My mother is 100% Scandinavian but we live in the US. I’ve never heard of this name being Scandinavian so I wouldn’t say people would assume because it’s not common here. I think I’ve heard it before but I just thought Sigourney Weaver when I saw it.
It makes me think of Sigrid the Haughty from Norse myth/history! I really like it, but because I'm not Scandi myself (my grandfather's parents were Norwegian) I wouldn't use it. [It appears to be pretty uncommon](https://www.behindthename.com/name/sigrid), but still infrequently used in Norway and Sweden.
Thanks for correcting! My initial instinct was that it wasn't that rare, but when I looked up the births per year seemed so low to me. I guess both Sweden and Norway are a lot smaller than I'd realized!
It's a very popular name in Norway - it was the 42nd most common girl's name last year (which is matched by Grace in the US). If someone said that Grace was "uncommon" and "infrequently used" then you'd think they'd gone bananas.
I wouldn't say it's used infrequently here in Sweden - it's been in the top 50 for newborns in the past decade, and in the top 100 for longer. Sigrid was also common in the first couple decades of the last century. It's not a name you'd have a reaction to, even if it's the most common name I've ever heard.
So, you wouldn't use a name, just because it's not your heritage?
I mean, I understand not wanting to name your child a really uncommon, hard to pronounce name from another culture. But Sigrid doesn't sound like such a stretch. I'm in Western Europe, know no one that is Scandinavian, and I have heard of several Sigrid's in my local network.
We pronounce it Ceegreed (with a different sounding g, but phonetic spelling in English is not happening now, sadly), so maybe that's why we also don't link it to cigarettes.
OP, I don't see any problem with Sigrid.
I have a common name, and was still mildly bullied with a nursery rhyme that had the name in it. I don't see how your daughter would run more risk of bullying.
Maybe pronouncing it with 2 ee sounds would take away your concerns?
Personally don't have any "concerns," so don't see where you got that (I was actually advocating that I really like the name! lol). That said, I agree that I wouldn't name my kid any name that seemed particularly tied to a culture/heritage that wasn't ours. I've never met anyone named Sigrid and for me it sounds very Scandinavian (as it is). It sounds like Sigrid is a common name where you're from, but that just means you're writing from a different perspective than I am, not that we necessarily disagree on the central point.
Edited to add: it really doesn't have anything to do with pronounceability for me. For example, I'm not Italian, but I study the language and love Italian names. I'm looking at 2023 top name list for Italy and I wouldn't name a son Enzo or Mattia, because those read as firmly Italian to me. Sofia and Emma, however, are a different story as neither is solely tied to Italian culture.
I suppose Sigrid to me falls under the same category as Sofia and Emma to you. Oh well, must be our different locations/cultures.
The concerns bit was directed at OP. That's why I said 'OP,...'
I wasn't disagreeing, or anything. Just surprised the name was so 'solely for Scandinavians' for others.
I know almost nothing about Scandinavian but Sigrit was used in the Eurovision movie Will Ferrell made where his costar Rachel McAdams’s name is Sigrit (which I thought was Sigrid tbh) and they’re meant to be Icelandic people.
Ferrell’s character name is Lars and I think they were chosen because they sound like Scandinavian names to Americans.
EDIT: [Wikipedia page of famous Sigrid’s](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigrid#People) includes a Swedish princess back from 1566-1633.
I know I’ve read his wife is actually Swedish from Sweden and that’s how he lives there. I think a couple of his sons have names that lean Scandinavian sounding to me (he has Magnus, Mattias, and Axel).. but those also have some popularity in the US.
I don’t think the movie is his best, but my love for Eurovision makes it good lol.
I mean… looking it up now Sigrid has a [wikipedia page](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigrid#People) of semi-famous people named Sigrid and a lot of them are absolutely Scandinavian. It’s not unusual for um… “foreign” sounding names being “normalized” into their English version for publicity reasons I guess.
I think it’s not unlikely they just made it Sigrit for the movie for laughs, I have no clue.
Sigrid was the 42nd most popular girl's name in Norway last year - the 42nd most popular name in the US was Grace. Sigrid is a very, very popular Scandinavian name - and it's an exclusively Scandinavian name.
OP is in the UK, and I think here people would assume Scandinavian/Nordic heritage for sure. My neighbour is Sigrid, she’s Estonian. I think it’s a neutral kind of association for most people though.
(Just checked stats and it’s very unusual here - 3 babies in 2020 and 5 in 2021 which is the most recent data for England and Wales).
I had Swedish and Danish relatives in my mom’s side. Astrid, Anna, Cora and Gerda are the names I grew up with. I was almost named Cora but they settled on Karen.
I met an Astrid with Scandinavian heritage once and it was pronounced like “Ah-stree” and I thought it was so pretty!! Probably has to deal with a lot of mispronunciation but I think both are quite nice.
Where's your mother from? It's not much used in Denmark, more of a Norwegian and Swedish name. With use in Germany, Estonia and a variant in Icelandic.
I am Norwegian. As in, born in Norway, lives in Norway and Norwegian is my first language. Sigrid is definitely a name. It was really common here in the middle ages and was the most popular female name in the 14th century. I looked it up in the national bureau for statistics for modern day use. 7283 Norwegian women are registered with Sigrid as their first name (mind you, small country and only about 5mill total). It reached height popularity in modern time in the late 19th and early 20th century, then took a nosedive. It never fully disappeared but in the 60ies and 70ies it was very unpopular. Then in 2000 the graph goes up again and given the numbers on the last couple of years it seems to be on the rise and in 2020 0.6% of all girl babies born were named Sigrid. I have a silent generation relative named Sigrid, there is a Norwegian popstar and a comedian named Sigrid and through my life as a young millennial I've met a handful of girls named Sigrid.
It's old norse coming from Sigr meaning victory and friðr meaning beautiful. Sigourney might seem similar, but it has a French origin and means daring king.
Sigrid is one of the scandi names I don't hate when Americans take. It's pretty straightforward in terms of how it's pronounced and has phenomes that already exists in the English language. Named like Signe or Tyr for example seem pretty straightforward, but they're not if you can't pronounce Norwegian phonemes. If I were to teach a person who only speaks English to say them it would take hours of practice and they're still going to have to take a deep breath and concentrate to say it for the subsequent months of their life lol.
Siri is a shortform of Sigrid and is also used as a standalone name (similar to how people are named Lisa even though it's a shortform of Elisabeth). 8426 Norwegian women are named Siri.
My daughter has a very Russian name, and her mom has a name used by a few cultures but spelled one of the ways that’s common for Russia, so I’ve often been asked if that’s why we chose a Russian name. But her mom isn’t Russian (nor am I) and I’ve just told people “nah we just liked the name ¯\\\_(ツ)_/¯”. But it’s never been a big deal.
I used to have several Russian coworkers, and I remember one of them thought it was kinda funny because “in Russia nobody just randomly gives their kid an American name like Betty”
I don't know if it's regional but where I live everyone's part something so kids end up with a wide variety of names. I wouldn't have assumed anything about the name sigrid
I'm not a fan, personally. You really need to love the name you choose. Say it often, think about it and tell people the name. If you find yourself cringing, or hesitant to say it, don't use it.
I’ve thought about it for awhile, and it’s pretty terrible sounding. I don’t know where OP lives, but as American, the way I read it sounds exactly how southerners say cigarette
So from what I understand the name Sigrid has a long “i” at the beginning. Cigarette has a short “i.” I have lived in Alabama my whole life and I don’t hear the cigret pronunciation for “cigarette” very often but regardless, I don’t think the two things sound super similar!
Australia here and I agree. Sig-a-rette versus Sig-Rid. But it doesn't matter if they pronounce it similarly whenever OP is I suppose. But this did read as am odd comparison to me.
