Norwegian Boy's Names

Some are always there, whatever changes in the fashion of names. Of course they are changing in popularity, but they are never gone.

Examples of these names are Lars, Ola and Erik for boys, and Anna and Marie for girls.

Some of the traditional names are Norwegian forms of names with roots in the Bible and from the Christian Saints.

These names are Jon, Nils, Lars, Per, Pål and Anders for boy's names, and Kari and Maria for girls.

From Nordic Saints we get the names Halvard, Knut, Ola or Olav and Erik, all names with long traditions in Norway. From year 1500 - 1900, Olav and Ola was the most common names.

The names Jens and Ola was very popular during the 1800's, and are popular even today.

The name Lars is one of the strongest through our history. Even at the end of the 1900's, when traditional names was less used, Lars held it's popularity. Actually, in my own family, my grandfather, my grand grandfather and my grand, grand grandfather were all named Lars.

If you are looking for an old, traditional Norwegian name for your boy child, then Lars, Erik or Eirik, Per and Olav are good, strong names.

Some names are stronger than others when it comes to naming a son after father. Old, traditional names like Lars, Andreas, Knut and Torstein are used for generation after generation.

The old Norwegian Kings names are still in use, like Olav, Haakon, Harald, Sverre and Magnus and many more.

The Top 10 popular Boy's Names in 2012

1. Lukas / Lucas

Yes. It's Lucas again. From beeing no#5 on the list in 2007, Lucas was the most popular name for baby boys both in 2008, 2009, and in 2010.

2011 made a change, when Lucas was one place down, and became the second most popular name.

The name comes from the latin Lucanos, and means "Light", but can also mean "Man from Luciania".

2. Emil

One place down for Emil this year. In 2007, Emil was the 9th most popular babyname in Norway, and in 2008 it was no#4.

Then, in 2009 and in 2010 it was the second most popular name, while it was the most popular of all boy’s names in Norway in 2011.

Emil comes from French, and means "Friendly".

3. Mathias / Matias

The name is keeping it’s position also in 2012!

The name Mathias has changed in popularity over the last years. From beeing the Winner Name in 2007, it became second in 2008. In 2009 it was no#5 in popularity, while it ranked as no#3 in the list for 2010, and still was in 2011.

Mathias is a greek name form, and means "Mattheus".

4. Jonas

We've got a new number 4, ladies and gentlemen. It's Jonas.

Jonas was ranked number 7 in 2010, but was out of the Top 10 in 2011.

According to the website "norskenavn.no", the name is a form of Jonah, that comes from the hebraic word "yonah" that means "pigeon".

5. Alexander / Aleksander

Also the number 10 in 2010, Alexander or Aleksander was out of the Top 10 in 2011.

Last year, the experts told us that Mathias, Alexander and Kristoffer might be on their way down the popularity lists. Well. It seems like they were wrong!

The meaning of the name is "defender" or also "defending man".

It actually is coming from the Greek name Alexandros, which can be split in two parts: "alex" and "andros". "Alex is coming from the Greek word "alexein" which means defend or help. The other part, "andros" comes from the Greek word "aner" that means man.

6. William

Two places down in 2012.

As a newbe on the Top 10 list in 2009, it reached the rank of #no 8. In 2010 it climbed to a 4th place, and kept it's popularity even in 2011.

William had never been on that list before 2009, at least not after 1900. All years after 1995 the name William has increased its popularity, and in 2009 it finally reached the Top 10 for the first time.

In Sweden this was the most popular baby name for boys in 2004.

William is the English form of the German name Wilhelm, and is today recognized to have the meaning as "protector of the Kingdom".

The first part of the name "Wil" means "will of desire", and "helm" means "helmet /protection".

7. Oscar / Oskar

New on the Top 10 this year is Oscar (also written Oskar).

Oscar is a boy's name with Angelsaxian origin.

It has 2 parts: "os" that means God, and "gar" that means "spear". Another possible meaning is "deer lover", if derived from the Gaelic "os" meaning deer and "cara" meaning lover.

8. Magnus

Just like Mathias and William, Magnus is still holding it's popularity. Almost.

From beeing no#7 both in 2007 and in 2008, it ended no#10 in 2009. In 2010 it increased it's popularity to be no.5, and still was in 2011. Number 8 in 2012 is not bad at all.

An old Norwegian name, with roots back to the age of the vikings.

Magnus comes from latin, and means "Big".

9. Marcus or Markus

Marcus was the 3rd most popular name in Norway in both 2007 and 2008.

In the statistics from 2009 it became no#7, and in 2010 it climbed to 6th place. The experts claims that Marcus is one of the names that is about to loose it’s popularity, even in longer terms.

2 places down to be number 8 in 2011, and almost kept it's position in 2012. Well done.

Marcus comes from the name of "the God Mars".

10. Oliver

The boy's name Oliver have had an exploding popularity, from beeing no#18 in 2007, no#8 in 2008, and in 2009 no# 4.

In 2010 it lost some of it's popularity and ended as no#9 in the Top Ten, but in 2011 it was fighting it’s way back to be number 7.

The name Oliver refers to the olive tree.

Out of the list from last year:

Filip / Phillip / Fillip / Philip

Different ways of spelling the same name, but it’s no doubt we got a new number 6 into the popularity list in 2011. Did not follow up in 2012.

The name Phillip comes from Greek, and means something like ”who loves horses”.

Noah

Short names are increasing their popularity, just like the biblical names. That made Noah popular enough to reach number 9 in the competition of the most popular name in Norway 2011. Not so in 2012.

The name Noah has Hebraic origin, and means ”comfort” or also ”resting”.

Tobias

Tobias was on the Top 10 list both in 2004 and 2005, but has been out since then. It had a come-back, and climbed to a strong number 10 in 2011, but fell out of the Top 10 in 2012.

The name Tobias comes from the Greek ”Tobiah”, which again comes from the Hebraic name ”Tobiyah” and means ”God is good”.

Last year, the experts believed that the up-coming names are Oliver, Oskar, Theo, Theodor, Julian and Leon.

They were partly right as both Oliver and Oscar are in the Top 10.

(source: norskenavn.no, ssb.no and other)

If you want to read more about what names that is popular in Norway, go from Norwegian Boys Names to the

Norwegian Girls Names .

Or if you are interested in seeing what names from the Bible that still are popular in Norway, you can go here:

Biblical Boys Names

Biblical Girls Names.