Swedish Names that Start With B

  1. Birdie
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "bird"
    • Description:

      Birdie was until recently a middle-aged Ladies' Club member wearing a bird-decorated hat --but now it's just the kind of vintage nickname (think Hattie, Josie, Mamie, Millie) that's coming back into style in a big way. Actress Busy Philipps named her baby Birdie (inspired by First Lady Lady Bird Johnson), as did soap star Maura West.
  2. Bjorn
    • Origin:

      Swedish
    • Meaning:

      "bear"
    • Description:

      Bjorn is one of the most recognizable Scandinavian names, thanks in large part to tennis great Björn Borg, winner of five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles and six French opens and something of a rock star figure.
  3. Bertie
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Albertine or Alberta, English or Germanic
    • Meaning:

      "noble, bright"
    • Description:

      So uncool it's cool! Bertie makes for a boyish nickname for Alberta, Roberta, Bertille, Albertine... or just use it on its own, à la Billie or Frankie. Old school unisex nickname names are back in and Bertie has an undeniable vintage charm; particularly given soundalike Birdie rising in the ranks.
  4. Beata
    • Origin:

      Swedish, German, Italian, from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "blessed"
    • Description:

      Beata, a Latinate saint's name, has been widely used primarily by Roman Catholics in several European countries, but is rarely heard in English-speaking countries. Playground alert: could be mispronounced Beeta.
  5. Britt
    • Origin:

      Swedish, contracted form of Birgit
    • Meaning:

      "high goddess"
    • Description:

      Brisk but rather brittle. Britt Eklund was a Bond Girl in the 1974 The Man with the Golden Gun. Britt is a contracted form of Birgit, but be aware that it does come with the strong possibility of being confused with Bret/Brett—or as a shortening of Brittany.
  6. Britta
    • Origin:

      Scandinavian, variation of Birgit or Britt
    • Meaning:

      "strength or exalted one"
    • Description:

      If you want a pan-Scandinavian name with energy and style that could have been a winner, if not for the sound-alike water filtration company Brita.
  7. Berit
    • Origin:

      Scandinavian variation of Birgit
    • Description:

      Well used in northern Europe, almost unknown here.
  8. Brigitta
    • Bird
      • Origin:

        Nature name
      • Description:

        We once dismissed Bird as "too flighty", but with the rise of avian names from Lark to Robin to, well, Birdie, we don't see why Bird can't be a fine choice, especially as a middle name.
    • Barthelemy
      • Origin:

        French form of Bartholomew
      • Description:

        While Barthelemy does not garner much attention these days, it has a storied history in French-speaking countries. Notable bearers include geologist and explorer Barthélemy Faujas de Saint-Fond, philosopher Jules Barthélemy-Saint-Hilaire, and historian and writer Jean-Barthélemy Hauréau, to name a few.
    • Beng
      • Berget
        • Birta
          • Origin:

            Icelandic
          • Meaning:

            "exalted or rescue"
          • Description:

            An Icelandic diminutive of Birgitta turned popular first name there, currently ranking among the Top 30 girl names in Iceland. Parent name Birgitta is either a Nordic variant of Brigitta, from the Irish Brighid "exalted one", or a feminization of the Norse masculine name Birger, meaning "help, rescue".
        • Berquist
          • Origin:

            Swedish
          • Meaning:

            "mountain twig"
          • Description:

            Few Scandinavian names make the journey to America...and this one shows you why. Still, names such as Freya and Odin are making an unlikely comeback, so we wouldn't count any of the Scandinavian baby names out forever.
        • Brita
          • Basle
            • Basilius
              • Barbro
                • Origin:

                  Scandinavian variation of Barbara
                • Description:

                  A more upbeat, modern-sounding version of a granny name.