Boy name · Old Norse
Sten
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: stoneSten 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
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 1 per million |
| 1960s | 3 per million |
| 1970s | 2 per million |
| 1980s | 1 per million |
| 1990s | 1 per million |
| 2000s | 0 per million |
| 2010s | 0 per million |
| 2020s | 0 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.

