Kjell

{{for|the letter proposed for use in Norwegian|Typisk norsk#Kjell}} {{Infobox given name |name = Kjell |image = KjellMagneBondevik.JPG |caption = Kjell Magne Bondevik, former prime minister of Norway |pronunciation = {{IPA|sv|ˈɕɛlː|lang}} |gender = Male |meaning = Kettle, cauldron or helmet |region = Norway; Sweden; Finland (Kjell) Denmark (Kjeld) |language = Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish including variants |origin = Old Norse ''ketill'' |alternative spelling = Kjella (female) |variant forms = Kjeld, Keld, Kell, Kjell, Kield (Danish) |related names = Keld, Ketil, Ketill, Kittel, Kittil, Kjeld, Kjetil, Kjetill |name day = Norway (11 July) Denmark; Sweden (8 July) Finland (8 June) |popularity = In Norway (2012) Kjell: 29223 men; ranked #6 Kjeld: <200 men }} '''Kjell''' is a Scandinavian usually male given name. In Denmark, the cognate is '''Kjeld''' or '''Keld'''. The name comes from the Old Norse word ''kętill'', which means "kettle" and probably also "helmet" or perhaps "cauldron". Examples of old spellings or forms are ''Ketill'' (Old Norse), ''Kjætil'' (Old Swedish) and ''Ketil'' (Old Danish).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.behindthename.com/name/kjell|title=View Name: Kjell|publisher=behindthename.com|access-date=19 December 2007}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=October 2019|reason=amateur source giving no sources in its turn}} An equally likely meaning is a source, a hope that the boy will get ample resources to draw upon later in life.

Kjell has a name day on July 11 in Norway and July 8 in Sweden, and in Denmark with the variant ''Kjeld''.

== Prevalence == In 2007, there were 59,011 men in Sweden with "Kjell" as their first name, making it the 42nd most common masculine name in Sweden.<ref>[http://www.scb.se/Pages/TableAndChart____31057.aspx Statistics Sweden website]</ref> In Swedish and Norwegian it is pronounced with the voiceless alveolo-palatal sibilant fricative [ɕ]. There were 30,809 men in Norway with "Kjell" as their first name. This makes it the 5th most common masculine name in Norway.<ref>[https://www.ssb.no/emner/00/navn/ Statistics Norway website]</ref> In Denmark, 8079 men were called "Kjeld" and 5491 "Keld".<ref>[http://www.dst.dk/Statistik/Navne/HvorMange.aspx Statistics Denmark website]</ref> In Finland, the number of men called Kjell in 2008 was 1405.<ref>[http://192.49.222.187/Nimipalvelu/default.asp?L=3 Population Register Centre] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101028114504/http://192.49.222.187/Nimipalvelu/default.asp?L=3|date=2010-10-28}}</ref>

The name began to be widely used in the 1600s when it took over from the older name form ''Kætil'' or ''Ketill'', which were also precursors of the name Kjetil, and a loan from Latin ''catillus'', which is the diminutive of ''catinus'' (= barrel, bowl). ''Kætil/Ketill'' was probably one of the most common male names in Old Norse times. In Landnámabók, it is the male name that occurs most often - even more frequently than the most widely used compositions with ''Tor-''. There are 44 found runic inscriptions from the Viking era that contain the name ''Kætill'', which is why it is the 13th most used male name in this material. Five of the inscriptions are found in Denmark and three in Norway, most others have unknown sites. The name was most often written with runes like ᚲᛖᛏᛁᛚ (''ketil''), ᚲᛁᛏᛁᛚ (''kitil'') or ᚲᚨᛏᛁᛚ (''katil'').<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sofi.se/servlet/GetDoc?meta_id=1472|title=Nordiskt runnamnslexikon|date=February 2002|language=Swedish|trans-title=Nordic runic dictionary|access-date=2018-11-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110225031159/http://www.sofi.se/servlet/GetDoc?meta_id=1472|archive-date=2011-02-25}}</ref>

In Denmark the name appears in many village (''torp'') names, so there are nearly 20 places named Kelstrup or Kjelstrup. However, the name does not appear in compositions with ''-lev'', and it can only be explained that it was not used at the time when ''-lev'' names were formed. Consequently, we can date the period when ''Kætil/Ketill'' was used as a name, at the time between the end of the Migration Period and the beginning of the Viking Age. But the reason that the name gained such tremendous prevalence within a few centuries, we do not know.<ref>Kristian Hald: ''Personnavne i Danmark – oldtiden'' (s. 63), Dansk historisk fællesforenings håndbøger, København 1974</ref>

The name ''Kjell'' is known in Norway from the 1400s. In recent times, the name was widely used in the 1940s and 50s, but is now rarely used for newborn boys.

