10 Scandinavian Names You Never Thought of Using: Boys

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Last week I told you all about my love for the slim, trim Scandinavian name. That's exactly what you'll find here--no name is over two syllables long. If you are a fan of short names, the Scandinavians have got you covered. Take a look.

Espen- Espen--with his similarities to the name Aspen and favorite sports network ESPN--strikes me as the perfect name for a Scandi-American child. Even better if there are Osborns in your family--he comes from Asbjorn, from which Osborn derived.

Folke- It's no secret that hipsters love anything "folk." Folk music, folk dancing, folk festivals--you name it. So why not use it as a name for their son? Folke (with that extra "E") is an old Scandinavian name. Plus, he means "people's guardian."

Frey- When novel names become suddenly trendy, people tend to tire of them quickly. That's what happened to me and Gray/Grey. Years ago when parents first started bestowing their children with the name, I thought, "what a wonderful idea!," "how cute!," and "so creative!" Now it bores me to tears. Frey is a spectacular alternative. He's fresher, edgier, and practically unheard of. Use him instead of Grey, please.

Jens- The Jennifers of the world have exited their child-bearing years, meaning, in the next ten years or so, they will start becoming grandmothers. Jens would be spunky way to honor Grandma Jennifer--but even if you don't know any Jennifers, Jennys, or Jenns (I would be shocked), Jens still makes a fantastic name for a son.

Lars- Sweet sweet Lars is one of my all time favorites. He sounds so kind and gentle (though maybe Ryan Gosling's character in Lars and the Real Girl is coloring my perception). If you prefer him as a nickname, he works as a short form of Laurence or Larson/Larsen.

Oslo- Oslo is the capital of Norway, and a great candidate for the name of your baby boy! Some people argue that he's not "name-y" enough, but Oslo shares a likeness to Oswald, Otto, and Lazlo, so I beg to differ.

Per- Per is the Scandinavian form of Peter. He's pronounced exactly as he looks--though if you're seeking the PEER pronunciation, Peer is another option. Pelle--even though it is longer--is the original nickname for Per, though he is actually more popular in his own right.

Timo- I've been LOVING Timo lately. He's familiar yet unusual, easy to pronounce, and an all-around lovely name. You could use him as a nickname for Timothy, but I much prefer him on his own. Timo would make a nice honor name, though.

Thoren- Thoren is an elaboration on the Scandinavian god name Thor, and also a surname. People who like Thor and Tor but want a longer name to fall back on should strongly consider Thoren.

Viggo- Viggo is a cool, strong name that would be easy to use in America. He's currently most popular in Sweden, where he ranks #45, though his popularity peaked in 2009 at #26. Funnily enough, he doesn't even rank in Norway, his country of origin.

10 V Names You Never Thought of Using: Boys

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V names may be getting trendy for girls, but they're far from popular with the boys. The first one on the top 1000 is Victor--and he's only at #101. You won't find many V boy names in use--which could be perfect if you want an uncommon name. Here are my picks for the 10 best V names outside the top 1000.

Van- He's concise, easy to spell and pronounce, and won't be confused for other names. That makes Van perfect, in my book.

Vardon- Vardon is a French surname that would translate easily to an American baby. For those of you who like nicknameless names, Vardon (or the alternate spelling, Varden) is a good option.

Vasco- If you need a name that would work in the United States and Latin America, Vasco tops my list of suggestions. He's got serious swagger and spunk.

Venn- Venn will always remind me of Venn diagrams (maybe because I'm still in high school), but that's not a bad association at all. He makes a great alternative to Ben--though that could be confusing at times.

Vermont- Hands down, Vermont is one of the most beautiful states in America. He would also make an unusual, yet super rad name for a boy. If you have some sort of connection to Vermont, it might be worth it to consider him for a son.

Vero- If you've been reading this series long enough, you know how much I love a short, ends-in-o name for boys. Vero is no exception. He sounds a lot like the slowly rising Vera, but has a more youthful feel.

Viggo- I can't even begin to tell you how much I adore Viggo. I'm definitely a sucker for Scandinavian names. He is modern and unique, yet people are familiar with the name. Viggo's a winner.

Ving- Ving has pizzaz and vitality. Sure, he's originally a diminutive of Irving, but Ving has potential. At the very least, he'd make a good nickname.

Vito- I don't put much stock into the meaning of names, but it can be an important factor for some parents. Vito means "life," which is one of the best meanings out there. Want to make a "life" meaning sibset? Check out this list. Vito and Liv, maybe?

Vlad- Vlad is kind of a tough sell. He's got some rough associations (to be fair, he has some good ones, too) and is rarely used in America. That being said, he has a nice sound, and would be a lovely choice if you have Russian heritage.

On Naming a Dog

Recently, my family got a puppy (that puppy). The number one stress inducer was this guy's name. I know, it shouldn't be so hard. I mean, we have a naming expert in the family! Alas, it was decided that all five of us would agree on the name. That's not what you want to here when your calling out names like Viggo and Fritz, while others are shouting Waffle, Brick, and Oscar. To be clear, the only reason why Oscar was a "no" was because it is in the top 50 for dogs. I would not stand for that. Anyways, as you can see everyone has very different naming styles. Some of us wanted a British name (he is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel after all), and others wanted a very masculine name. The short list ended up being:

Nigel
Chester (called Chet, maybe?)
Woody

This dog was about to be named Woody (which I disliked) when all of a sudden yours truly thought of the perfect name for this nugget. Harvey. Once I suggested Harvey, it was done. Everyone liked it (thank goodness) and we get compliments on his name every day. But you know how it goes, and he has many nicknames. I call him Harv or Harvey-man, and my mom is fond of Stinky, Stinkman, or Little Stink.

Naming a dog is different from naming a human, but still very difficult. Here are some suggestions for naming your puppy (or any animal).
1. Agree. It's best if everybody likes the name, so keep that in mind while choosing.
2. Come up with a lot of names. I must have suggested hundreds.
3. Keep trying. I didn't think of Harvey till the very end, so I'm glad I kept going at it.
4. Don't settle. If I had done that, this dog would have been named Woody.
5. Keep it fun (try). The naming process was one of the least enjoyable for me, which is too bad because it should be the most fun. Naming an animal is stressful, but don't get too upset over it. It's more fun if you keep the conversations light.