon | Simon | He has heard |
Boy names from Astrid Lindgren’s stories
Astrid Lindgren, the author of Pippi Longstocking, shaped Swedish naming like no one else. These characters inspired generations of parents.
| Name | Character | Book |
|---|---|---|
| Rasmus | Rasmus the orphan | Rasmus and the Vagabond |
| Mio | Prince Mio | Mio, My Son |
| Jonatan | Jonatan Lionheart | The Brothers Lionheart |
| Birk | Birk Borkasson | Ronia, the Robber’s Daughter |
| Mattis | Ronia’s father, the robber chief | Ronia, the Robber’s Daughter |
| Tommy | Pippi’s neighbor | Pippi Longstocking |
Tips for picking a Swedish boy name
- Check the vowels: Swedish u and o are tricky for English speakers. Names like Axel, Nils, Otto and Leif are pronounced almost the same in both languages.
- Keep or drop the dots: Björn and Göran are usually written Bjorn and Goran in the US. Decide which you prefer before the birth certificate.
- Go vintage for style: gubbnamn such as Sixten, Ture or Hjalmar feel fresh and are still rare outside Sweden.
- Pair Nordic with Norse: a modern first name plus a Viking middle name (Leo Björn, Elis Ragnar) is a popular Swedish combination. Find more in our Norse god names.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular Swedish boy name?
In recent years Noah, William, Hugo and Lucas have led Sweden’s newborn charts (SCB). Among all Swedish men, Lars, Mikael and Anders are the most common.
What are old Swedish boy names?
Traditional Swedish names include Sven, Gunnar, Björn, Olof, Gustav, Åke and Stig, many dating back to the Viking age.
What does Viggo mean?
Viggo comes from the Old Norse element víg, “battle” or “war.” It is a top-20 boys’ name in Sweden.
What is a strong Swedish boy name?
Björn (bear), Gunnar (bold warrior), Ulf (wolf), Torsten (Thor’s stone) and Hjalmar (warrior’s helmet) all carry strong meanings.
How do you pronounce Axel in Swedish?
Axel is pronounced “AHK-sel,” very close to the English pronunciation.