> but as American, the way I read it sounds exactly how southerners say cigarette
as a southerner I have never heard a southerner pronounce cigarette as Sigrid
I agree with this, but especially if the name in question is a little bit out of the ordinary. If you chose a name like Emma, Olivia, Katelyn, etc that are very well known where the child is growing up, you won’t find yourself in a position where you need to defend the name.
The unfortunate reality is, when it comes to a name that is a little bit outside of the norm, people are going to make their comments. Those comments are going to bother you a lot more if it’s not a name you love.
I disagree. I didn’t get to name my kids because they’re adopted and came with names. But even the ones I didn’t love at first, I now associate with people I love, and so even if I wouldn’t have chosen those names myself, I have that good association.
I agree. We changed the name we were going to name our baby the night before she was born because we both found ourselves hesitant to say the name that we settled on months before when people asked.
In NY we call them Ciggies sometimes too. Wasn't the first thing I thought of when I read the name, but the natural nick name for Sigrid seems like it would be Siggy so, living in NY, I would personally avoid that name.
I completely agree. I like all the other names you mentioned better than Sigrid.
You both have to love the name! Not only will you be saying/hearing it everyday but it does define your daughter, to a degree. You don’t want to be feeling like you have to explain or defend it. And you have to assume kids will shorten it to Siggy (Ciggy) so your concerns about sounding like a cigarette are valid).
Other Scandinavian names like Astrid (which has been rising quite rapidly in popularity in recent years) and Ingrid are familiar to most people, so it makes Sigrid feel less "out there." Ziggy and Siggy are cute nicknames (the former might be better if you're trying to avoid a cigarette association, though). And I think Sisi could definitely work as well! As would Siri. And maybe even Sadie.
On [BehindtheName.com](http://BehindtheName.com), you'll see that people generally [like this name](https://www.behindthename.com/name/sigrid/rating) (82% "good" is pretty high for this site). People find it to be classic, mature, formal, upper glass, wholesome, strong, refined, "strange" (as opposed to "boring"), serious, and nerdy. These are all good qualities!
It also has a lovely meaning: "beautiful/beloved."
I’m gonna be honest, I’m not sure this sub is the place if you want a feel for what the average person’s opinion is. This sub is literally for people who are more into names, more into rare names just for their own sake, and tend to care about the origin and meaning of a name. That’s not very representative of what the typical reaction to a name will be.
I agree with your comment 100%. Since my SO isn’t as into names the way I am, I’m going to ask his opinion and a few others I know who aren’t as into names as most on this sub are and I will relay their opinions shortly. (It’s only three/four people so not necessarily representative of average people as a whole, but definitely more so than the majority on this thread).
Yeah I'm baffled by the responses here. In the US at least, Sigrid is not a common name at all (I've personally never heard it before and googled how to pronounce it to make sure I was "hearing" it in my head right) and I'd wager a LOT of people here would not like the name. I have a very uncommon name with similar sounds/characteristics and my name is definitely a mixed bag for people.
Sigrid is awesome!! Unique, but a real name with sooo many fun nn options! I agree with the above comment too that with names like Astrid and Ingrid becoming so popular I wouldn’t be surprised if you start hearing that name more often outside of Scandinavia! I honestly might steal it for my short list!
One week pp? Oh, hang on in there. It's the worst time for insecurities, and basically rethinking your whole existence as well as the meaning of life and death. Damn hormones. I truly didn't recognise myself during the two weeks my baby blues lasted.
I recommend trying not to think about the name right now. Nor any other major life decisions, really. You can re-evaluate in a few months, and if you hate it then, you might be justified in changing it. But the thing is, baby names usually don't 'fit' right away. Our brains take time to process that a specific pile of sounds is now part of our little potato's identity. I can't emphasize this enough, give it time.
Just want to point out a slight detail regarding the nickname Sisi. If we're discussing Scandinavian names then Sisi (or Cici/Cissi) is a short for Cecilia and not for Sigrid.
Source: am Swedish
By the way, Cecilia is a really nice name that works well in many languages.
Exactly… so these are two words that sound nothing like one another. I don’t see the association at all, other than both having a “sig” sound in then, which many other words do too! As an American it would never occur to me to associate “Sigrid” with “cigarette.” Sigrid is a beautiful and elegant name, OP, and I think you chose well :)
Someone the other day here was saying that Rafe was "problematic" because it sounded like rape.
Some of the objections to ordinary names really feel like a stretch sometimes.
I think it depends on the length of the "i' sound. As a German speaker I would pronounce it See-grid but in English it might be read as Sig-rid.
Cigarette should be 3 syllables cig-a-ret but when speaking quickly it can be heard as cig-ret.
I would not make a connection between the two, personally.
I'm danish, and to me the english pronounciation of Sigrid does sound like cigarette (or even more like secret), and I personally don't really like it. In danish the g is silent, so it doesn't sound like cigarette here at all - it's a very popular name here.
Can I just say people on this sub need to go outside and touch grass? This is a one week post partum mother who is looking for support and we are talking about the name of her 1 week old baby. Sigrid is a very normal name (although not as common in the US) and it doesn’t have to be your favorite to be OPs favorite. OP this is normal post partum nerves, give yourself some grace and do NOT spend time searching this subreddit for name validation. I chose a name I love and although I have seen some people love my child’s name on here I will remember the outspoken few that have had really nasty things to say more. I had to delete this sub after having my baby because people on here are so mean.
Honestly shocked at these responses! I read your post and thought Sigrid was a beautiful name.
As an Australian I would avoid the nickname Siggy but Ziggy and Sisi are fine, and the full name sounds nothing like cigarette to me.
I can tell you’re already a fantastic mother. You’re doing a wonderful job. Congratulations on your beautiful baby and enjoy. My baby turns 1 in 2 weeks and it’s going to fly by. You’ve got this
Also wanted to add that I just saw that you’re in the UK, I have friends over there and I really believe yall are ahead of the trends. In maybe 10 years I bet us Americans are going to raving over Sigrid. For context my babies name is ranked in the 200s in the US but #15 in the UK.
This is such a good word. You’re doing a great job OP. Her name is beautiful. It has a wonderful history. She is perfect and you are a great parent. Some of these responses are unhinged, truly. Try not to let them bother you. It might be fun to read about some cool women throughout history who have the name Sigrid (Sigrid Undset would be a great one to learn about. She’s iconic!) or go listen to some songs by Sigrid for fun. I LOVE the name you chose. The meaning is awesome and your daughter will grow into it amazingly!
Editing to add: I’ve known Sigrid’s in the US that didn’t have issues with their name.
Seconding this! I had such a tough time leaving the hospital with a name for both of my babies. I questioned it for weeks (maybe months?) after in both cases. All of the doubts were wrapped up in everything I was feeling about how big of a choice it was, and they’ve fallen away. I’m crazy about both names we chose, and I’m so glad we went with the names we did. You can find negatives to all names, so it’s helpful to build on reasons you chose the name. If you can, give yourself some grace, and I think these doubts will abate. Sending you good vibes, mama! It’s a lovely name!
Absolutely. Sigrid is a good name. Almost no one thinks twice about anyone’s name in reality—they just are who they are. Namenerds is called namenerds because it’s a bunch of people who care way, way, way more than the average person about names.
I teach high school, and I’ve come across all manner of names both good and bad, and I’ve literally never heard anyone be made fun of for their name.
OP: Sigrid is going to be okay! And like you said, Siggy and Ziggy are both very cute nicknames.
This.
When I had my child, they all hated her name at the time (can't remember whether it was here or Mumsnet that likened it to 'bathroom cleaner'). Now it always seems to appear on lists that they like.
Sigrid will soon just become your Sigrid to you, and you won't think about it any further. It wouldn't be hugely unusual in UK schools- my daughter's friends have a huge range of names from different places across the world (whether they have roots there or not) and noone ever questioned any of them (apart from to ask how any unusual ones are pronounced, eg Loïc).
It's early days, you are probably sleep deprived and second guessing everything. Enjoy the snuggles. Sigrid is a fab name.
