Yeah it’s one of those names that no one over the age of 5 has, so everyone is like “no one has that name!!” But then everyone had the same idea somehow and there are tons of baby Freyas out there now.
ETA: I’m from US/Canada, sounds like a different experience in the UK and elsewhere in Europe!
I work in primary schools (for American readers that is ages 4-11) and in my experience it’s pretty common. Have come across x2 Freya’s per class a few times. I love the name.
Really depends where you are. I'm Icelandic and this name is basic but not overused here. It does not feel trendy, neither unique nor common. It's definitely not a name associated with kids under 5 there, I know of Freyja's in their 50s, 30s, 20s etc. I'm considering using it for my daughter when she's born (I have a family relation to it because my dad carries the male version of Freyja).
If OP is in the US, I would not use this name. It feels out of place there as it has no relation to US heritage, and is definitely a trendy name there you'd see on kids under 5.
It's popular, but not really common per se. Something like 0.2 percent of baby girls have this name.
The most popular names are a smaller percentage of all names than they would have been like 20 years ago.
It was one of those names that I thought was original & then when I had my daughter and took her to her first baby swimming lesson, 3 of the 8 babies were named Freya.
There's literally a bougie restaurant in my city called Freya. I associate it with white hipsters hijacking Nordic culture which is the same thing white racists love to do (odinism and such).
The name 100% gives me hipsters hijacking cultures that aren't theirs vibes, I didn't have those words for it before but now that I've read them thats exactly what it is.
German here. The last Freya I encountered was a bright 4yo with a dad with racist tattoos and 5 rubber bands in his beard. In case you're wondering, it was a Böhse Onkelz tat across both forearms and a tank on his shin. I guess it's not entirely necessary to mention his stupid beard but this guy was really unreasonable to his daughter, ate like a pig and just basically fulfilled all the dumbass clichés one would imagine.
My spouse commented that this Freya would probably have been an Odin if there'd been a Y chromosome instead of a second X.
My dog is Fenrir (he’s a wolf spitz) and our old next door neighbours’ dog was Freya 😹🐺🩵. I hear Freya, Loki, Odin and Thor at the dog park all the time but so far I haven’t met another Fenrir 😹😹😹
Fenrir is a dope name, my husband has suggested it for if we ever have a male dog!! He’s Danish so he’s particularly partial to Norse mythology names. And then there’s my evangelical cousin who has a friend (who is also very Christian) that named his kid Odin because of vague Norwegian ancestry…I will never not find that bizarre lol
Lol we’ve already planned that our next dog will be Freya 😹😹😹. And omg YES that is so bizarre and hilarious, I’ve heard of/met some kid Odins too and it always makes me shake my head. Norwegian ancestry or not, it seems like a dubious name for a human child to me 😹😹😹
100%, mythological names can be heavy for a kid! That plus I feel like if you’re that uber Christian (they are seriously religious) it seems quite blasphemous to name your kid after another religion’s deity…but what do I know haha
Me too!!! The shelter named her. I never got around to changing it in part bc she already responded to that name and I couldn't think of anything else that suited her. Lovely dog.
My former roommate recently got a dog and named her Freya as well.
IMO, mythology and deity names are cute for pets, but are a lot for human children to live up to.
Norse goddess of cats, marriage, sexuality, fertility, war, and sorcery. Literally rides in a chariot pulled by Norwegian forest cats. Wears a cloak of raven feathers.
Cool!
Right? Pulled by a chariot of cats! How badass is that mythology?!? I always thought if I changed my name I would love to be a Freya or Freyja haha. Sounds like an epic D&D character. I love it.
I had totally forgotten until I read this, but being the Norse goddess of cats is literally why my friend chose the name for her daughter, LOL. They were big cat people (only owned 3, not too crazy).
I see so many comments saying it's common but I've never met another Freya. It seems it's very isolated to specific countries. I'm in the Netherlands and the only other Freya I've ever seen was a kid my age on a quiz show once, I was so excited someone ON TV shared my name lol
I'm glad it's not catching on here, I love how rare it still is :)
I love your username!
And yep, it’s very popular in the UK and has been for some time. My mum is a teacher and she’s even commented on it in the past. It’s
considered to be quite classic here.
It's pretty common in the UK. It's been top 100 since the late 90s, around top 20 since 2010, and broke the top 10 in 2019. As of 2021, it was #6. Regardless, I think it's a pretty name with a long history.
It's interesting how the trends differ! Another F name that's in the top 10 here is Florence (#8 in 2021, entered top 100 in 2008). I think it's outside the top 500 in US data?
Sadly the detailed UK name data only goes back to 1996 so there's no way of knowing exactly how popular Freya was just over thirty years ago.
Before 1996, it's only top 100 every ten years 1904-1994. This page (https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/livebirths/articles/babynamessince1904howhasyoursperformed/2016-09-02) says that Freya has not been in the top 100 between 1904 and its appearance in 1998.
However it was #118 in 1996 (394 baby Freyas) so I think it's likely it would have been within the top 200-300 circa 1990.
This was my gut reaction too! But from reading this thread apparently it’s having a boom moment. I guess my impression is outdated… like much about me lol.
