Nanna

“Nanna is a Scandinavian girl name often glossed as “daring.” It is also known from Norse mythology as the name of Baldr’s wife.”

Nanna has a soft sound with a surprisingly brave meaning. In modern baby name sources, Nanna is listed as a Scandinavian name meaning “daring,” and it also appears as a variation connected with Nancy. That gives the name two different feelings at once: tender and familiar on the ear, but spirited underneath. It’s the kind of name that feels gentle in a nursery and still has enough backbone for an adult woman signing her own work, leading a team, or walking into a room with quiet confidence. The Scandinavian connection is especially meaningful because Nanna is known in Norse mythology as the wife of Baldr, sometimes called Nanna Nepsdottir. For parents who like names with old northern roots, that gives Nanna a mythic layer without making it feel heavy or hard to pronounce. It’s short, symmetrical, and clear. You don’t have to explain every letter. There is one practical thing to know. In English-speaking countries, “Nana” is a common informal word for grandmother, and the spelling “Nanna” is also used that way in some places, especially as a family nickname. That doesn’t make Nanna unusable as a baby name, but it does give it a cozy, multigenerational warmth. Some parents will love that. Others may prefer to pair it with a more formal middle name, like Nanna Elisabeth or Nanna Margrethe, so the full name feels distinctly Scandinavian and complete. Nanna also has a separate ancient association outside Scandinavia: Nanna was the Sumerian name of a Mesopotamian moon and wisdom god. That figure is not the source of the Scandinavian girl name, but it does show how old and cross-cultural this sound can feel. The result is a name that is small on paper, easy to say, and richer than it first appears.