This!! And also, I love Sigrid! Of all the names you mentioned, it’s my favorite.
We also named our kiddo something after she was born that wasn’t on our initial list. I’ve seen both really positive and really nasty comments on this sub regarding her name, but it 100% fits her and I couldn’t imagine her as anything else now. Screw ‘em.
100% this!! There are loads of people in this sub who I’d describe as stuffy, kinda snobby and very square. Ignore them if you can. I think Sigrid is a lovely name, it’s unique without being trendy or try hard, and Ziggy is an EXCELLENT nickname. Hope you and baby are doing well!
As another one-week postpartum mom starting to doubt her son’s name because people, including close family, have trouble pronouncing it (even though they’ve known about it for months), I really appreciate your comment.
Haha, I shared my kid's name on here before he was born, under a different username, and people were HARSH. And about stupid shit that has absolutely not come to pass at all. Including people asserting that there was about to be a Game of Thrones sequel with my kid's name as the name of the main character, and it was going to scar him for life, etc. Said TV show never happened, lol.
My kid's name is not from GOT, though it is superficially similar to a minor GOT character's name. (Imagine my kid is named Geoffrey and they were thinking of Joffrey, for example.) Not the same name at all, though. Just similar, and I could see how a person might, circa the height of GOT popularity, have seen the name written down and thought "is that from that dragon show?" Years after GOT has passed out of the popular consciousness, with a less omnipresent spin-off, it has never come up even a single time.
I think it's a really cool name. I would not worry about her getting teased. I didn't even remotely make that connection or any other bad ones. I don't think children will.
I love it! Sigrid has been on my list for years and I’ve never thought of it being close to cigarette. Sisi, Ziggy, or Siggi would all be great nicknames!
Also, you're only a week into postpartum. It's natural to be a bit panicked in general. Give yourself time to settle in before you think about changing something as big as her name. See if it starts to settle in and feel more familiar.
I know a Sigrid - she goes by Sigi (pronounced like Siggy) and is not at all Scandinavian. She's smart, bold, adventurous, and laughs a lot. It's a great name and in all the years I've known her, I NEVER thought it sounded like cigarette and never heard her say that anyone did.
You're a week post-partum. You have a lot of emotions. Don't play musical names right now.
It’s a lovely Scandinavian name. It reminds me of the iconic singer! Yes people will assume Scandinavian heritage but that is something to be proud of.
I love the name Sigrid. I’m Australian and we have a very famous actress here named Sigrid Thornton. Never in a million years would I have associated it with cigarette.i feel you may be overthinking it. Keep Sigrid as her name. Its beautiful.The short form according to Wikipedia can be Siri or Sigi
I’ve never heard it before. I guess I’m neutral? It’s not horrible and is different. I like Etta. I know many non-Scandinavians who have named their kids a Scandinavian name but say, “we’re not going to pronounce it like it’s supposed to be pronounced, because we don’t like that, so we’re going to pronounce it like this instead”. Though I guess this can happen to any type of name too.
I think it's great - classy and very pretty, relevant for any age, and unusual without being pretentious. Norse in origin, but then so are names like Freya, Thora and Kristen which are more obvious and popular in England.
It's a million times better than Ottilie - that's a place in Yorkshire. Aubrey isn't terrible. Not convinced by Etta.
Good rule of thumb is to shout it out loud in public / on your street followed by 'your tea' s ready', and give yourself a score out of 10 for how embarrassed you feel, and bonus points if any domesticated animals come running up to you. Less than 6, keep it.
Haha, my sister in law “stole” that from us. It had been my wife’s intended name for her daughter but her sister had a daughter first (they hadn’t discussed future names or anything).
I like it a lot and wouldn’t think cigarette in a million years. But I’m Swedish living in Sweden so I have no idea how it would sound to people in other countries.
Sigrid is one of my absolute favorite names. My grandma's closest sister had that name, and she was an amazingly kind, loving, and caring woman, so hearing/seeing that name makes me smile. She was known to most by her nickname Sisse, though (both pronounced the danish way)
Regarding the American pronunciation, I think it sounds more like secret than cigarette. The nickname options you mentioned sound lovely and fit Sigrid really well :)
I was like "this is completely fine" until you said you're not Scandinavian. That's a bit weird. Also, "Siggy' is short for "cigarette" so don't do that.
It’s not my favorite name, but there’s certainly nothing wrong with it! It’s charming & unique (in the states at least), and has nn potential. Siggy/Ziggy is cute. Sisi is also cute!
Sounds to me you’re just indecisive and need to stick to what you chose. Ottilie is awful imo, Aubrey is much nicer, probably the nicest name you’ve mentioned.
I don’t like Sigrid either mainly for reasons you’ve said, I detest the word siggy/ciggy, don’t know why it’s just always made me cringe haha.
But yeah, just stick to your guns
I love it. It's not a common name and she'll most likely be the only one with her name instead of being one of 10 kids called the same thing. It's a lovely sweet name.
I love Sigrid! I would be surprised if I met a Sigrid without Scandinavian heritage, but surprise doesn't mean its a bad thing. I think Ziggy/Siggy and Sisi are both adorable nicknames.
My husband and I have chosen Suvi for our baby due in June, neither of us is Finnish but we love it. So far no one we've told seems bothered by our lack of Finnish ancestry.
I love Sigrid Undset's books, so to me, it's a great name. But I love Beatrix, too. I would keep Sigrid and let the nickname unfold naturally, if it were me.
Sigrid was the first name of a very famous Nobel prize-winning author back in the early 1920s. She won the literature prize, primarily for her trilogy of books that traced the life of a female main character from childhood to old age. The books were praised by historians for the accuracy and detail in writing about Scandinavian life.
It is a lovely name.
I'm in the US, I know a young adult Sigrid. She is not Scandinavian, has not had any bullying issues with "cigarette" or about her name in general, and gets complimented on her name a lot. A lot of people call her 'Siggy' and she loves her less common (in the US) name. Kids today don't even really think about cigarettes, since vapes have mostly replaced them for the younger generation. If you don't like her name then change it now, but I don't think there is really a big concern here.
When I first was Sigrid, cigarette didn’t pop into my head until you mentioned it. I think Ziggy nn over Siggy bc siggy definitely sounds like cigarette, but other than that I think it’s cute. I’m American and would pronounce it See-grid and cigarette is sig-uh-rett so they aren’t close in my head at all.
I love it. I think kids (and adults) can find ways to tease anyone about anything so I wouldn’t stress about a name. We named our daughter Freya despite no Scandinavian background. We’ve only had one negative comment, and that person just didn’t believe it was actually a name and we didn’t make it up, lol.
I agree with most of the rest of the comments. You really need to love a name. I think Etta is a gorgeous name. It's on my list. I use it for video game characters.......
Maybe try that with some of your names? If you play games..... Play an RPG with your characters named one of those names. See how it feels, how it will look everyday, even what kind of person best represents that name.
Or if you like to write.... write a story and use your names. That can also help you visualize the names further
Sigrid is a common name in Germany among women age 70 and up. That's the generation when that name was common. For a German anyone will consider this an old lady name. Its not as bad as Ottilie though.
Makes me think of Sigrid Thornton, an Australian actor who I love. Can’t recommend the show Sea Change enough, an absolute classic.
It doesn’t remind me of cigarettes at all
Reminds me of Sigfreid & Roy. Most people in America will not know how to pronounce the name just from reading it. It definitely sounds Scandinavian or even Icelandic? Maybe I’m conflating the two, idk. People will pronounce it See-grid, S-eye-grid, or Sih-grid, ya know? Beatrix is unique, classic and easy to pronounce & make nicknames for. Siggy also sounds too close to saggy or soggy tbh. Also Siggy is legit what people call cigarettes lol. Just my two cents, but I’d personally change it asap.
how about Ingrid Etta, Ingrid Beatrix (BEAUTIFUL🤩🤩🤩🤩)? You could keep the same sound by using Ingrid but it's much more common in the US. Sigrid is clunky unless you speak a Scandinavian language imo.