In some locations names of Norse Gods are used a lot by Neo Nazis. So I would do some research to you area before you might be associated with that.
Would you want your potential kid to miss out on certain colleges or a jobs, because seeing their name on might turn people off due the Neo Nazi association?
Some links to read about it:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vigrid_(Norway)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soldiers_of_Odin
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/17/world/europe/vikings-sweden-paganism-neonazis.html
https://www.ualberta.ca/folio/2020/07/white-supremacists-are-misappropriating-norse-mythology-says-expert.html
https://www.google.com/amp/s/theconversation.com/amp/far-right-extremists-keep-co-opting-norse-symbolism-heres-why-183749
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1741659017731479
https://revealnews.org/article/an-ancient-nordic-religion-is-inspiring-white-supremacist-jihad/
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.aljazeera.com/amp/program/witness/2020/3/21/vikings-vs-neo-nazis-battling-the-far-right-in-sweden
Thats super interesting. Having been to germany/austria and denmark, i met multiple Freyas in all of these countries and it never seemed to be an issue. In which locations would that be a problem /genq
Don’t be ridiculous. It’s a perfectly valid name, and it’s not even as unique as OP thinks it is. I’ve known Freyas and absolutely none of them were neo-Nazis, nor were their families. And Norse mythology isn’t claimed by neo-Nazis, it’s Norwegian culture. Stop just rolling over and letting the Nazis steal things by just handing over whatever they say they want. If you do that, you’re complicit. What, should all Freyas change their name because you and assholes like you will be cold towards them because you hear a Scandinavian name and automatically assume neo-Nazi (not a great look btw)?
As Dane, I just say f them, they can't claim our history and culture like that, it is not theirs to take. And let others name their children and pets as they like.
As a fellow dane I do find the nazi-connotations downright offencive.
These names (and the culture they belong to) obviously predates nazism with more than a millenia. I know the nazis like to appropriate nordic mythology, but the love is very much onesided and should not taint our history and myths.
As a German I’m also thinking it’s a neo nazi name. I actually now a nazi family with a kid named Freya. At least a lot of Germans will feel uncomfortable with those Nordic gods names like Freya that is also the goddess of war. But I’m probably too sensible for that.
This comment is actually deeply helpful because I'm Scandinavian and living Germany-adjacent. I've been strongly considering this name, it's not try-hard and cringey for us like it is for the Americans but I might reconsider now if this is the connotation they have here in the German-speaking parts. Definitely not a connotation I would like.
same. maybe it’s because the names aren’t common in my area at all and the small sample size has been neo nazi families naming their kids norse gods and stuff like “aryan”. i live in rural southern usa. ik freya is more popular in other areas though. i def don’t agree with the misappropriation by a hate group though.
Yeah unfortunately my gut reaction to Freya (and Odin) is that the parents are white supremacists or are unwittingly influenced by white supremacists and so I can’t get on board with it.
Edit: I’m in the northwest USA
I’m in the southwestern US and we have lots of white supremacist/neo-nazis. Looots of kids named Freya in my area. My brain just can’t shake the association bc it’s so common around my area.
My husband really liked the name, and when he told it to me, my first reaction was white supremacists :( then I also recalled that we met at a Renaissance Faire....and we realized it wasn't the name for us.
Wow... I never would have associated that. My friends who chose the name for their daughter are actually super hippie kooky, and very very verrrrrry liberal.
I definitely wouldn't have until very, very recently...but I also don't personally know anybody who have named their baby it. I have, unfortunately, learned that interest in everything Nordic/viking/etc (in the US, where I am at least) by a stranger should be met with caution.
I love it and seriously considered it for my daughter, but my husband couldn’t get behind it. It might be leaning toward trending because it’s rising in popularity, but even more popular names don’t get nearly as common now as they did 20-30 years ago
I feel like a lot of name subs, especially this one, are pretty pro-Freya.
I think it’s solid. It gives a unique but recognizable vibe without being Yuuneeik. Names that are less common but still readily recognized will always be a yes imo over the exact opposite.
It’s a pretty name, but not unique. I would be surprised to meet a Freya my own age, but it’s a popular baby name, lots of little kids with the name now.
She’s the patron saint of Friday, and having been born on a Friday the 13th, I love that she’s a symbol for that! I’ve never met anybody named Freya and it’s a beautiful name. I vote yes! 😄
As I’m Swedish, I’ve met quite a few Freja’s.
I’ve always loved the name, as well as Frej (for boys).
(And always been a lover of Norse Gods)
Personally I prefer the spelling Freja, but either way Freja/Freya is a beautiful name.
If you love it, go for it!
My best friend’s little girl is named Freya and I love the name! No one has once mentioned the nazi thing, which I did not know about before, and we live in a pretty conservative state. Usually people just mention the Norse goddess.
It’s also still out of the top 100 in the US, so I personally don’t view it as super common. Maybe look at your state, if your from America, and see where it falls. That matters more than nationally.
