Ålesund: Name Meaning, Origin & Popularity

At a Glance: Name: Ålesund – Meaning: the '-sund' element means 'sound/strait'; the first element is uncertain, possibly a personal name – Origin: Norwegian (Old Norse) – Gender: Unisex – Pronunciation: OH-luh-soon


Ålesund is a Norwegian (Old Norse) unisex name meaning “the '-sund' element means 'sound/strait'; the first element is uncertain, possibly a personal name”. It appears in our list of 175+ European City Baby Names With Old-World Elegance.

Meaning & Origin of Ålesund

Meaning: The '-sund' element means 'sound/strait'; the first element is uncertain, possibly a personal name.

Origin: Norwegian (Old Norse).

A common claim: Often popularly explained as 'eel sound,' from Norwegian 'ål' (eel). Actually: Place-name scholars more often trace the first element to a personal name rather than 'ål' (eel), though this remains debated.

Source: Wiktionary.

How to Pronounce Ålesund

Phonetic: OH-luh-soon

Popularity of Ålesund

Ålesund doesn’t appear in U.S. Social Security birth records, which include every name given to at least five babies in a year — so it’s rare in the U.S.

Lists That Include Ålesund

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