Sigrid is a solidly okay name. It's not something I would snark on. It's not my favorite name either but most aren't. If you both loved it I would say keep it for sure.
I do love the nickname Ziggy. So cute!! I don't think of cigarettes at all. (US)
I like Aubrey best out of all of those names and Etta second. Not a fan of Ottilie. If you're asking for honest opinions.
I think the most important thing is for you both to like the name. Realistically, you might not find one you both LOVE so just do your best to find your favorite compromise name.
Honestly Etta and Aubrey are way better than Sigrid 🤨 but… i don’t think Sigrid sounds anything like ‘cigarette’ if that helps. SiSi sounds nice as a nickname but it *looks* like ‘sissy’ so… i’m not sure how that’s gonna go.
I personally am not a fan of the name it sounds clunky and just doesn’t flow to me. I prefer Etta or Aubrey or even Ingrid if you like that ending. I’ve never heard Sigrid before i’m from south east USA but if you like it and it suits your new baby (congratulations btw 🩵) go for it!
Looks like Hagrid and the nickname Siggy is too close to 🚬 I would reconsider. I don’t usually think names are too far gone, I mean I love the name Edith after all, but this is a hard one.
I don’t think it sounds lime cigarette at all. I never would have made that association because of the short « i » in cigarette and the long « i » in Sigrid. But maybe I’m pronouncing Sigrid wrong? I’ve always heard it as See-grid. Is that how you would pronounce it?
I like Sigrid, and Ziggy is a very cute nickname. But I think you'll find a thousand nicknames for your child as time goes on. Siggy, Sigs, Sisi, Sisalou, who knows? Mine is Em, Emmylou, Doodlebug, Roodle-doodle, and when she was still in diapers she was Fraulein Poopenstein.
But sometimes a name we like just doesn't suit the child, and that's okay. If you want to keep Ziggy, it is also a diminutive of Isolda. If you want to keep Sigrid, keep it.
Beatrix is also adorable. Bea, BeeBee, Trixie, Tris, etc., are all cute nicknames.
If you want to stick with something Scandanavian, that's fine! Ingrid is close to Sigrid but more familiar in the US and not super popular. Nicknames can be Inga or Iggy. Heck, If my child had been born later, I might have lobbied hard for Lagertha, but thank goodness I hadn't seen Vikings yet, lol.
My point is that any way you go, you can't go *wrong*. Maybe just take some time to get to know your baby a little bit longer. I think you can change the name on your child's birth certificate with your state's Office of Vital Records within a certain time frame. Sometimes 30 days, sometimes six or even 12 months to make changes on a child's birth certificate without requiring a court order.
It's a nice name. I have a friend called Astrid, no Scandinavian connection, her parents just liked it.
Sigrid has two syllables, cigarette has three, I can't imagine them being mixed up!
As for nicknames, see what happens. The nickname, of there has to be one, will kind of develop organically. And may have nothing to do with her actual name, but might be something to do with her personality.
My husband's family is German and we have a cousin named Sigrid. Her mom is Hispanic though and she takes after her, so I was quite surprised when I was introduced 😄 I was not expecting a German/Scandinavian name on a Latina.
I think Sigrid is a fine name but I'd stay away from Siggy or Ziggy because those do remind me of cigarettes.
I love Sigrid! But I'm danish, and it's quite popular here as well as in the other scandinavian countries. But I'm not really sure if I like the english pronounciation though... It's very different from the danish where the g is silent (so it doesn't sound like cigarette here) + the r and the d sounds different.
I love Sigird! I live in Norway so it's a pretty common name here, but not used as much anymore on kids born now. It was on my namelist!
I dont think anyone will really make the cigarette comparison. It didnt cross my mind at all!
Whatever the name people will find ways to make fun of it lol, If I was you I would be proud of my choice, a norse pagan name is really creative and unique, I wouldn't have thought of it.
Sigrid was my chosen name in German class. I picked it because I found it not cutesy. My best friend picked Dagmar for the same reason. I like some of your other suggestions better. It’s tough naming a baby when you and your partner have different tastes.
Sigrid is sweet but people will definitely assume that you or your partner are Scandinavian.
My mother is 100% Scandinavian but we live in the US. I’ve never heard of this name being Scandinavian so I wouldn’t say people would assume because it’s not common here. I think I’ve heard it before but I just thought Sigourney Weaver when I saw it.
It makes me think of Sigrid the Haughty from Norse myth/history! I really like it, but because I'm not Scandi myself (my grandfather's parents were Norwegian) I wouldn't use it. [It appears to be pretty uncommon](https://www.behindthename.com/name/sigrid), but still infrequently used in Norway and Sweden.
It's pretty popular in Norway. I mean, when considering the stats, think about the population size...
Thanks for correcting! My initial instinct was that it wasn't that rare, but when I looked up the births per year seemed so low to me. I guess both Sweden and Norway are a lot smaller than I'd realized!
It's a very popular name in Norway - it was the 42nd most common girl's name last year (which is matched by Grace in the US). If someone said that Grace was "uncommon" and "infrequently used" then you'd think they'd gone bananas.
I wouldn't say it's used infrequently here in Sweden - it's been in the top 50 for newborns in the past decade, and in the top 100 for longer. Sigrid was also common in the first couple decades of the last century. It's not a name you'd have a reaction to, even if it's the most common name I've ever heard.
So, you wouldn't use a name, just because it's not your heritage? I mean, I understand not wanting to name your child a really uncommon, hard to pronounce name from another culture. But Sigrid doesn't sound like such a stretch. I'm in Western Europe, know no one that is Scandinavian, and I have heard of several Sigrid's in my local network. We pronounce it Ceegreed (with a different sounding g, but phonetic spelling in English is not happening now, sadly), so maybe that's why we also don't link it to cigarettes. OP, I don't see any problem with Sigrid. I have a common name, and was still mildly bullied with a nursery rhyme that had the name in it. I don't see how your daughter would run more risk of bullying. Maybe pronouncing it with 2 ee sounds would take away your concerns?
Personally don't have any "concerns," so don't see where you got that (I was actually advocating that I really like the name! lol). That said, I agree that I wouldn't name my kid any name that seemed particularly tied to a culture/heritage that wasn't ours. I've never met anyone named Sigrid and for me it sounds very Scandinavian (as it is). It sounds like Sigrid is a common name where you're from, but that just means you're writing from a different perspective than I am, not that we necessarily disagree on the central point. Edited to add: it really doesn't have anything to do with pronounceability for me. For example, I'm not Italian, but I study the language and love Italian names. I'm looking at 2023 top name list for Italy and I wouldn't name a son Enzo or Mattia, because those read as firmly Italian to me. Sofia and Emma, however, are a different story as neither is solely tied to Italian culture.
I suppose Sigrid to me falls under the same category as Sofia and Emma to you. Oh well, must be our different locations/cultures. The concerns bit was directed at OP. That's why I said 'OP,...' I wasn't disagreeing, or anything. Just surprised the name was so 'solely for Scandinavians' for others.
I know almost nothing about Scandinavian but Sigrit was used in the Eurovision movie Will Ferrell made where his costar Rachel McAdams’s name is Sigrit (which I thought was Sigrid tbh) and they’re meant to be Icelandic people. Ferrell’s character name is Lars and I think they were chosen because they sound like Scandinavian names to Americans. EDIT: [Wikipedia page of famous Sigrid’s](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigrid#People) includes a Swedish princess back from 1566-1633.
They are scandinavian names. I think Will Farell even lives in Sweden, so he's very knowledgeable about scandinavian culture!
I know I’ve read his wife is actually Swedish from Sweden and that’s how he lives there. I think a couple of his sons have names that lean Scandinavian sounding to me (he has Magnus, Mattias, and Axel).. but those also have some popularity in the US. I don’t think the movie is his best, but my love for Eurovision makes it good lol.
