Leif
| Pronunciation | /ˈleɪf/ or /ˈlaɪf/ |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Scandinavian |
| Meaning | Heir, descendent |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Elof, Olaf |
Leif is a male given name of Scandinavian origin. It is derived from the Old Norse name Leifr (nominative case), meaning "heir" or "descendant".
Use in the Nordic Countries
Spelling and Prevalence
Across the Nordic countries, the most commonly occurring spelling of the name is Leif, however, there are some well-established regional variants:
Iceland – Leifur [ˈleɪfʏr̥][3]
Faroe Islands – Leivur [ˈlaɪfʊɹ][4]
In Norway, about 17,000 men have Leif as their first (or only) name.[5] In Sweden, 70,000 men have the name Leif, about 60% of them as a first name.[6] As of 2008, about 18,000 Danish men have Leif as their first name.[7] In Finland, as of 2012, 4,628 men have Leif as a first name.[8]
Although common in the Nordic countries, the name Leif has declined in use since the 1950s. Because of this, the name has become associated with an older generation throughout the region.[1][8]
Pronunciation
Because the Scandinavian languages differ in their treatment of the digraphs ⟨ei⟩ and ⟨ej⟩, the name Leif is pronounced either /ˈlaɪf/ "life" or /ˈleɪf/ "layf" in English, regardless of spelling. In Denmark, much of Norway, and the southern and western regions of the Faroe Islands the name is pronounced like the former, while in Sweden, Finland, Iceland and Western Norway it is pronounced like the latter. The only exception to this pattern is in the northern and eastern regions of the Faroe Islands where the name is pronounced something like English /ˈlɔɪf/ "loif". In no region is the name pronounced like English /ˈliːf/ "leaf", as that would be a homophone of the unrelated female name Liv/Lif.
See also
- Leif Davidsen, Danish crime fiction writer
- Leif Ericson, Norse explorer regarded as having discovered North America before Christopher Columbus
- Leif Garrett, Norwegian-American singer and actor
- Leif Ove Andsnes, Norwegian pianist and exponent of Edvard Grieg
- Leif Panduro, Danish novelist and dramatist
- Leif G. W. Persson, Swedish criminologist, whistle-blower and novelist
- Leif Segerstam, Finnish conductor and composer
- Leif Hoste, Belgian road cyclist
- Leif Shiras, American retired tennis player
- Leif Juster, Norwegian comedian, actor and singer.
- Leif Harum, Norwegian-American travel writer.
References
- ^ a b "Name Statistics". Statistics Norway.
- ^ "How many have the name". Statistics Denmark. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
- ^ "Names of males by age 1 January 2005". Statistics Iceland. 2005. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ "Population and Elections". Statistics Faroe Islands. 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ Leif - norskenavn.no
- ^ http://www.scb.se/templates/standard____31245.asp
- ^ Hvor mange hedder... - Danmarks Statistik
- ^ a b "Population Register Centre Name Service". Population Information System of Finland.
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