Denmark's most popular boy names

You may have already thought about or made a name list for your child before you get pregnant and are looking forward to showing the list of names to friends and acquaintances. Your friends have probably also made a name list, and you love to talk about the names together. When you are broody and talking names, it is always helpful to find name lists online.

Below you will find an overview of the most popular boys' names in Denmark in the first half of 2022. 

Denmark's 50 most popular boys' names 2022

Source: Statistics Denmark - 1st half of 2022. 

The most popular names in the regions

Source: Statistics Denmark PDF “First Names 2021 TOP 5 by region”.

It varies from region to region what people think their son should be named. Some names are very common across the country, while there are a few that stand out and are a bit special. Below you can see an overview of how the names are distributed in Denmark's regions.

If we look at Zealand and Bornholm, the names that are very common are: 

• Noah
• Oliver
• Valdemar

Where there are some names that are somewhat special and stand out: 

• Milas
• Arthur
• Nohr
• Magne

In Jutland, they are very much in agreement that William is definitely what they want to call their son. William is among the most preferred names in South, East, West, and North Jutland. There are other names that also recur:

• Alfred
• Malthe

In Funen, Alfred is the most popular name, but it is closely followed by Valdemar. Both Funen and Jutland agree on these names:

• Oscar
• William

Danish Boys' Names

We have compiled 10 Danish boys' names that have been popular over the last 10 years. The names recur again and again and are most likely never to go out of style. They are names that will suit any little boy, as they are names you can never go wrong with. Some of the names are also among the 50 most popular in the first half of 2019. You can see the list here:

• Frederik
• Emil
• Jonas
• Tobias
• Mathias
• Christian
• Rasmus
• Lucas
• Mikkel
• Mads

Nordic Boys' Names

If you want your child to have a Nordic and more Scandinavian name, but also a name that has something special about it, this list might give you some inspiration. The names are approved as first names on the Danish Agency for Family Affairs' website. You can see the list here:

• Birk
• David
• Thor
• Toke
• Ulf
• Björn
• Harald
• Frode
• Knud
• Halfdan

Old Boys' Names

There is also something charming about the good old Danish boys' names. Over time, you have heard about several of these names below, which have become popular again. An example is the name Karl, which as of now is number 2 among the most popular boys' names in the first half of 2021. In the list below, you can also very likely find your father's or grandfather's names. You can see the list here:

• Thomas
• Jacob
• Ole
• Peter
• Lasse
• Erik
• Morten
• Jesper
• Anders
• Carl

Special Boys' Names

Are you one of those who want to give your child a special name that many will remember? Or do you just think that there should be some new names aside from names like William, Oscar, or Lucas? On the Danish Agency for Family Affairs' website, there are over 18,000 approved boys' names, and some of them are a bit more special than others – you also have the option to request approval for your own invented name (read more here). We have compiled a list of the special names that we think are hard to resist:

• Aksel
• Askbjörn
• Anthonius
• Bille
• Bob
• Calle
• Dexter
• Eiwind
• Manfred
• Milas

Apply for Your Own Invented Name

If you have come up with a name that you have never heard before, you can take a look at The Danish Agency for Family Affairs website, where there are long lists of special approved boys' and girls' names in alphabetical order.

If you do not find the name you have thought of, you can apply for it to be approved so that your child can have it as a first name.

If you have an idea of which letters you want the name to contain, you can advantageously search for different search criteria and then get an overview of which names will match the desired letters best. 

Questions and answers about boys' names

We have gathered some of the frequently asked questions about boys' names. Read the questions and answers right here:

Can you invent your own boys' name?

Yes, you can. In Denmark, however, the name must be approved by the Danish Agency for Family Law before you can use it. Therefore, you have the opportunity to be creative, but not more creative than what the agency allows.

Are there differences in the most popular boys' names depending on the region?

Yes. This article shows, among other things, that the most popular name in Funen is Alfred, while the most popular name in Bornholm is Lauge. You can see all the popular boys' names in the article above.

What is the most popular boys' name in 2021?

The most popular boys' name is, according to Statistics Denmark, Oscar, closely followed by Karl and William.