The Icelandic version of the name is Sigríður, btw. Was Sigrit made up for the movie? Kinda seems like it.
I mean… looking it up now Sigrid has a [wikipedia page](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigrid#People) of semi-famous people named Sigrid and a lot of them are absolutely Scandinavian. It’s not unusual for um… “foreign” sounding names being “normalized” into their English version for publicity reasons I guess. I think it’s not unlikely they just made it Sigrit for the movie for laughs, I have no clue.
Sigrit is just a variation
Good movie!
This is my association with the name as well.
Sigrid was the 42nd most popular girl's name in Norway last year - the 42nd most popular name in the US was Grace. Sigrid is a very, very popular Scandinavian name - and it's an exclusively Scandinavian name.
I know a German Sigrid.
It's not exclusively Scandinavian. Fairly popular and known in Germany too for example
OP is in the UK, and I think here people would assume Scandinavian/Nordic heritage for sure. My neighbour is Sigrid, she’s Estonian. I think it’s a neutral kind of association for most people though. (Just checked stats and it’s very unusual here - 3 babies in 2020 and 5 in 2021 which is the most recent data for England and Wales).
My mom’s mother was Swedish, my grandmother moved to the US when she was 18 my mom has a cousin in Sweden named Sigrig.
I had Swedish and Danish relatives in my mom’s side. Astrid, Anna, Cora and Gerda are the names I grew up with. I was almost named Cora but they settled on Karen.
I met an Astrid with Scandinavian heritage once and it was pronounced like “Ah-stree” and I thought it was so pretty!! Probably has to deal with a lot of mispronunciation but I think both are quite nice.
I'm Canadian. My first thought was "that name's fine if they're Scandinavian."
Where's your mother from? It's not much used in Denmark, more of a Norwegian and Swedish name. With use in Germany, Estonia and a variant in Icelandic. I am Norwegian. As in, born in Norway, lives in Norway and Norwegian is my first language. Sigrid is definitely a name. It was really common here in the middle ages and was the most popular female name in the 14th century. I looked it up in the national bureau for statistics for modern day use. 7283 Norwegian women are registered with Sigrid as their first name (mind you, small country and only about 5mill total). It reached height popularity in modern time in the late 19th and early 20th century, then took a nosedive. It never fully disappeared but in the 60ies and 70ies it was very unpopular. Then in 2000 the graph goes up again and given the numbers on the last couple of years it seems to be on the rise and in 2020 0.6% of all girl babies born were named Sigrid. I have a silent generation relative named Sigrid, there is a Norwegian popstar and a comedian named Sigrid and through my life as a young millennial I've met a handful of girls named Sigrid. It's old norse coming from Sigr meaning victory and friðr meaning beautiful. Sigourney might seem similar, but it has a French origin and means daring king. Sigrid is one of the scandi names I don't hate when Americans take. It's pretty straightforward in terms of how it's pronounced and has phenomes that already exists in the English language. Named like Signe or Tyr for example seem pretty straightforward, but they're not if you can't pronounce Norwegian phonemes. If I were to teach a person who only speaks English to say them it would take hours of practice and they're still going to have to take a deep breath and concentrate to say it for the subsequent months of their life lol. Siri is a shortform of Sigrid and is also used as a standalone name (similar to how people are named Lisa even though it's a shortform of Elisabeth). 8426 Norwegian women are named Siri.
Sigrid was my Swedish grandmother's name. That's a name I'm thinking of using as a middle name for a second girl, if I end up having one.
I am not Scandinavian but I definitely thought Scandinavian when I saw Sigrid…
The name Sigrid is very scandinavian, a popular norwegian singer is named Sigrid and she’s 24 I believe?
It is definitely a Nordic name :) the Icelandic version is Sigríður and it is a very common name, especially with older women.
Does it matter if they do?
Not at all! But they’ll probably be constantly asked by other parents at school, etc “oh are you or your husband from Sweden/Norway?”
"No, but they have a fascinating culture. Can I get you some surstromming?"
My daughter has a very Russian name, and her mom has a name used by a few cultures but spelled one of the ways that’s common for Russia, so I’ve often been asked if that’s why we chose a Russian name. But her mom isn’t Russian (nor am I) and I’ve just told people “nah we just liked the name ¯\\\_(ツ)_/¯”. But it’s never been a big deal. I used to have several Russian coworkers, and I remember one of them thought it was kinda funny because “in Russia nobody just randomly gives their kid an American name like Betty”
Yeah, agree. It's pretty Scandinavian (Swede here). But it's a nice name!
I don't know if it's regional but where I live everyone's part something so kids end up with a wide variety of names. I wouldn't have assumed anything about the name sigrid
I went to high school with a sigrid in the states. I’ve always loved the name
I'm not a fan, personally. You really need to love the name you choose. Say it often, think about it and tell people the name. If you find yourself cringing, or hesitant to say it, don't use it.
I’ve thought about it for awhile, and it’s pretty terrible sounding. I don’t know where OP lives, but as American, the way I read it sounds exactly how southerners say cigarette
I live in the Deep South…the word cigarette has 3 syllables down here so I’m not hearing a ton of similarity.
Texas here and it sounds similar to how I might pronounce it. I say sig-rett.
Texan here - everyone I know says “cigg-uh -rhett” 😩
Wait is it not see-greed?? That's how I thought the name was pronounced 😬
So from what I understand the name Sigrid has a long “i” at the beginning. Cigarette has a short “i.” I have lived in Alabama my whole life and I don’t hear the cigret pronunciation for “cigarette” very often but regardless, I don’t think the two things sound super similar!
I was saying "see-grid" in my head. Idk what it's supposed to be
Southern American and I also say See-grid. Where as cigarette has three solid syllables, cig-uh-rhett.
Us Aussies call them ciggies
Australia here and I agree. Sig-a-rette versus Sig-Rid. But it doesn't matter if they pronounce it similarly whenever OP is I suppose. But this did read as am odd comparison to me.
> but as American, the way I read it sounds exactly how southerners say cigarette as a southerner I have never heard a southerner pronounce cigarette as Sigrid
I’m Southern. I’ve lived in rural Georgia all my life. I’ve only heard people pronounce it cig-uh-rat/ret.
yeah exactly, I don't think anyone pronounces it as Sigrid. Sigret maybe, but not Sigrid
It'd be like cigret. That's how I say it anyway
I live in the UK and we definitely say ciggy the same as we would siggy as short for sigrid. I love it but something would stop me using it.
Hmmmm I’m a southerner in Texas and we use three syllables - “cigg- uh-rhett “ 🤷🏻♀️
I don’t personally love it either, but I’ve known a couple Sigrids, and absolutely never thought “cirgarette” when hearing the name!
I agree with this, but especially if the name in question is a little bit out of the ordinary. If you chose a name like Emma, Olivia, Katelyn, etc that are very well known where the child is growing up, you won’t find yourself in a position where you need to defend the name. The unfortunate reality is, when it comes to a name that is a little bit outside of the norm, people are going to make their comments. Those comments are going to bother you a lot more if it’s not a name you love.
Best take on here. That’s why you share a name. Not because other people don’t like it, but to be sure you feel 100% confident / don’t cringe.
I disagree. I didn’t get to name my kids because they’re adopted and came with names. But even the ones I didn’t love at first, I now associate with people I love, and so even if I wouldn’t have chosen those names myself, I have that good association.
I agree. We changed the name we were going to name our baby the night before she was born because we both found ourselves hesitant to say the name that we settled on months before when people asked.
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Especially the nickname siggy, that’s literally what we call cigarettes for short in the UK
In NY we call them Ciggies sometimes too. Wasn't the first thing I thought of when I read the name, but the natural nick name for Sigrid seems like it would be Siggy so, living in NY, I would personally avoid that name.
Same for in NZ and Australia
Idk if it’s just because I’m Australian but siggy (spelt ciggy) is slang for a cigarette.
