# How do you spell this Swedish name in English?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-spell-this-swedish-name-in-english/462047>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 4, 2008, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-spell-this-swedish-name-in-english/462047 "2008-09-04T20:34:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-spell-this-swedish-name-in-english/462047/1 "2008-09-04T20:34:14Z")

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I’ve lost touch with good friend of mine from college. Being from Sweden, his name wasn’t Americanized so I haven’t been successful at guessing. Frithioff…Fritteof…Fritheaoff…Frrrihhawalawalabingbang…

It was, phonetically(ish) _Frith ee off_. Or maybe _Frit tea ouff_. Is this a common last name? Any help?

Thanks,

Rhythm

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**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-spell-this-swedish-name-in-english/462047/2 "2008-09-04T20:38:28Z")

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I used to have a German colleague with the first name _Frithjof_. I believe I’ve also seen Swedish people named that, or possibly _Fritjof_. Either way, I’m quite sure it’s spelled one of these two ways.

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**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-spell-this-swedish-name-in-english/462047/3 "2008-09-04T20:53:47Z")

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I’m still in touch with **Montfort** who spent extensive time in Sweeden. I’ll forward the question to him.

Zev Steinhardt

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**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-spell-this-swedish-name-in-english/462047/4 "2008-09-04T20:53:49Z")

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Crazy Swedes and their **J** s.

Thanks!

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**Author:** ![WF\_Tomba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d9b06d/32.png) [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-spell-this-swedish-name-in-english/462047/5 "2008-09-04T20:56:48Z")

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> [@Rhythmdvl](#):
>
> I’ve lost touch with good friend of mine from college. Being from Sweden, his name wasn’t Americanized so I haven’t been successful at guessing. Frithioff…Fritteof…Fritheaoff…Frrrihhawalawalabingbang…
> 
> It was, phonetically(ish) _Frith ee off_. Or maybe _Frit tea ouff_. Is this a common last name? Any help?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Rhythm

Are Swedish names spelled differently in English than in Swedish? I thought all the special Swedish characters were generally available in English character sets.

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**Author:** ![Sofis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Sofis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofis)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-spell-this-swedish-name-in-english/462047/6 "2008-09-04T21:19:40Z")

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**Fritiof** or **Fritjof** would be the spelling, with the first being the more common. A pretty unusual and old-fashioned name either way, with about 2000 bearers in total, of which only about 200 are using it as their first name.

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**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-spell-this-swedish-name-in-english/462047/7 "2008-09-04T21:21:25Z")

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> [@WF\_Tomba](#):
>
> Are Swedish names spelled differently in English than in Swedish? I thought all the special Swedish characters were generally available in English character sets.

Sure… but I’d never written it out before, so wasn’t making progress on the sounds. I also figured it could be like trying to spell Worcester (pronounced Woostah).