{| border=0 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=0 align=center |- |<timeline> ImageSize = width:auto height:150 barincrement:27 PlotArea = left:90 bottom:20 top:10 right:10 AlignBars = late DateFormat = yyyy Period = from:1 till:51 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical order:reverse ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:49 start:1 Colors = id:navn value:green legend:Kjell PlotData= color:navn width:20 bar:1700 from:end till:end shift:(-80,20) text:Ranking bar:1750 from:end till:end bar:1800 from:end till:end bar:1850 from:end till:end bar:_ from:end till:end bar:1875 from:end till:end bar:1885 from:end till:end bar:1895 from:end till:end bar:1905 from:end till:end bar:1915 from:end till:end bar:1925 from:18 till:end bar:1935 from:2 till:end bar:1945 from:3 till:end bar:1955 from:4 till:end bar:1965 from:13 till:end bar:1975 from:33 till:end bar:1985 from:end till:end bar:1995 from:end till:end bar:2005 from:end till:end </timeline> |- | align=center | Historical development of the popularity of the name Kjell in Norway.<ref name=Norway>{{cite web|publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå|title=Navnestatistikk|language=Norwegian|trans-title=Name statistics|url=https://www.ssb.no/navn/|others=Statistics for names in Norway}}</ref><ref name=DA>{{cite web|publisher=Arkivverket|title=Digitalarkivet|language=Norwegian|trans-title=Digital Archives|url=http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/|others=Census in Norway|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071027071824/http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/|archive-date=2007-10-27}}</ref> |}

In Sweden, the name was most popular in the 1940s.

{| border=0 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=0 align=center |- |<timeline> ImageSize = width:auto height:150 barincrement:27 PlotArea = left:90 bottom:20 top:10 right:10 AlignBars = late DateFormat = yyyy Period = from:1 till:51 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical order:reverse ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:49 start:1 Colors = id:navn value:green legend:Kjell PlotData= color:navn width:20 bar:1850 from:end till:end shift:(-80,20) text:Ranking bar:1915 from:end till:end bar:1925 from:23 till:end bar:1935 from:13 till:end bar:1945 from:9 till:end bar:1955 from:16 till:end bar:1965 from:42 till:end bar:1975 from:end till:end bar:1985 from:end till:end bar:1995 from:end till:end bar:2005 from:end till:end </timeline> |- | align=center | Historical development of the popularity of the name Kjell in Sweden.<ref name="Sweden">{{cite web|publisher=Statistiska centralbyrån|title=Namnsökning. Hur många heter...?|url=http://www.scb.se/sv_/Hitta-statistik/Statistik-efter-amne/Befolkning/Amnesovergripande-statistik/Namnstatistik/30903/Namnsok/|language=Swedish|trans-title=Name search. How many are called...?|others=Statistics for names in Sweden}}</ref><ref name="Sweden2">{{cite web|publisher=Allt för Föräldrar|title=Namnstatistik Sverige|url=http://svenskanamn.alltforforaldrar.se/statistik/sverige|language=Swedish|trans-title=Name statistics Sweden|others=Statistics for names in Sweden|access-date=2018-11-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120213164112/http://svenskanamn.alltforforaldrar.se/statistik/sverige|archive-date=2012-02-13|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Karin Norrman, Sven Norrman|title=Förteckning öfver svenska dopnamn upprättad af Karin och Sven Norrman tillika med en sydsvensk namnlista af A. L. Senell ock några jämförande anteckningar.|language=Swedish|trans-title=A list of Swedish baptismal given names prepared by Karin and Sven Norrman along with a Southern Swedish list of names by A. L. Senell and some comparative notes.|url=https://runeberg.org/dopnamn/|publisher=Kongl. boktryckeriet P. A. Norstedt & söner|date=1888|access-date=2015-03-25}}</ref> |}

''Kjell'' is today a common name in Norway and Sweden, and ''Kjeld'' or ''Keld'' is common in Denmark.