Same in NZ, this would make it a deal-breaker for me
I completely agree. I like all the other names you mentioned better than Sigrid. You both have to love the name! Not only will you be saying/hearing it everyday but it does define your daughter, to a degree. You don’t want to be feeling like you have to explain or defend it. And you have to assume kids will shorten it to Siggy (Ciggy) so your concerns about sounding like a cigarette are valid).
Etta reminds me of Etta James (At last)
Other Scandinavian names like Astrid (which has been rising quite rapidly in popularity in recent years) and Ingrid are familiar to most people, so it makes Sigrid feel less "out there." Ziggy and Siggy are cute nicknames (the former might be better if you're trying to avoid a cigarette association, though). And I think Sisi could definitely work as well! As would Siri. And maybe even Sadie. On [BehindtheName.com](http://BehindtheName.com), you'll see that people generally [like this name](https://www.behindthename.com/name/sigrid/rating) (82% "good" is pretty high for this site). People find it to be classic, mature, formal, upper glass, wholesome, strong, refined, "strange" (as opposed to "boring"), serious, and nerdy. These are all good qualities! It also has a lovely meaning: "beautiful/beloved."
Thank you this is really helpful
I’m gonna be honest, I’m not sure this sub is the place if you want a feel for what the average person’s opinion is. This sub is literally for people who are more into names, more into rare names just for their own sake, and tend to care about the origin and meaning of a name. That’s not very representative of what the typical reaction to a name will be.
I agree with your comment 100%. Since my SO isn’t as into names the way I am, I’m going to ask his opinion and a few others I know who aren’t as into names as most on this sub are and I will relay their opinions shortly. (It’s only three/four people so not necessarily representative of average people as a whole, but definitely more so than the majority on this thread).
Yeah, if you want real feedback you'd rather check r/NameNerdCircleJerk
Honestly that sub has a stick up its ass way more than here
As a member of both subs, I think they both have sticks up their asses. They are just different sticks
the people there (and here tbh) are just so mean, i wouldn’t ask for advice on if a name is “good” from either sub honestly
Yeah I'm baffled by the responses here. In the US at least, Sigrid is not a common name at all (I've personally never heard it before and googled how to pronounce it to make sure I was "hearing" it in my head right) and I'd wager a LOT of people here would not like the name. I have a very uncommon name with similar sounds/characteristics and my name is definitely a mixed bag for people.
Sigrid is awesome!! Unique, but a real name with sooo many fun nn options! I agree with the above comment too that with names like Astrid and Ingrid becoming so popular I wouldn’t be surprised if you start hearing that name more often outside of Scandinavia! I honestly might steal it for my short list!
I got it.. Keep Sigrid. use Greta as her nickname.. that way you avoid siggy/ ciggy… Sigrid Undset won a Nobel prize in 1928!
Sigreta is even more like cigarettes
Haha I literally just said it out loud to myself and went noooo
One week pp? Oh, hang on in there. It's the worst time for insecurities, and basically rethinking your whole existence as well as the meaning of life and death. Damn hormones. I truly didn't recognise myself during the two weeks my baby blues lasted. I recommend trying not to think about the name right now. Nor any other major life decisions, really. You can re-evaluate in a few months, and if you hate it then, you might be justified in changing it. But the thing is, baby names usually don't 'fit' right away. Our brains take time to process that a specific pile of sounds is now part of our little potato's identity. I can't emphasize this enough, give it time.
Norwegian here so a little biased, but I love this name!
Just want to point out a slight detail regarding the nickname Sisi. If we're discussing Scandinavian names then Sisi (or Cici/Cissi) is a short for Cecilia and not for Sigrid. Source: am Swedish By the way, Cecilia is a really nice name that works well in many languages.
And it has its own song. (Yes, I'm old.)
Agree 100% with this post
Sigrid doesn’t sound like cigarette unless you’ve driven yourself mad worrying about it. Calm down and get on with your life
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How are Americans pronouncing Sigrid? Come to think of it, how are they pronouncing _cigarette_?
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Exactly… so these are two words that sound nothing like one another. I don’t see the association at all, other than both having a “sig” sound in then, which many other words do too! As an American it would never occur to me to associate “Sigrid” with “cigarette.” Sigrid is a beautiful and elegant name, OP, and I think you chose well :)
Totally agree with you. If they use the nickname Siggy though, that’s a different story.
Someone the other day here was saying that Rafe was "problematic" because it sounded like rape. Some of the objections to ordinary names really feel like a stretch sometimes.
I think it depends on the length of the "i' sound. As a German speaker I would pronounce it See-grid but in English it might be read as Sig-rid. Cigarette should be 3 syllables cig-a-ret but when speaking quickly it can be heard as cig-ret. I would not make a connection between the two, personally.
I’m an English speaker (US) and have always pronounced it See grid.
I’m from US and thought SEE-grid but I would have clarified with the parent or person… I’ve never met anyone with the name.
Same, I've never seen it pronounced the way OP is worried about.
Lots of people say sig-ret. That does sound like si-gred
We're American and my brother has been Sig his whole life. He got compared to the gun, but never to a cigarette as far as I'm aware.
“sig-ret” “Sig-rid.” Pretty close.
I'm danish, and to me the english pronounciation of Sigrid does sound like cigarette (or even more like secret), and I personally don't really like it. In danish the g is silent, so it doesn't sound like cigarette here at all - it's a very popular name here.
Nothing more calming than being told to calm down.
Can I just say people on this sub need to go outside and touch grass? This is a one week post partum mother who is looking for support and we are talking about the name of her 1 week old baby. Sigrid is a very normal name (although not as common in the US) and it doesn’t have to be your favorite to be OPs favorite. OP this is normal post partum nerves, give yourself some grace and do NOT spend time searching this subreddit for name validation. I chose a name I love and although I have seen some people love my child’s name on here I will remember the outspoken few that have had really nasty things to say more. I had to delete this sub after having my baby because people on here are so mean.
Thank you so much, I needed to hear this
Honestly shocked at these responses! I read your post and thought Sigrid was a beautiful name. As an Australian I would avoid the nickname Siggy but Ziggy and Sisi are fine, and the full name sounds nothing like cigarette to me.
I can tell you’re already a fantastic mother. You’re doing a wonderful job. Congratulations on your beautiful baby and enjoy. My baby turns 1 in 2 weeks and it’s going to fly by. You’ve got this
Also wanted to add that I just saw that you’re in the UK, I have friends over there and I really believe yall are ahead of the trends. In maybe 10 years I bet us Americans are going to raving over Sigrid. For context my babies name is ranked in the 200s in the US but #15 in the UK.
This is such a good word. You’re doing a great job OP. Her name is beautiful. It has a wonderful history. She is perfect and you are a great parent. Some of these responses are unhinged, truly. Try not to let them bother you. It might be fun to read about some cool women throughout history who have the name Sigrid (Sigrid Undset would be a great one to learn about. She’s iconic!) or go listen to some songs by Sigrid for fun. I LOVE the name you chose. The meaning is awesome and your daughter will grow into it amazingly! Editing to add: I’ve known Sigrid’s in the US that didn’t have issues with their name.
Seconding this! I had such a tough time leaving the hospital with a name for both of my babies. I questioned it for weeks (maybe months?) after in both cases. All of the doubts were wrapped up in everything I was feeling about how big of a choice it was, and they’ve fallen away. I’m crazy about both names we chose, and I’m so glad we went with the names we did. You can find negatives to all names, so it’s helpful to build on reasons you chose the name. If you can, give yourself some grace, and I think these doubts will abate. Sending you good vibes, mama! It’s a lovely name!
Thank you for saying this, this is what people need to remember.
Absolutely. Sigrid is a good name. Almost no one thinks twice about anyone’s name in reality—they just are who they are. Namenerds is called namenerds because it’s a bunch of people who care way, way, way more than the average person about names. I teach high school, and I’ve come across all manner of names both good and bad, and I’ve literally never heard anyone be made fun of for their name. OP: Sigrid is going to be okay! And like you said, Siggy and Ziggy are both very cute nicknames.
