My SD Moms 
Across America, kids and parents alike are still singing the praises of Disney’s hit movie Frozen, and it doesn’t seem that we’ll ever let it go. The characters are magical, relatable, and truly lovable, the story is a fairy tale with a twist, and we love its sentimental throwback appeal. Not to mention the music from Frozen is catchy, heartfelt, and inspiring enough to spawn a countless number of parodies on YouTube.
We’ve already imagined that the power of this unstoppable animated tale reaches beyond the usual confines of a mundane-but-cute kids’ movie. Frozen is permeating our culture, including the names we choose for our children. While we won’t have stats for 2014 until just before Mother’s Day, we could already see the uptick Elsa was showing just after the movie was released. And Elsa was a strong contender for Name of the Year, though in the end the winner was a name influenced by Frozen as well.
The movie did give us a taste of some intriguing Nordic names, but take a look with us at our favorite options beyond Frozen‘s few characters. You’ll find that America has been influenced by names from the North for several years now, and they are bold, charming, and fit for the gilded pages of a fairytale storybook.
For example Aksel, Axel: This name may sound perfect for a rockstar or a muscle-car mechanic, but it has deep Nordic roots and a grounded history. The Danish form of the biblical name Absolom, Axel has been around Europe for centuries, a favorite in Denmark and beyond. We know and love it from a few modern references, including the main characters in steampunk favoriteJourney to the Center of the Earth, and the movie series Beverly Hills Cops, plus Guns N’ Roses’ rocker Axl Rose. This name goes far beyond a straightforward troublemaker name into the territory of a storied Scandinavian crossover hit.