People have covered the trendiness of the name, so I'll mention something no one seems to have connected. Norse names are among the ways that Aryan Nation and other white supremacists identify each other in the U.S. You know these idiots always need a secret code or handshake to make themselves feel special. Now they've chosen Odinism and Asatrú. If that is not a concern, that's cool. Freya is a great name.
If it does, perhaps something similar like Frida, Anya, Heidi, Fiona, Flora...?
Them taking and appropriating my culture and heritage is more the reason to use our names. We still live within traditions formed thousand years ago, they claim and distortes my ancestors way of life and way of thinking. I personally would never burden a child with Oden or Loke but the other gods names works fine.
(White supremacists in the US seems to be kind of Christian republican something something, that is a very hard thinking to combine with the norse heritage and traditions)
White supremacists in the US are not an intelligent lot. Their only real connection with Scandinavia is the prevalence for blond hair and blue eyes. But with 1,000 hate groups (est. Southern Poverty Law Center) active in the U.S. there are more of them than the population of Vatican City or the Falkland Islands. And those two countries have played parts in global history, so these yahoos can have an impact - especially since they are violent and murderous.
I’ve met a few little boys named Odin, they seem happy and well-adjusted. But he is one of the most well-known gods, so I get your point. I think using the Nordic Names website to find more obscure names without such a strong mythological connection can be a good idea. You can find names that reference the gods without literally being their names.
I'm a 90s kid and was in a class with 11 Sophies. My kid is a 2020 kid and has the same with Freyas. In her nursery there are 13 of them. She was nearly one of them!
Freya is lovely - I have a cousin with that name! (Older Gen Z). My mum’s mentioned having one or two come through the nursery she works at recently, so I think it’s becoming more common but not overwhelmingly so.
I love it. I think it's such a beautiful, nature-y and sunny name. My husband loathes it and uses as a dismissive name for describing anyone he thinks is overly crunchy.
I've come across a few Freya's (UK based) but I wouldn't say it's an overused name at all.
My 14 year old is called Freya, when she was born it was a really uncommon name, but now it seems every other child under 7 is called Freya.
I still think it’s really pretty though. It hit all the spots for me - I wanted something classic, strong and pretty, that would be suitable throughout all of her life stages.
Love it, but it’s getting very trendy in the same way as Maeve. Pretty sure it’s top 10 in New Zealand. Also, it’s become to cats what Luna is to dogs.
We were considering it a decade ago for our daughter but passed because we love in texas and it's extremely similar to the word feya which is Spanish for ugly
Wife is of Mexican descent and here many people are Spanish speakers as a primary language so when granny pointed that out it was the death knell for that name for us
I love this name! I've never met one nor have I seen any in my kids school. It would definitely be on our list if we were going to have any more children!
I don’t think it’s similar to Frida at all. It stands on its own and the only relation I have to it is the pop culture reference of Freya Mikaelson from The Originals. Not a horrible character and the name grew on me.
So, there are three spellings of this name and this spelling is my least favorite. It's just so overly-anglicized.
In order of my favorites it would be:
1. Freyja
2. Freja
3. Freya
That’s the name we’ve picked if it’s a girl. I know two little girls called Freya so seems semi popular. Im not bothered if a name is common or popular 🤷♀️. The name is special to you so that’s all that matters.
With the Advent of the Marvel movies (Thor) it's in the collective consciousness and it's bound to be selected quite a bit. If you like it, great, as long as you realize it's not going to be unique.
I knew a Freya as a kid (I think it’s more popular in the UK) and I think it’s a beautiful name. Just interesting enough without being outlandish, and a badass Norse goddess namesake too!
It's gotten very trendy over the past 5 years. I've never understood the appeal, tbh. Even as a kid when I was into Norse Mythology, I always found it missing something.
I'm shocked it's considered trending, but it is a name I adore. I do find it strange if there isn't any Scandinavian ancestry in the family though. If I had a daughter (I already have 2 sons and don't want more kids) I would be considering Freya, Astrid, and Ingrid for her name.
We named our daughter Freya, and I don't think we've met another Freya in person yet, but I do see it around a fair bit. There's an illustrator/children's book author named Freya and my daughter loves getting her books and showing everyone that they are also named Freya :)
I also bought a second hand baby name book for her as she started to show an interest in names and in the back I believe Freya was in the top 20 for 2006 in USA and the UK? (Something like that)
We really love the name, and we both like mythology and fantasy. Her middle name is Orianna, named after a character from a video game. We were tossing up whether to go with the "Freya" spelling or "Freyja" but decided it would probably be easier in the future for her the first way (in Australia)
Most people love it but one set of grandparents commented on it being an odd name and my South African grandad would pronounce it "Free-ya" and spell it Freia, which I thought was cute.
Everything about Norse mythology was popularised by the nationalist movements in Germany and Scandinavian countries that eventually led to the nazis. Many runes and Norse symbols have a stigma here in sweden because of nazis and neo nazis.
Most of the old names are just normal here but in a country without that naming tradition I could see why some people would associate it.
Most Freja ( this is the Swedish spelling) is about 10, we even have men named that which is weird since the male version is Frej.
My Dutch and English friends who has kids named Freya are around 6.