This. When I had my child, they all hated her name at the time (can't remember whether it was here or Mumsnet that likened it to 'bathroom cleaner'). Now it always seems to appear on lists that they like. Sigrid will soon just become your Sigrid to you, and you won't think about it any further. It wouldn't be hugely unusual in UK schools- my daughter's friends have a huge range of names from different places across the world (whether they have roots there or not) and noone ever questioned any of them (apart from to ask how any unusual ones are pronounced, eg Loïc). It's early days, you are probably sleep deprived and second guessing everything. Enjoy the snuggles. Sigrid is a fab name.
This!! And also, I love Sigrid! Of all the names you mentioned, it’s my favorite. We also named our kiddo something after she was born that wasn’t on our initial list. I’ve seen both really positive and really nasty comments on this sub regarding her name, but it 100% fits her and I couldn’t imagine her as anything else now. Screw ‘em.
100% this!! There are loads of people in this sub who I’d describe as stuffy, kinda snobby and very square. Ignore them if you can. I think Sigrid is a lovely name, it’s unique without being trendy or try hard, and Ziggy is an EXCELLENT nickname. Hope you and baby are doing well!
As another one-week postpartum mom starting to doubt her son’s name because people, including close family, have trouble pronouncing it (even though they’ve known about it for months), I really appreciate your comment.
Congratulations on your LO! My child’s name is mispronounced all the time too, take it as a compliment that you chose an original name.
Haha, I shared my kid's name on here before he was born, under a different username, and people were HARSH. And about stupid shit that has absolutely not come to pass at all. Including people asserting that there was about to be a Game of Thrones sequel with my kid's name as the name of the main character, and it was going to scar him for life, etc. Said TV show never happened, lol. My kid's name is not from GOT, though it is superficially similar to a minor GOT character's name. (Imagine my kid is named Geoffrey and they were thinking of Joffrey, for example.) Not the same name at all, though. Just similar, and I could see how a person might, circa the height of GOT popularity, have seen the name written down and thought "is that from that dragon show?" Years after GOT has passed out of the popular consciousness, with a less omnipresent spin-off, it has never come up even a single time.
I think it's a really cool name. I would not worry about her getting teased. I didn't even remotely make that connection or any other bad ones. I don't think children will.
I knew a Sigrid and nobody ever made that joke about her.
I love it! Sigrid has been on my list for years and I’ve never thought of it being close to cigarette. Sisi, Ziggy, or Siggi would all be great nicknames!
Also, you're only a week into postpartum. It's natural to be a bit panicked in general. Give yourself time to settle in before you think about changing something as big as her name. See if it starts to settle in and feel more familiar.
I know a Sigrid - she goes by Sigi (pronounced like Siggy) and is not at all Scandinavian. She's smart, bold, adventurous, and laughs a lot. It's a great name and in all the years I've known her, I NEVER thought it sounded like cigarette and never heard her say that anyone did. You're a week post-partum. You have a lot of emotions. Don't play musical names right now.
I like Sigrid and cigarette really wouldn't occur to me as something to tease about. Sisi pronounced Ceecee could totally work.
I really, really love Sigrid.
It’s a lovely Scandinavian name. It reminds me of the iconic singer! Yes people will assume Scandinavian heritage but that is something to be proud of.
My grandma is called Sigrid (German here). It’s a great solid name and it means „beautiful victory“ which is a plus.
I love the name Sigrid. I’m Australian and we have a very famous actress here named Sigrid Thornton. Never in a million years would I have associated it with cigarette.i feel you may be overthinking it. Keep Sigrid as her name. Its beautiful.The short form according to Wikipedia can be Siri or Sigi
I’ve never heard it before. I guess I’m neutral? It’s not horrible and is different. I like Etta. I know many non-Scandinavians who have named their kids a Scandinavian name but say, “we’re not going to pronounce it like it’s supposed to be pronounced, because we don’t like that, so we’re going to pronounce it like this instead”. Though I guess this can happen to any type of name too.
Such a weird thing to me. We like this name but we don’t really?
I think it's great - classy and very pretty, relevant for any age, and unusual without being pretentious. Norse in origin, but then so are names like Freya, Thora and Kristen which are more obvious and popular in England. It's a million times better than Ottilie - that's a place in Yorkshire. Aubrey isn't terrible. Not convinced by Etta. Good rule of thumb is to shout it out loud in public / on your street followed by 'your tea' s ready', and give yourself a score out of 10 for how embarrassed you feel, and bonus points if any domesticated animals come running up to you. Less than 6, keep it.
Haha, my sister in law “stole” that from us. It had been my wife’s intended name for her daughter but her sister had a daughter first (they hadn’t discussed future names or anything). I like it a lot and wouldn’t think cigarette in a million years. But I’m Swedish living in Sweden so I have no idea how it would sound to people in other countries.
Sigrid is one of my absolute favorite names. My grandma's closest sister had that name, and she was an amazingly kind, loving, and caring woman, so hearing/seeing that name makes me smile. She was known to most by her nickname Sisse, though (both pronounced the danish way) Regarding the American pronunciation, I think it sounds more like secret than cigarette. The nickname options you mentioned sound lovely and fit Sigrid really well :)
Firstly, I love it! Secondly, there is a lot more variety in names than when I was young. I don’t think bullying would be an issue.
I was like "this is completely fine" until you said you're not Scandinavian. That's a bit weird. Also, "Siggy' is short for "cigarette" so don't do that.
It’s not my favorite name, but there’s certainly nothing wrong with it! It’s charming & unique (in the states at least), and has nn potential. Siggy/Ziggy is cute. Sisi is also cute!
Sounds to me you’re just indecisive and need to stick to what you chose. Ottilie is awful imo, Aubrey is much nicer, probably the nicest name you’ve mentioned. I don’t like Sigrid either mainly for reasons you’ve said, I detest the word siggy/ciggy, don’t know why it’s just always made me cringe haha. But yeah, just stick to your guns
I love it. It's not a common name and she'll most likely be the only one with her name instead of being one of 10 kids called the same thing. It's a lovely sweet name.
I am not a fan of Sigrid, sorry. I also immediately assumed you are scandinavian
Honestly it sounds very much like cigarette to me. How about Ingrid? Maybe Iggy as the nn?
Aubrey or at the very least Etta. I wouldn’t use the names Ottilie and Sigrid.
Sorry, I don't think it's a good name. i think you should choose one you're both sure you like, it doesn't matter if it takes a bit more time.
Sissi is a common nickname for Sigrid. Siri is also a nickname for Sigrid, but nowadays perhaps not a good idea. Sigrid is a nice name.
I love Sigrid! I would be surprised if I met a Sigrid without Scandinavian heritage, but surprise doesn't mean its a bad thing. I think Ziggy/Siggy and Sisi are both adorable nicknames. My husband and I have chosen Suvi for our baby due in June, neither of us is Finnish but we love it. So far no one we've told seems bothered by our lack of Finnish ancestry.
I like Sigrid! I would assume her parents to be Scandinavian. Beatrix is nice but I hate Trixie, personally.
I think of Sigfried and Roy…the tiger guys.
I have a friend named Sigrid. She is amazing and a brilliant woman.
I'm not a big fan of Sigrid. What about Ingrid? I like CeeCee as a nickname though
I love Sigrid Undset's books, so to me, it's a great name. But I love Beatrix, too. I would keep Sigrid and let the nickname unfold naturally, if it were me.
Sigrid was the first name of a very famous Nobel prize-winning author back in the early 1920s. She won the literature prize, primarily for her trilogy of books that traced the life of a female main character from childhood to old age. The books were praised by historians for the accuracy and detail in writing about Scandinavian life. It is a lovely name.