The following table provides a detailed overview of the popularity of the male name ''Kjell'' and its variants in some of the countries where statistics are available.<ref name=linkedin>{{cite web|publisher=Linkedin|title=Member Directory|url=https://uk.linkedin.com/directory/people-a/|others=Unofficial statistics based on Linkedin members. Replace the country code first in the link with the desired country.}}</ref><ref name="ku">{{cite web|publisher=Københavns universitet (Copenhagen University)|title=Danskernes Navne|language=Danish|trans-title=Danish names|url=http://www.danskernesnavne.navneforskning.ku.dk/personnavne.asp|others=Unofficial statistics based on the number of residents in Denmark.|access-date=2018-11-28|archive-date=2013-12-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224100321/http://www.danskernesnavne.navneforskning.ku.dk/Personnavne.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="locatemyname">{{cite web|publisher=locatemyname.com|title=Top 100 popular first names|url=http://www.locatemyname.com/top.php|others=Unofficial statistics.}}</ref><ref name="meaningofname">{{cite web|publisher=meaningofname.org|title=Meaning of names|url=http://meaningofname.org/|others=Unofficial statistics.}}</ref><ref name="Default">{{cite web|publisher=top-most-popular-baby-names.com|title=Top Most Popular Baby Names|url=http://www.top-most-popular-baby-names.com/|others=Unofficial statistics.}}</ref><ref name="Default2">{{cite web|publisher=studentsoftheworld.info|title=Students of the World - Statistics|url=http://www.studentsoftheworld.info/menu_penpals.php|others=Unofficial statistics.}}</ref><ref name="Default3">{{cite web|publisher=meilleursprenoms.com|title=Prénoms du monde|language=French|trans-title=First names of the world|url=http://meilleursprenoms.com/site/PrenomsAilleurs/PrenomsAilleurs.htm|others=Unofficial statistics.}}</ref><ref name="Default4">{{cite web|publisher=nejms.com|title=Human name search engine and statistics|url=http://www.nejms.com/|others=Unofficial statistics.|access-date=2018-11-28|archive-date=2021-10-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010181357/https://www.nejms.com/|url-status=dead}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" ! rowspan="2" | Country !! rowspan="2" | Variant !! colspan="3" | Among the country's population !! colspan="4" | Among newborns |- ! Number !! Percent !! Ranking !! Number !! Percent !! Ranking |- | Norway<ref name="Norway"/> || Kjell || {{formatnum:28834}} (2012) || {{formatnum:1}}% || 6 || {{formatnum:10}} (2006) || {{formatnum:0.03}}% || 308 |- | Sweden<ref name="Sweden"/> || Kjell || {{formatnum:33420}} (2010) || {{formatnum:0.7}}% || 32 || || || |- | Norway<ref name="Norway"/> || Kjetil || {{formatnum:10247}} (2012) || {{formatnum:0.4}}% || 53 || {{formatnum:9}} (2006) || {{formatnum:0.03}}% || 325 |- | Denmark<ref name="Denmark">{{cite web|publisher=Danmarks Statistik|title=Navne|language=Danish|trans-title=Names|url=https://www.dst.dk/Statistik/Navne.aspx|others=Statistics for names in Denmark}}</ref> || Kjeld || {{formatnum:7275}} (2013) || {{formatnum:0.3}}% || ca. 131 || || || |- | Denmark<ref name="Denmark"/> || Keld || {{formatnum:5197}} (2013) || {{formatnum:0.2}}% || ca. 153 || || || |- | Norway<ref name="Norway"/> || Ketil || {{formatnum:2578}} (2012) || {{formatnum:0.10}}% || 194 || || || |- | Germany<ref name="Germany">{{cite web|publisher=Knud Bielefeld|title=Vornamens-Hitlisten|language=German|trans-title=List of first names|url=http://www.beliebte-vornamen.de/beliebte.htm|others=Statistics for German first names|access-date=2018-11-28|archive-date=2008-02-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080221190159/http://www.beliebte-vornamen.de/beliebte.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> || Kjell || || || || (2012) || || 253 |- | Finland<ref name="Finland">{{cite web|publisher=Befolkningsregistercentralen|title=Namntjänst|language=Swedish|trans-title=Name services|url=http://192.49.222.187/Nimipalvelu/default.asp?L=2|others=Statistics for names in Finland|access-date=2018-11-28|archive-url=https://archive.today/20061009014117/http://192.49.222.187/Nimipalvelu/default.asp?L=2|archive-date=2006-10-09|url-status=dead}}</ref> || Kjell || {{formatnum:1451}} || {{formatnum:0.05}}% || ca. 272 || || || |- | Iceland<ref name="Iceland">{{cite web|publisher=Hagstofa Íslands|title=Nöfn í þjóðskrá|language=Icelandic|trans-title=Names in the National Register|url=http://www.hagstofa.is/?PageID=38|others=Statistics for names in Iceland}}</ref> || Ketill || {{formatnum:50}} (2012) || {{formatnum:0.03}}% || ca. 352 || || || |- | Denmark<ref name="Denmark"/> || Kell || {{formatnum:403}} (2013) || {{formatnum:0.01}}% || ca. 492 || || || |- | Netherlands<ref name="Netherlands">{{cite web|publisher=Sociale Verzekeringsbank|title=Kindernamen top 20|language=Dutch|trans-title=Top 20 children's names|url=http://www.svb.nl/internet/nl/regelingen/kinderbijslag/kindernamen/index.jsp|others=Statistics for names in the Netherlands}}</ref> || Kjeld || || || || {{formatnum:22}} (2012) || {{formatnum:0.02}}% || 591 |- | Faroe Islands<ref name="Faroe Islands">{{cite web|publisher=Hagstova Føroya|title=Íbúgvaviðurskifti og val|language=Faroese|trans-title=Population and choice|url=http://www.hagstova.fo/portal/page/portal/HAGSTOVAN/Hagstova_Foroya/Hagtalsgrunnur/ibugvav_val|others=Statistics for names in the Faroe Islands|access-date=2018-11-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113143448/http://www.hagstova.fo/portal/page/portal/HAGSTOVAN/Hagstova_Foroya/Hagtalsgrunnur/ibugvav_val|archive-date=2013-11-13|url-status=dead}}</ref> || Kjell || {{formatnum:6}} (2006) || {{formatnum:0.01}}% || 670 || || || |- | Faroe Islands<ref name="Faroe Islands"/> || Kjeld || {{formatnum:6}} (2006) || {{formatnum:0.01}}% || 670 || || || |- | Denmark<ref name="Denmark"/> || Kjell || {{formatnum:197}} (2013) || {{formatnum:0.007}}% || ca. 683 || || || |- | Netherlands<ref name="Netherlands"/> || Kjell || || || || {{formatnum:18}} (2012) || {{formatnum:0.02}}% || 695 |- | Denmark<ref name="Denmark"/> || Ketil || {{formatnum:129}} (2013) || {{formatnum:0.005}}% || ca. 828 || || || |}

