Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Astrid

Astrid is a female name primarily used in Scandinavia (although it is also used among the French and Germans to some degree). The name, rendered as Ástríðr in its ancient form, comes from the Old Nordic elements “áss” meaning “god” and “fríðr” meaning “beautiful”. Some say the name essentially translates to “divinely beautiful” while others would say it means “beloved of the gods”. In either case, Astrid has a lovely and powerful Northern European sensibility. The name continues to maintain high usage in the Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Denmark and Norway. In fact, we would say Astrid is a poster-child Nordic female name much like Freja, Ingrid, Greta and Gudrun. The name’s most famous bearers are Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002), Swedish author of the popular children’s book “Pippi Longstocking”; and Astrid of Sweden, beloved Queen of the Belgians (1905-1935) who died tragically in a car accident at the age of 29.

All About the Baby Name – Astrid

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME ASTRID

The number Eight personality has everything to do with power, wealth and abundance. Somehow, this personality has been blessed on the material plane, but their authoritative and problem-solving traits provide evidence that their good fortunes are not just the luck of the lottery. They are well earned. This is the personality of CEOs and high-ranking military personnel. Eights are intensely active, hard-driving individuals. Success is only meaningful to them after a job well-done.  They are remarkable in their ability to see the larger picture right down to the smallest details, and organize a strategy around success. They then have the ability to direct a group around them toward any goal, and realize individual potential to get the most out of their team.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME ASTRID

Astrid is not used with enough frequency any more to show up on America’s female naming charts. The name does date back to the early 20th century when she made brief appearances on the Top 1000 list between 1905 and 1916 (probably driven by Scandinavian and/or German immigrants). For most of the 1900s, however, Astrid was not really on any one’s radar. It came back briefly in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but Astrid really hasn’t been on the charts since 2005. Perhaps the name is a bit too ethnically Nordic for the average American palate. Most likely, Astrid is being used by a small number of Scandinavian-American parents who want to celebrate their heritage in some small way. We definitely like this name exactly for its Nordic quality – strong, decisive and powerful. A great – and uncommon – name choice in our opinion!

Quick Facts

ON ASTRID

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

Nordic

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

989

PRONUNCIATION:

AST-rid

SIMPLE MEANING:

Beautiful god

Characteristics

OF ASTRID

Authoritative

Powerful

Tough

Tenacious

Wealthy

Problem-solver

Achiever

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Astrid

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME ASTRID

Astrid Magnussen is the young daughter in Janet Fitch’s 1999 coming-of-age novel, White Oleander, also made into a film of the same name in 2002 with Alison Lohman as Astrid. Astrid is a twelve-year-old girl with quite a few strikes against her – she is the daughter of a free-spirited, self-absorbed, negligent mother and an absentee father. She doesn’t fit in at school; she fears rejection. Add to this formula a toxic man that her mother starts seeing, and trouble is distinctly spelled out. Astrid’s mother poisons her new boyfriend in a jealous rage, and goes to prison, sentencing Astrid to a series of foster homes, each more harrowing than the prior. Ultimately, the human spirit prevails – Astrid’s search for a meaning to her life gives her mother a reason to finally go straight. She decides against compromising her own daughter, and Astrid is free to pursue her own life – at which point she must make some difficult decisions herself about the nature of abandonment.

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME ASTRID

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Astrid


Popular Songs

ON ASTRID

Astrid
a song by The Legendary Pink Dots

Famous People

NAMED ASTRID

Astrid Lindgren (Swedish author of the Pippi Longstocking series)
Astrid of Sweden (early 20th century Queen of the Belgians)
Astrid Kumbernuss (German Olympic athlete)
Astrid Varnay (American opera singer)
Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen (Norwegian cross-country skier)
Astrid Allwyn (American actress)
Astrid Henning-Jensen (Danish filmmaker)

Children of Famous People

NAMED ASTRID

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Astrid

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME ASTRID

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Astrid