Nadine and her husband Felix are expecting their first child.
Nadine writes: "My husband is Swedish, but has lived in Switzerland for much of his life and we live in Zürich currently. I adore some traditional names from Sweden such as Freja, Torbjorn amongst others whilst my husband, Felix isn’t as big a fan. I also do prefer traditional names but also enjoy more modern names. We both want a name that can be shortened and fit both a baby, child, teen and adult.
Welsh/Cornish/Scottish:
This is an area I feel I can help you with most. Based on the names in your list, and what works well alongside names currently popular in Switzerland, here are some Welsh, Cornish and Scottish options:
Vaila – A pretty Scottish island which is used as a given name in Scotland. And as a bonus, it's roots are Nordic, which links to your husbands Swedish heritage. Derived from a Old Norse name Valey, possibly meaning "Celtic island" or "mighty island." Given that Ella, Olivia, Lena, Ava and Lea were all in the top 20 in Zurich in 2016, Vaila feels like it would fit in nicely whilst still being rare.
Kerensa – A pretty and traditional Cornish name which means "love." Next to Jennifer, its one of the most recognisable Cornish names in Britain.
Seren – A sleek and stylish Welsh name -- at the height of fashion in Wales itself -- which means "star."
Eira – Echoing the likes of Iris, Aina and Klara, Eira is a Welsh gem which means "snow." There is also the floral Eirlys which means "snowdrop"
Nia – With Pia and Eva on your list, and Mia at #1 in Switzerland in 2016, Welsh Nia seems like a perfect addition. Nia is the Welsh form of the Irish Niamh -- the mythological queen and goddess which means "bright, radiant."
Eriska – Like Vaila, Eriska is the name of a Scottish island, used as a given name in Scotland. It, too, also has Nordic roots: Old Norse Erikr + ey "island," therefore "Erik's island." Intriguingly, the Gaelic name for Eriska is Ùruisg, the Scots Gaelic name for a brownie -- a sprite who was believed to dwell in streams and waterfalls. For this reason, many translate Eriska as "water nymph island."
Merren / Merryn – Merren is a Scottish form of Miriam, while same-sounding Merryn is a Cornish name which means "sea-born" and has links to a legendary mermaid.
Griffin – A medieval English form of the Welsh royal name Gruffudd (Griffith) meaning "strong lord." The Cornish form is Gryffyn.
Finn – A name that is both Swedish and Gaelic (Scottish) in equal measure. Finn is not only a Swedish name meaning "from Finland," but it is also an ancient Gaelic name, meaning "shining, bright," borne by a legendary hero and was most likely once a Celtic solar deity.
Pasco – A Traditional Cornish name meaning "Easter." Given that Pascal is common in Switzerland, Pasco won't seem too far out.
Gavin – A medieval form of the knightly name Gawain which became well established in Scotland.
Evan – A staple of traditional Welsh names, Evan is the Welsh form of John.
Ruan – A Cornish name borne by an ancient Cornish saint.
Tristan – An ancient heroic name with links to both Cornwall and Pictish Scotland.
Swiss/Swedish:
For these names I've looked at the official Swiss statistics as well as current Swedish favourites.
Elin – A triple threat. Elin is both the Swedish and Welsh form of Ellen (it appears in Welsh legend as the name of a beautiful princess) that is also currently fashionable in Switzerland.
Svea – A Swedish name which is actually the poetic name for Sweden. It ranks within the top 200 in Switzerland, so it isn't unheard of.
Tuva – A top 50 name in Sweden which sits between Luna, Lova and Tora on your list. Tuva is the Swedish form of the Old Norse name Tófa.
Alina – A form of the medieval Germanic name Adelina (meaning "noble") which is a fashionable Swiss choice currently.
Mira – Ranking in both the top 100 of both Sweden and Switzerland, Mira is a sweet gem which derives from the Slavic miru "peace."
Mael – A Welsh name with an ancient Celtic heritage meaning "chief, prince." It forms the basis of many Welsh and Cornish names, but is actually very rare in Britain. Luckily, ranks in the Swiss top 100, so this handsome gem is not unusual where you are.
Casper – The Swedish form of Jasper which means "treasurer" in Persian.
Levin – A later form of both the Germanic name Leobwin and Old English cognate Leofwine meaning "dear friend." Its more common as a surname in England but ranks in the top 50 in Switzerland.
Luan – Both an Albanian name meaning "lion" and Portuguese name meaning "moon," Luan ranks in the top 50 in Switzerland.
Arvid – A Scandinavian name descended from the Old Norse Arnviðr meaning "eagle forest." It ranks in the Swedish top 30.
Good Meanings:
Aurora – The Roman goddess of the dawn, a symbol of hope, renewal and illumination.
Alba – Similarly, Alba not only means "dawn" in Spanish and Italian, it is also the Gaelic name for Scotland.
Amela – The Slavic form of the Arabic Amal meaning "hope."
Ada – From the Germanic adal meaning "noble," Ada has a great namesake in Ada Lovelace (1815-1852), gifted mathematician and known as the world's first computer programmer.
Trueth – A Cornish name meaning "compassion." It's very rare -- and may be a little off beat for you as a first name -- but its worth considering as a middle name.
Aurea / Aurelia – Two gorgeous Roman names which mean "golden."
Clementine / Clemency – A sweet English name which means "mercy, compassion."
Leander – A heroic ancient Greek name which means "lion of a man." As cognate Leandro was #6 in Zurich in 2016, Leander will fit in perfectly.
Nicolas / Nico – Nicolas / Nicholas meaning "victory of the people" is well used throughout Europe thanks to Saint Nicholas, famous for his compassion and alms giving to the poor.
Jonah / Jonas – The name of Biblical Patriarch whose stylish name means "dove," a universal symbol of hope and peace.
Nathan – A stylish Biblical name derived from the Hebrew natán "to give."
Dario / Darius – The Greek form of the Persian name Dārayavahush, which was composed of the elements dâraya "to possess" and vahu "good". Three ancient kings of Persia bore this name, including Darius the Great. Dario is in the top 20 in Switzerland.
Raphael – A Biblical name whose meaning is related to healing and a fashionable Swiss choice.
I hope this has been useful. Best wishes with the name choosing. Please keep us updated.
UPDATE: Welcome, Alexander Tristan Olle!