== Name compositions == ''Kjell'' is found in many name compositions, both of the old date, written in one word, or in new ones, which are written in two words.

*Female names: Kjellaug, Kjellrun, Kjellfrid, Audkjell, Kjella, Kjellbjørg *Male names: Torkel, Arnkjell, Askjell, Finnkjell, Grimkjell, Hallkjell, Kjellbjørn, Kjellfred, Torkjell :Newer: Kjell Inge, Kjell Magne, Kjell Einar osv.

''Kjell'' is also present in at least one notable Swedish surname: Kjellberg.

==People== ===A=== *Kjell Almskog (born 1941), Norwegian businessman *Kjell Anneling (born 1938), Swedish diplomat *Kjell Askildsen (1929–2021), Norwegian writer *Kjell Aukrust (1920–2002), Norwegian poet, author and artist

===B=== *Kjell Bækkelund (1930–2004), Norwegian classical pianist *Kjell Bäckman (1934–2019), Swedish speed skater *Kjell Berg (born 1962), Norwegian curler *Kjell Bergqvist (born 1953), Swedish actor *Kjell Bjartveit (1927–2011), Norwegian physician and politician *Kjell Bohlin (1928–2011), Norwegian politician *Kjell Bondevik (1901–1983), Norwegian politician and uncle of Kjell Magne *Kjell Magne Bondevik (born 1947), former Norwegian prime minister and nephew of Kjell *Kjell Borgen (1939–1996), Norwegian politician

===C=== *Kjell Carlström (born 1976), Finnish cyclist *Kjell Colding (1931–2009), Norwegian diplomat and politician