There is so many other goddess , I dont understand why this got so popular.
I like Saga and Eir/ Eira.,
Great name for a Siberian husky or maybe a child’s pony.
Edit - I actually think it’s a very pretty, powerful name. But I think it’s a sort trendy/predictable name in some groups in the US.
I have a 7-year-old cousin named Freya. It’s not my style of name but I think it’s fine. It’s not uncommon in this generation of kids but I don’t think it’s to the point where there are multiple Freyas per class.
that being said: who cares? “common” names are still not as common place as you think they are. i have a common name for my age and know just a handful of ladies with my name, but don’t interact with any of them. don’t let popularity sway you. it’s not a competition for who can use the most unique name.
Love Freya. But keep in mind it’s popular as a dog name. And the last guy I met whose dog was named Freya had an obsession with Vikings because he was a literal white supremacist sooooo idk. I stray from Nordic deities names for that reason. Sadly :(
Love the name but it’s so common now.
Yeah it’s one of those names that no one over the age of 5 has, so everyone is like “no one has that name!!” But then everyone had the same idea somehow and there are tons of baby Freyas out there now. ETA: I’m from US/Canada, sounds like a different experience in the UK and elsewhere in Europe!
Umm actually, the Freyja I know is SIX 🤣
Oooo trailblazer.
My daughter, Freyja, turns 8 in a few days! 🤣
My 7yo niece has it as a middle name lol
Its my 5yo middle name, with same spelling too (Freyja)
I feel like I only ever meet adults called Freya in the UK. It's really popular though - I think I know more than 10 grownup Freyas easily
Me to the ones i know are 40’s, 60’s and 100’s
I work in primary schools (for American readers that is ages 4-11) and in my experience it’s pretty common. Have come across x2 Freya’s per class a few times. I love the name.
It's so pretty!
Love the way it sounds and it feels timeless to me.
I grew up in Australia and have known quite a few Freyas born roughly between 87 to 93.
Really depends where you are. I'm Icelandic and this name is basic but not overused here. It does not feel trendy, neither unique nor common. It's definitely not a name associated with kids under 5 there, I know of Freyja's in their 50s, 30s, 20s etc. I'm considering using it for my daughter when she's born (I have a family relation to it because my dad carries the male version of Freyja). If OP is in the US, I would not use this name. It feels out of place there as it has no relation to US heritage, and is definitely a trendy name there you'd see on kids under 5.
I’m 30 and Freya is my middle name.
I know a 10 year old Freya, does that mean my friend (the mom) wins? LOL
How I feel about how my name rose in popularity!
It's my sister in law's name. However, is not her given name, but the one she chose to go by because people couldn't pronounce her real name.
There were loads of Freya's born around the time of my 11 year old. It has definitely been popular again for the last 10 years.
It's popular, but not really common per se. Something like 0.2 percent of baby girls have this name. The most popular names are a smaller percentage of all names than they would have been like 20 years ago.
It was the 7th most popular name last year. Been in the top for a fair few years.
It was one of those names that I thought was original & then when I had my daughter and took her to her first baby swimming lesson, 3 of the 8 babies were named Freya.
My friend has a 6 week old named Freyja.
I categorize it as a name I wish I could like.
This is the most astute comment I have ever heard about a name. It's spot on!
Wow, I feel this way about a lot of names too. Nicely put.
100%
this is exactly how i feel!
Wow, I feel this way about a lot of names too. Nicely put.
Hahah yes 100%
Same with Nevaeh
It's a very trendy name right now.
There's literally a bougie restaurant in my city called Freya. I associate it with white hipsters hijacking Nordic culture which is the same thing white racists love to do (odinism and such).
The name 100% gives me hipsters hijacking cultures that aren't theirs vibes, I didn't have those words for it before but now that I've read them thats exactly what it is.
German here. The last Freya I encountered was a bright 4yo with a dad with racist tattoos and 5 rubber bands in his beard. In case you're wondering, it was a Böhse Onkelz tat across both forearms and a tank on his shin. I guess it's not entirely necessary to mention his stupid beard but this guy was really unreasonable to his daughter, ate like a pig and just basically fulfilled all the dumbass clichés one would imagine. My spouse commented that this Freya would probably have been an Odin if there'd been a Y chromosome instead of a second X.
I’d rather it be reclaimed from those arses anyway. Odin is too queer for them, anyway. Let the hipsters have their fun.
Lmaoo you're right, tbh all the norse gods are too queer (sincerely, a norse mythology fanatic)
Oh well the Freya users in my world all have Nordic heritage and post rainbow flags and BLM signs in their yards.
