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Boy name · Old Norse

Sten

Name meaning, origin and popularity

: stone

Sten is a boy's name that comes from Old Norse and means "stone". It is used in Scandinavian.

Meaning
Stone
Origin
Old Norse
Gender
Boy
Letters
4

Meaning and origin of Sten

As a boy's name, Sten comes from Old Norse and means "stone". It is used in Scandinavian.

Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names

Sten on Nomezo lists

What our editors wrote about Sten on 3 lists.

  • “Stone; Old Norse. Used in Sweden, Denmark and Norway”

    From Nature names, earth, stone and mountain names

  • “Stone; Old Norse, short and solid as granite”

    From Strong boy names, strong Norse boy names

  • “Stone; from Old Norse steinn”

    From Viking names, viking names from animals and nature

How popular is Sten?

Recent US rank
Fewer than 5 babies in 2025
Best rank
#2,761 in 1965
10 babies that year
Babies since 1945
At least 170
Years with under 5 are not listed
1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
Babies per million US boys, by decade (the 2020s so far, to 2025). Highest in the 1960s, at 3 per million.
Babies named Sten per million US boys, by decade; highest in the 1960s
1880s0 per million
1890s0 per million
1900s0 per million
1910s0 per million
1920s0 per million
1930s0 per million
1940s0 per million
1950s1 per million
1960s3 per million
1970s2 per million
1980s1 per million
1990s1 per million
2000s0 per million
2010s0 per million
2020s0 per million

Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.

Names spelled like Sten

One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.

  • SvenBoy, young man (Old Norse, boy)
  • StefanCrown, garland (Greek, boy)
  • SeanGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
  • ShemName, renown (Hebrew, boy)
  • SherLion (Persian, boy)
  • SorenStern (Latin, boy)
  • StevenMedieval English variant of Stephen, crown (Greek, boy)
  • SweynBoy, young man (Old Norse, boy)
  • ŞanFame, glory (Turkish, unisex)

Names with a similar meaning

  • PetraRock, stone (Greek, girl)
  • PeterRock, stone (Greek, boy)
  • CoralReef stone of the sea (Greek, girl)
  • GemmaGem, precious stone (Latin, girl)
  • PeadarRock, stone (Greek, boy)
  • PedroRock, stone (Greek, boy)
  • PeioStone (Greek, boy)
  • TorstenThor's stone (Old Norse, boy)
  • AdalsteinNoble stone (Old Norse, boy)
  • ÆthelstanNoble stone (Old English, boy)

Middle names for Sten

Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.

  • AbrahamFather of many (Hebrew, boy)
  • AltonTown at a river's source (Old English, boy)
  • AnselGod helmet (Germanic, boy)
  • DarrellFrom Airelle, a place in Normandy (Old French, boy)
  • HeathMoorland (English, boy)
  • RiverFlowing river (English, unisex)
  • RowanLittle red one (Irish Gaelic, unisex)
  • WesleyWest meadow (Old English, boy)

More boy names from Old Norse

  • ErikEternal ruler (Old Norse, boy)
  • BjörnA bear (Old Norse, boy)
  • HaraldArmy ruler (Old Norse, boy)
  • HolgerIsland spear (Old Norse, boy)
  • IngolfIng's wolf (Old Norse, boy)
  • IvorYew warrior (Old Norse, boy)
  • OdinFrenzy, inspiration (Old Norse, boy)
  • RaghnallCounsel ruler (Old Norse, boy)
  • RonaldCounsel ruler (Old Norse, boy)
  • SigmundVictory protection (Old Norse, boy)

Sten: common questions

What does the name Sten mean?

Sten comes from Old Norse and means "stone".

Is Sten a boy or girl name?

Sten is mainly a boy's name.

Where does the name Sten come from?

Sten comes from Old Norse and means "stone". Today it is used in Scandinavian.

What names are similar to Sten?

Names spelled like Sten include Sven, Stefan, Sean, Shem and Sher.

What middle names go with Sten?

Middle names that flow well with Sten include Abraham, Alton, Ansel, Darrell and Heath. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.