===D=== *Kjell Dahlin (born 1963), Swedish ice hockey player

===E=== *Kjell Elvis (born 1968), Norwegian Elvis impersonator *Kjell Engebretsen (born 1941), Norwegian politician *Kjell Eriksson (born 1953), Swedish author *Kjell Espmark (1930–2022), Swedish author

===F=== *Kjell Fjalsett (born 1952), Norwegian musician *Kjell Fjørtoft (1930–2010), Norwegian journalist and writer

===G=== *Kjell Gjerseth (1946–2025), Norwegian novelist and journalist *Kjell Grede (1936–2017), Swedish film director *Kjell Grengmark (1935–2022), Swedish curler

===H=== *Kjell Håkonsen (1935–2011), Norwegian harness racing coach *Kjell Hallbing (1934–2004), Norwegian author *Kjell Heggelund (1932–2017), Norwegian literary researcher and lecturer *Kjell Helland (born 1940), Norwegian politician *Kjell Henriksen (1938–1996), Norwegian scientist *Kjell Höglund (born 1945), Swedish singer *Kjell Holler (1925–2000), Norwegian politician *Kjell Holmström (1916–1999), Swedish bobsledder *Kjell Hovda (born 1945), Norwegian biathlete

===I=== *Kjell Isaksson (born 1948), Swedish pole vault world record holder

===J=== *Kjell Jansson (born 1959), Swedish politician *Kjell Jennstig (born 1960), Swedish musician *Kjell Johansson (disambiguation) *Kjell Jonevret (born 1962), Swedish football manager and former player

===K=== *Kjell Kaspersen (born 1939), Norwegian footballer *Kjell Kjær (1942–2025), Norwegian actor, puppeteer, director, and program host *Kjell Knudsen (1931–2022), Norwegian politician *Kjell Koserius (1943–2002), Swedish Air Force major general

===L=== *Kjell Larsson (1943–2002), Swedish politician *Kjell Eugenio Laugerud García (1930–2009), President of Guatemala *Kjell Lauri, Swedish orienteer *Kjell N. Lindgren (born 1973), US astronaut *Kjell Lönnå (1936–2022), Swedish choir leader and composer

===N=== *Kjell Nilsson (disambiguation) *Kjell Nordström (politician) (born 1949), Swedish politician *Kjell A. Nordström (born 1958), Swedish economist, writer and public speaker

===O=== *Kjell Olofsson (born 1965), Swedish footballer *Kjell Opseth (1936–2017), Norwegian politician *Kjell Oscarius (born 1943), Swedish curler *Kjell Øvergård (born 1947), Norwegian politician *Kjell Qvale (1919–2013), Norwegian-American business executive

===R=== *Kjell Risvik (1941–2021), Norwegian translator *Kjell Rodian (1942–2007), Danish cyclist *Kjell Inge Røkke (born 1958), Norwegian investor *Kjell Roos (born 1956), Swedish musician

===S=== *Kjell Samuelsson (born 1958), Swedish hockey player *Kjell Bloch Sandved (1922–2015), Norwegian author and lecturer *Kjell Scherpen (born 2000), Dutch footballer *Kjell Schneider (born 1976), German beach volleyball player *Kjell Sjöberg (1937–2013), Swedish ski jumper *Kjell Søbak (born 1957), Norwegian biathlete *Kjell-Erik Ståhl (1946–2025), Swedish long-distance runner *Kjell Storelid (born 1970), Norwegian speed skater *Kjell Stormoen (1921–2010), Norwegian actor and theatre director *Kjell Storvik (born 1930), Norwegian economist and former Governor of the Central Bank of Norway *Kjell Sundvall (born 1953), Swedish director *Kjell Svindland (1933–2025), Norwegian politician

===W=== *Kjell Westö (born 1961), Finnish author

== See also == *Kell *Ketil *Kjeld *Kjetil *HNoMS Kjell

== References == {{reflist|30em}}

== External links == *[https://www.behindthename.com/php/search.php?terms=Kjell Behind the Name: Kjell] *[http://www.thinkbabynames.com/search/1/Kjell Think Baby Names: Kjell] {{given name|Kjell|nocat}}

Category:Norwegian masculine given names Category:Masculine given names Category:Swedish masculine given names

Kjell

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