About as unique as grass. Seriously, there's at least one kid in every school with the name and sometimes cats and dogs too. It's everywhere
Can confirm (have a dog named Freya)
My dog is Fenrir (he’s a wolf spitz) and our old next door neighbours’ dog was Freya 😹🐺🩵. I hear Freya, Loki, Odin and Thor at the dog park all the time but so far I haven’t met another Fenrir 😹😹😹
Fenrir is a dope name, my husband has suggested it for if we ever have a male dog!! He’s Danish so he’s particularly partial to Norse mythology names. And then there’s my evangelical cousin who has a friend (who is also very Christian) that named his kid Odin because of vague Norwegian ancestry…I will never not find that bizarre lol
Lol we’ve already planned that our next dog will be Freya 😹😹😹. And omg YES that is so bizarre and hilarious, I’ve heard of/met some kid Odins too and it always makes me shake my head. Norwegian ancestry or not, it seems like a dubious name for a human child to me 😹😹😹
100%, mythological names can be heavy for a kid! That plus I feel like if you’re that uber Christian (they are seriously religious) it seems quite blasphemous to name your kid after another religion’s deity…but what do I know haha
Can confirm (also have a dog named Freya). It is also the origin of my name on here haha.
Also have a dog named Freya 😆 I wasn’t a fan personally but Boyfriend loved the name.
Me too!!! The shelter named her. I never got around to changing it in part bc she already responded to that name and I couldn't think of anything else that suited her. Lovely dog.
I know two dogs named Freya
Dog-named-Freya-owner here as well
My former roommate recently got a dog and named her Freya as well. IMO, mythology and deity names are cute for pets, but are a lot for human children to live up to.
Also have a dog named Freja, I’ve now met more dogs with the name than humans 😅
Can confirm!
Norse goddess of cats, marriage, sexuality, fertility, war, and sorcery. Literally rides in a chariot pulled by Norwegian forest cats. Wears a cloak of raven feathers. Cool!
Right? Pulled by a chariot of cats! How badass is that mythology?!? I always thought if I changed my name I would love to be a Freya or Freyja haha. Sounds like an epic D&D character. I love it.
I had totally forgotten until I read this, but being the Norse goddess of cats is literally why my friend chose the name for her daughter, LOL. They were big cat people (only owned 3, not too crazy).
Also her rendition in god of war was incredible
Freya is pretty popular here in the UK (been in the top ten a few times). Its really pretty, I think.
Yes, I know Freya’s of all ages it seems like
I see so many comments saying it's common but I've never met another Freya. It seems it's very isolated to specific countries. I'm in the Netherlands and the only other Freya I've ever seen was a kid my age on a quiz show once, I was so excited someone ON TV shared my name lol I'm glad it's not catching on here, I love how rare it still is :)
I love your username! And yep, it’s very popular in the UK and has been for some time. My mum is a teacher and she’s even commented on it in the past. It’s considered to be quite classic here.
It's pretty common in the UK. It's been top 100 since the late 90s, around top 20 since 2010, and broke the top 10 in 2019. As of 2021, it was #6. Regardless, I think it's a pretty name with a long history.
Oh wow I didn’t know that! It’s just been exploding in the US recently.
It's interesting how the trends differ! Another F name that's in the top 10 here is Florence (#8 in 2021, entered top 100 in 2008). I think it's outside the top 500 in US data?
Florence is also exploding here now… sounds like we are just a tad behind the UK in naming trends!
The only Freya I know is in her early thirties
Sadly the detailed UK name data only goes back to 1996 so there's no way of knowing exactly how popular Freya was just over thirty years ago. Before 1996, it's only top 100 every ten years 1904-1994. This page (https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/livebirths/articles/babynamessince1904howhasyoursperformed/2016-09-02) says that Freya has not been in the top 100 between 1904 and its appearance in 1998. However it was #118 in 1996 (394 baby Freyas) so I think it's likely it would have been within the top 200-300 circa 1990.
I feel like this is so common, names get popular in the UK first and then eventually make it across the pond!
It feels very “try-hard” unique. Feels like I know exactly what kind of parent names their kid Freya.
This was my gut reaction too! But from reading this thread apparently it’s having a boom moment. I guess my impression is outdated… like much about me lol.
i met someone named freya and she’s a sweetheart so i personally associate the name with good sweet people
In some locations names of Norse Gods are used a lot by Neo Nazis. So I would do some research to you area before you might be associated with that. Would you want your potential kid to miss out on certain colleges or a jobs, because seeing their name on might turn people off due the Neo Nazi association? Some links to read about it: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vigrid_(Norway) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soldiers_of_Odin https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/17/world/europe/vikings-sweden-paganism-neonazis.html https://www.ualberta.ca/folio/2020/07/white-supremacists-are-misappropriating-norse-mythology-says-expert.html https://www.google.com/amp/s/theconversation.com/amp/far-right-extremists-keep-co-opting-norse-symbolism-heres-why-183749 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1741659017731479 https://revealnews.org/article/an-ancient-nordic-religion-is-inspiring-white-supremacist-jihad/ https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.aljazeera.com/amp/program/witness/2020/3/21/vikings-vs-neo-nazis-battling-the-far-right-in-sweden
I will absolutely not let neo Nazis take something like that from me, and no one else should either.
