Sigrid

Sigrid stitches together two Old Norse fragments, sigr, victory, and fridr, beautiful or beloved, to suggest a beautiful victory. It is the name of queens in Norwegian saga and of Sigrid Undset, the Nobel laureate whose medieval trilogy Kristin Lavransdatter remains one of Scandinavia's great literary achievements. The contemporary pop singer Sigrid has brought it back to international radio with her clear, bell-like voice. Two bright syllables, a tight central g, a clean final d. Sigrid reads coolly glamorous and self-possessed, a name with ice-blue depth and quiet wit. In Norway it has resurged among younger parents seeking authentic heritage names.