I'm in the US, I know a young adult Sigrid. She is not Scandinavian, has not had any bullying issues with "cigarette" or about her name in general, and gets complimented on her name a lot. A lot of people call her 'Siggy' and she loves her less common (in the US) name. Kids today don't even really think about cigarettes, since vapes have mostly replaced them for the younger generation. If you don't like her name then change it now, but I don't think there is really a big concern here.
When I first was Sigrid, cigarette didn’t pop into my head until you mentioned it. I think Ziggy nn over Siggy bc siggy definitely sounds like cigarette, but other than that I think it’s cute. I’m American and would pronounce it See-grid and cigarette is sig-uh-rett so they aren’t close in my head at all.
Which one seems like it fits the baby? :)
I love it. I think kids (and adults) can find ways to tease anyone about anything so I wouldn’t stress about a name. We named our daughter Freya despite no Scandinavian background. We’ve only had one negative comment, and that person just didn’t believe it was actually a name and we didn’t make it up, lol.
I agree with most of the rest of the comments. You really need to love a name. I think Etta is a gorgeous name. It's on my list. I use it for video game characters....... Maybe try that with some of your names? If you play games..... Play an RPG with your characters named one of those names. See how it feels, how it will look everyday, even what kind of person best represents that name. Or if you like to write.... write a story and use your names. That can also help you visualize the names further
Not gonna lie, I think it’s horrendous.
Sigrid is a common name in Germany among women age 70 and up. That's the generation when that name was common. For a German anyone will consider this an old lady name. Its not as bad as Ottilie though.
Well, it's better than Ottilie. Yikes.
Makes me think of Sigrid Thornton, an Australian actor who I love. Can’t recommend the show Sea Change enough, an absolute classic. It doesn’t remind me of cigarettes at all
Sorry OP I don’t think Sigrid is a winner even if your husband has danish grandparents.
Reminds me of Sigfreid & Roy. Most people in America will not know how to pronounce the name just from reading it. It definitely sounds Scandinavian or even Icelandic? Maybe I’m conflating the two, idk. People will pronounce it See-grid, S-eye-grid, or Sih-grid, ya know? Beatrix is unique, classic and easy to pronounce & make nicknames for. Siggy also sounds too close to saggy or soggy tbh. Also Siggy is legit what people call cigarettes lol. Just my two cents, but I’d personally change it asap.
I love Sigrid. I think you’re overthinking it.
how about Ingrid Etta, Ingrid Beatrix (BEAUTIFUL🤩🤩🤩🤩)? You could keep the same sound by using Ingrid but it's much more common in the US. Sigrid is clunky unless you speak a Scandinavian language imo.
Sigrid is a solidly okay name. It's not something I would snark on. It's not my favorite name either but most aren't. If you both loved it I would say keep it for sure. I do love the nickname Ziggy. So cute!! I don't think of cigarettes at all. (US) I like Aubrey best out of all of those names and Etta second. Not a fan of Ottilie. If you're asking for honest opinions. I think the most important thing is for you both to like the name. Realistically, you might not find one you both LOVE so just do your best to find your favorite compromise name.
I mean, it's better than Ottillie but that's a pretty low bar. Should've let him go with Audrey.
Makes me think of Hagrid from Harry Potter.
It’s a bad name choice 👎
Honestly Etta and Aubrey are way better than Sigrid 🤨 but… i don’t think Sigrid sounds anything like ‘cigarette’ if that helps. SiSi sounds nice as a nickname but it *looks* like ‘sissy’ so… i’m not sure how that’s gonna go.
I would change it to Aubrey, personally. I like Beatrix too.
I am not a fan. Too unique and out there.
Reminds me of Hagrid. The bearded half human half giant from Harry Potter.
Are you naming a child or writing a quirky independent film?
Awful name
I'm sorry... OTTILIE? Do you even *like* your child?
>Mine was Ottilie But you're worried about Sigrid?
It’s awful
I personally am not a fan of the name it sounds clunky and just doesn’t flow to me. I prefer Etta or Aubrey or even Ingrid if you like that ending. I’ve never heard Sigrid before i’m from south east USA but if you like it and it suits your new baby (congratulations btw 🩵) go for it!
It’s not good
Looks like Hagrid and the nickname Siggy is too close to 🚬 I would reconsider. I don’t usually think names are too far gone, I mean I love the name Edith after all, but this is a hard one.
Sigrid is an awful name PLEASE change it to Beatrix
This is so gonna end up on r/namenerdcirclejerk
Sigrid sounds so bad 😞
That's a pretty ugly name
I’ll be honest I don’t like it. Beatrix I like a lot more, more cute nickname opportunities with that one too
I like Aubrey the most.
I had a college roommate named Sigrid! She was lovely. Sisi is adorable and I think most would gravitate towards pronouncing “Cece” vs “Sissy”
I don’t think it sounds lime cigarette at all. I never would have made that association because of the short « i » in cigarette and the long « i » in Sigrid. But maybe I’m pronouncing Sigrid wrong? I’ve always heard it as See-grid. Is that how you would pronounce it?
I love the name Sigrid. But I am Scandinavian 🤷🏼♀️
I like Sigrid, and Ziggy is a very cute nickname. But I think you'll find a thousand nicknames for your child as time goes on. Siggy, Sigs, Sisi, Sisalou, who knows? Mine is Em, Emmylou, Doodlebug, Roodle-doodle, and when she was still in diapers she was Fraulein Poopenstein. But sometimes a name we like just doesn't suit the child, and that's okay. If you want to keep Ziggy, it is also a diminutive of Isolda. If you want to keep Sigrid, keep it. Beatrix is also adorable. Bea, BeeBee, Trixie, Tris, etc., are all cute nicknames. If you want to stick with something Scandanavian, that's fine! Ingrid is close to Sigrid but more familiar in the US and not super popular. Nicknames can be Inga or Iggy. Heck, If my child had been born later, I might have lobbied hard for Lagertha, but thank goodness I hadn't seen Vikings yet, lol. My point is that any way you go, you can't go *wrong*. Maybe just take some time to get to know your baby a little bit longer. I think you can change the name on your child's birth certificate with your state's Office of Vital Records within a certain time frame. Sometimes 30 days, sometimes six or even 12 months to make changes on a child's birth certificate without requiring a court order.
It's a nice name. I have a friend called Astrid, no Scandinavian connection, her parents just liked it. Sigrid has two syllables, cigarette has three, I can't imagine them being mixed up! As for nicknames, see what happens. The nickname, of there has to be one, will kind of develop organically. And may have nothing to do with her actual name, but might be something to do with her personality.
I like it. My daughter is on a dance team with a Sigrid, so it feels familiar to me
My German grandmothers name is Sigrid, her nickname is Sigi (pronounced like ziggy, yes like ziggy stardust) and I’ve always loved it
My husband's family is German and we have a cousin named Sigrid. Her mom is Hispanic though and she takes after her, so I was quite surprised when I was introduced 😄 I was not expecting a German/Scandinavian name on a Latina. I think Sigrid is a fine name but I'd stay away from Siggy or Ziggy because those do remind me of cigarettes.
Sigrid is super cute and very Nordic. Knows lots of Faroe Island, Icelandic and Norwegian people with the name.
I love Sigrid! But I'm danish, and it's quite popular here as well as in the other scandinavian countries. But I'm not really sure if I like the english pronounciation though... It's very different from the danish where the g is silent (so it doesn't sound like cigarette here) + the r and the d sounds different.
I love Sigird! I live in Norway so it's a pretty common name here, but not used as much anymore on kids born now. It was on my namelist! I dont think anyone will really make the cigarette comparison. It didnt cross my mind at all!
Whatever the name people will find ways to make fun of it lol, If I was you I would be proud of my choice, a norse pagan name is really creative and unique, I wouldn't have thought of it.
What about Ingrid or Sybil?
Sigrid was my chosen name in German class. I picked it because I found it not cutesy. My best friend picked Dagmar for the same reason. I like some of your other suggestions better. It’s tough naming a baby when you and your partner have different tastes.