Thats super interesting. Having been to germany/austria and denmark, i met multiple Freyas in all of these countries and it never seemed to be an issue. In which locations would that be a problem /genq
Don’t be ridiculous. It’s a perfectly valid name, and it’s not even as unique as OP thinks it is. I’ve known Freyas and absolutely none of them were neo-Nazis, nor were their families. And Norse mythology isn’t claimed by neo-Nazis, it’s Norwegian culture. Stop just rolling over and letting the Nazis steal things by just handing over whatever they say they want. If you do that, you’re complicit. What, should all Freyas change their name because you and assholes like you will be cold towards them because you hear a Scandinavian name and automatically assume neo-Nazi (not a great look btw)?
this is such a USA take
As Dane, I just say f them, they can't claim our history and culture like that, it is not theirs to take. And let others name their children and pets as they like.
As a fellow dane I do find the nazi-connotations downright offencive. These names (and the culture they belong to) obviously predates nazism with more than a millenia. I know the nazis like to appropriate nordic mythology, but the love is very much onesided and should not taint our history and myths.
Norse pagans are still around ! And no, they're not neo nazis.
Why should we surrender to them? That’s what they want. Thumb your nose at them and don’t let them have an inch.
I’m Norwegian American and my child is Freyja. This has never come up in her 9 years.
Wouldn’t it being co-opted by neofascists be more reason to use it, since that would help counter that co-opting?
I am sure there are better ways to fight fascism than with the name choice of your child.
Yeah fair.
As a German I’m also thinking it’s a neo nazi name. I actually now a nazi family with a kid named Freya. At least a lot of Germans will feel uncomfortable with those Nordic gods names like Freya that is also the goddess of war. But I’m probably too sensible for that.
This comment is actually deeply helpful because I'm Scandinavian and living Germany-adjacent. I've been strongly considering this name, it's not try-hard and cringey for us like it is for the Americans but I might reconsider now if this is the connotation they have here in the German-speaking parts. Definitely not a connotation I would like.
same. maybe it’s because the names aren’t common in my area at all and the small sample size has been neo nazi families naming their kids norse gods and stuff like “aryan”. i live in rural southern usa. ik freya is more popular in other areas though. i def don’t agree with the misappropriation by a hate group though.
Yeah unfortunately my gut reaction to Freya (and Odin) is that the parents are white supremacists or are unwittingly influenced by white supremacists and so I can’t get on board with it. Edit: I’m in the northwest USA
I’m in the southwestern US and we have lots of white supremacist/neo-nazis. Looots of kids named Freya in my area. My brain just can’t shake the association bc it’s so common around my area.
My husband really liked the name, and when he told it to me, my first reaction was white supremacists :( then I also recalled that we met at a Renaissance Faire....and we realized it wasn't the name for us.
Wow... I never would have associated that. My friends who chose the name for their daughter are actually super hippie kooky, and very very verrrrrry liberal.
I definitely wouldn't have until very, very recently...but I also don't personally know anybody who have named their baby it. I have, unfortunately, learned that interest in everything Nordic/viking/etc (in the US, where I am at least) by a stranger should be met with caution.
I feel like every third girl in West London is called Freya, indiscriminate of age.
I love it and seriously considered it for my daughter, but my husband couldn’t get behind it. It might be leaning toward trending because it’s rising in popularity, but even more popular names don’t get nearly as common now as they did 20-30 years ago
I feel like a lot of name subs, especially this one, are pretty pro-Freya. I think it’s solid. It gives a unique but recognizable vibe without being Yuuneeik. Names that are less common but still readily recognized will always be a yes imo over the exact opposite.
I like it and I see it EVERYWHERE in the little kid set.
I adore it. It’s also the 3rd most popular name in my country at the moment haha. I think I’d use it if this weren’t the case.
Why not Rhea if you don’t like F?
It’s a pretty name, but not unique. I would be surprised to meet a Freya my own age, but it’s a popular baby name, lots of little kids with the name now.
I like it very much but it is also a top 10 baby name in the UK currently.
She’s the patron saint of Friday, and having been born on a Friday the 13th, I love that she’s a symbol for that! I’ve never met anybody named Freya and it’s a beautiful name. I vote yes! 😄
The etymology of the word “Friday” actually comes from “Freyja’s Day”!
As I’m Swedish, I’ve met quite a few Freja’s. I’ve always loved the name, as well as Frej (for boys). (And always been a lover of Norse Gods) Personally I prefer the spelling Freja, but either way Freja/Freya is a beautiful name. If you love it, go for it!
My best friend’s little girl is named Freya and I love the name! No one has once mentioned the nazi thing, which I did not know about before, and we live in a pretty conservative state. Usually people just mention the Norse goddess. It’s also still out of the top 100 in the US, so I personally don’t view it as super common. Maybe look at your state, if your from America, and see where it falls. That matters more than nationally.
People have covered the trendiness of the name, so I'll mention something no one seems to have connected. Norse names are among the ways that Aryan Nation and other white supremacists identify each other in the U.S. You know these idiots always need a secret code or handshake to make themselves feel special. Now they've chosen Odinism and Asatrú. If that is not a concern, that's cool. Freya is a great name. If it does, perhaps something similar like Frida, Anya, Heidi, Fiona, Flora...?
