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Scandinavia and the North

Sami names

6 names used by Sami families, arranged by the age in which each first appears, oldest first.

AllGirlsBoys

The Viking and Anglo-Saxon Age700 to 1100

AslakBoyFrom Old Norse Áslákr: áss 'god' and leikr 'play, sport'.Viking & Saxon · forgotten

Victorian and Belle Époque1837 to 1914

ÁnteBoyThe North Sami form of Anders (Andrew), from Greek andreios 'manly, courageous'.Victorian

JovnnaBoyA North Sami form of John, from Hebrew 'Yahweh is gracious'.Victorian

MáretGirlThe North Sami form of Margaret, from Greek margarites 'pearl'.Victorian

NiillasBoyThe North Sami form of Nils (Nicholas), from Greek nikē 'victory' and laos 'people'.Victorian

The Modern Age1880 to today

ÁileGirlUncertain. Often treated as a Sami adaptation of a Nordic name such as Helga, or as a feminine of the Sami name…Modern

Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.