The folks who settled the Midwest also brought some naming traditions that still exert some influence even today. The earlier generations tended to carry more traditional Scandinavian and Slavic names such as Aksel, Anders, Are (pronounced ar-eh), Carl, Einar, Inge, Niels, Kiersten, Sven, and Heidi, but these names are also still used by families in this part of the country. Another name form that was adopted by more recent generations was to preserve the traditional -son surnames, like Anderson, Johnson, and Carlson, and combine them with more English-sounding given names, like Steve, Dave, or Jim. Following are a few Midwesterners with names that underscore the ethnic heritages found there:
Karen Black. The actress’s first name is a Danish form of Katherine. She’s from Park Ridge, Illinois. Walter Annenberg. The noted publisher and philantropist hails from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His German name means “powerful warrior.” Peter Graves. The Mission Impossible actor is from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Although he uses the Anglicized version of his given name, it has Swedish, Norwegian, and Dutch forms as well. Aidan Quinn. The actor’s name is the Anglicized form of the Irish name Aodhán, meaning “little fiery one.” He hails from Chicago, a city with a large Irish-American population. Carl Sandburg. The revered American poet was from Chicago. Carl is German and means “a freeman” or “peasant.”