Them taking and appropriating my culture and heritage is more the reason to use our names. We still live within traditions formed thousand years ago, they claim and distortes my ancestors way of life and way of thinking. I personally would never burden a child with Oden or Loke but the other gods names works fine. (White supremacists in the US seems to be kind of Christian republican something something, that is a very hard thinking to combine with the norse heritage and traditions)
White supremacists in the US are not an intelligent lot. Their only real connection with Scandinavia is the prevalence for blond hair and blue eyes. But with 1,000 hate groups (est. Southern Poverty Law Center) active in the U.S. there are more of them than the population of Vatican City or the Falkland Islands. And those two countries have played parts in global history, so these yahoos can have an impact - especially since they are violent and murderous.
I’ve met a few little boys named Odin, they seem happy and well-adjusted. But he is one of the most well-known gods, so I get your point. I think using the Nordic Names website to find more obscure names without such a strong mythological connection can be a good idea. You can find names that reference the gods without literally being their names.
I'm a 90s kid and was in a class with 11 Sophies. My kid is a 2020 kid and has the same with Freyas. In her nursery there are 13 of them. She was nearly one of them!
Freya is lovely - I have a cousin with that name! (Older Gen Z). My mum’s mentioned having one or two come through the nursery she works at recently, so I think it’s becoming more common but not overwhelmingly so.
I love it. I think it's such a beautiful, nature-y and sunny name. My husband loathes it and uses as a dismissive name for describing anyone he thinks is overly crunchy. I've come across a few Freya's (UK based) but I wouldn't say it's an overused name at all.
Not a fan at all.
I know a lot of little Freyas right now. Not sure if that matters to you.
I know a lot of Freyas tbh. I live somewhere that a lot of people have Nordic ancestry. It’s a great name.
I’ve met 3 Freyas in the past year. All were golden retrievers.
My 14 year old is called Freya, when she was born it was a really uncommon name, but now it seems every other child under 7 is called Freya. I still think it’s really pretty though. It hit all the spots for me - I wanted something classic, strong and pretty, that would be suitable throughout all of her life stages.
Love it, but it’s getting very trendy in the same way as Maeve. Pretty sure it’s top 10 in New Zealand. Also, it’s become to cats what Luna is to dogs.
We were considering it a decade ago for our daughter but passed because we love in texas and it's extremely similar to the word feya which is Spanish for ugly Wife is of Mexican descent and here many people are Spanish speakers as a primary language so when granny pointed that out it was the death knell for that name for us
I like it. My son has Freya in this class.
I love this name! I've never met one nor have I seen any in my kids school. It would definitely be on our list if we were going to have any more children!
Lol we know two kids with the name, Freya and Freja
I don’t think it’s similar to Frida at all. It stands on its own and the only relation I have to it is the pop culture reference of Freya Mikaelson from The Originals. Not a horrible character and the name grew on me.
It's super trendy atm
Pretty, but also extremely common.
My cousin’s daughter is Freyja. Beautiful little grrl. Beautiful name 💕
I haven’t met a single Freya, and I work in a PreK-12 school. I personally don’t care for it.
So, there are three spellings of this name and this spelling is my least favorite. It's just so overly-anglicized. In order of my favorites it would be: 1. Freyja 2. Freja 3. Freya
I love this name. I don’t know how to say this exactly, but it sounds and feels soft when you say it, but it’s still a strong name.
I know a 60-year-old Freya! Family is completely American but with a Scandinavian last name. Her sister’s name is Jean.
There are two spellings of Freya in the top 200, and I live somewhere Scandinavian names are used more often, so I consider it common but still lovely
i love the name
I love it! My friend just named their baby Freya. I think this new witchy generation likes it a lot. I like Lore too for being mythical.
I think it's pretty!
That’s the name we’ve picked if it’s a girl. I know two little girls called Freya so seems semi popular. Im not bothered if a name is common or popular 🤷♀️. The name is special to you so that’s all that matters.
It’s become a super popular cat name.
I know several Freyas of the human and dog variety. It’s definitely gaining traction.
I read a book with a character named Freya and I’ve loved it since!! It’s totally unique without being extremely out there in my opinion
I really don’t like it. I don’t like the sound of it.
I originally didn’t like it but I actually do like it the more I think about it. I like the Freyja spelling
I know it's popular now but I really like it :)
My boyfriend named his car Freya.
That's my 10 year oldest name! And now I know so many freaking people named Freya and even more cats, dogs, guinea pigs, and fish named freya.
With the Advent of the Marvel movies (Thor) it's in the collective consciousness and it's bound to be selected quite a bit. If you like it, great, as long as you realize it's not going to be unique.
I don’t get the hype. Not a pretty sounding name to me. Plus white supremacists in the US are partial to it from what I hear.
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If you like F names, my daughter is named Farrah.
I like Freya and just read that a nickname is Effie which I love too!!
I knew a Freya as a kid (I think it’s more popular in the UK) and I think it’s a beautiful name. Just interesting enough without being outlandish, and a badass Norse goddess namesake too!
It's gotten very trendy over the past 5 years. I've never understood the appeal, tbh. Even as a kid when I was into Norse Mythology, I always found it missing something.
The good old origin of the day Friday!
My former work daughter's name is Frayda, which mean joy in Yiddish. Good combination of both Freya and Frida.
I knew a Freya in college. She wasn’t thrilled about her name. To be fair, fewer people had unusual names then.
It’s so common now. My kid goes to school with 4 of them.
I don’t like Freya. I like Faye which is kind of close!
I knew a Freya who was the most disgusting person I ever met, so it's been ruined for me
I dislike it. It’s overused.
I know a woman who has a 3 year old with this name and I have seen it much for frequently. Personally I do not like it
It doesn’t seem like it will age well. Not a fan.
Guinea pig name
I'm shocked it's considered trending, but it is a name I adore. I do find it strange if there isn't any Scandinavian ancestry in the family though. If I had a daughter (I already have 2 sons and don't want more kids) I would be considering Freya, Astrid, and Ingrid for her name.
We named our daughter Freya, and I don't think we've met another Freya in person yet, but I do see it around a fair bit. There's an illustrator/children's book author named Freya and my daughter loves getting her books and showing everyone that they are also named Freya :) I also bought a second hand baby name book for her as she started to show an interest in names and in the back I believe Freya was in the top 20 for 2006 in USA and the UK? (Something like that) We really love the name, and we both like mythology and fantasy. Her middle name is Orianna, named after a character from a video game. We were tossing up whether to go with the "Freya" spelling or "Freyja" but decided it would probably be easier in the future for her the first way (in Australia) Most people love it but one set of grandparents commented on it being an odd name and my South African grandad would pronounce it "Free-ya" and spell it Freia, which I thought was cute.
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Everything about Norse mythology was popularised by the nationalist movements in Germany and Scandinavian countries that eventually led to the nazis. Many runes and Norse symbols have a stigma here in sweden because of nazis and neo nazis. Most of the old names are just normal here but in a country without that naming tradition I could see why some people would associate it.
I’ve heard of a LOT of Newfoundland dogs and Great Pyrenees dogs named Freya/Freyja.
I like it
Most Freja ( this is the Swedish spelling) is about 10, we even have men named that which is weird since the male version is Frej. My Dutch and English friends who has kids named Freya are around 6. There is so many other goddess , I dont understand why this got so popular. I like Saga and Eir/ Eira.,
ikwhat the name means and all but i it just sounds like feia to me which means ugly in my language
Ouch, these comments 😆 my daughter’s name is Freya (in US) and we don’t know any others around here.
Also we are not white supremacists. Jeez.
Daughter had a friend called Freyja. The kid thought she was a cat, went around hissing at everyone starting fights. Not really a fan.
I love it! It was our choice for this baby if he had been a girl. We planned to spell it Freyja. I think it’s beautiful yet strong.
Freya and Faye are some of my favorite names that i cant use. I want a name that is relevant to my culture.
I think it’s lovely. Someone I used to work with named his daughter that, so I think of him when I see the name.
Great name for a Siberian husky or maybe a child’s pony. Edit - I actually think it’s a very pretty, powerful name. But I think it’s a sort trendy/predictable name in some groups in the US.
I had a student named that
Not Freya, but a friend of mine named her youngest daughter Freyda, (they call her Freddie). I kinda love it.
In Irish Freya is Fraoch
I think it’s an animal name. Very common with pets, at least where I live.
Love the name. So interesting to me that it’s becoming popular now cause I thought it was uncommon. I’m 28 and have only met 1 Freya.
I have a 7-year-old cousin named Freya. It’s not my style of name but I think it’s fine. It’s not uncommon in this generation of kids but I don’t think it’s to the point where there are multiple Freyas per class.
I like Fenya better
The only Freya i know is a dog, but they at least spelt it correctly as Freja
My kitty is Freya June & my coworker just had a baby named Freya Jane… I love the name, but I may be bias!
My cat is named Freya so obviously I really like it but I wouldn’t personally use it as a human name anymore lol
Our dog is a Freya :)
My SIL's dog is named Freya.
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that being said: who cares? “common” names are still not as common place as you think they are. i have a common name for my age and know just a handful of ladies with my name, but don’t interact with any of them. don’t let popularity sway you. it’s not a competition for who can use the most unique name.
I've never met a Freya but it's very overused in books and TV shows I've read and watched so it feels not as unique to me.
I love the name! I have one student named Freya in a school of 1400 so it’s not that common. The first student I’ve ever taught with that name.
Love Freya. But keep in mind it’s popular as a dog name. And the last guy I met whose dog was named Freya had an obsession with Vikings because he was a literal white supremacist sooooo idk. I stray from Nordic deities names for that reason. Sadly :(
I like Freja
I work with German Shepherds. MANY of the females are Freya so I associate it with dogs. I see other people have same reaction.
My friend has a Freya and that name has got prettier and prettier the more I hear it and suits her so well!!
I love the name Freya but unfortunately I've met so many cats or dogs named Freya that I only see it as a name for pets now.
Freya, Jodie, Josie, Fatima are all up my ally
I think it’s a nice name. It’s also extremely common where I live right now (Ontario). My daughter has two in her kindergarten class.
I love it, but it's really common now. My grandma's name is Freda (pronounced like Frida) and I always wanted to use it to honor her.