Boy name · Old Norse
Sven
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: boy, young manSven is a boy's name that comes from Old Norse and means "boy, young man". It is used in German, Dutch and Scandinavian.
- Meaning
- Boy, young man
- Origin
- Old Norse
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #3645 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Sven
As a boy's name, Sven comes from Old Norse and means "boy, young man". It is used in German, Dutch and Scandinavian.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Sven on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Sven on 5 lists.
“Boy, young man; Old Norse. A Viking-age classic”
From Classic boy names, classic boy names from around the world
“Kristoff's loyal, carrot-loving reindeer in Disney's Frozen (2013)”
From Reindeer names, santa's reindeer names
“Boy, young man; Old Norse, a Scandinavian classic”
From Cute boy names, cute boy names from around the world
“Boy, young man; Old Norse, long used in Germany”
From German boy names, north German boy names
“Mountain-ready and very calm”
From Goat names, boy goat names
How popular is Sven?
- US rank in 2025
- #3,645
- 31 babies, 18 per million boys
- Best rank
- #1,113 in 1967
- Most babies: 58 in 2015
- Babies since 1911
- At least 2,517
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 10 per million |
| 1920s | 7 per million |
| 1930s | 8 per million |
| 1940s | 4 per million |
| 1950s | 7 per million |
| 1960s | 15 per million |
| 1970s | 18 per million |
| 1980s | 14 per million |
| 1990s | 13 per million |
| 2000s | 14 per million |
| 2010s | 22 per million |
| 2020s | 27 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,216 | #3,187 | #2,501 | #2,520 | #2,462 | #2,854 | #2,642 | #2,535 | #2,630 | #3,645 |
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.
Other forms of Sven
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- SveinBoy, young man (Old Norse, boy)
- SweynBoy, young man (Old Norse, boy)
Names spelled like Sven
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- StenStone (Old Norse, boy)
- SeanGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
- ShemName, renown (Hebrew, boy)
- SherLion (Persian, boy)
- SorenStern (Latin, boy)
- StevenMedieval English variant of Stephen, crown (Greek, boy)
- ŞanFame, glory (Turkish, unisex)
- SemName, renown (Hebrew, boy)
- ShinTruth; trust (depends on characters) (Japanese, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- CamilaYoung religious attendant (Latin, girl)
- ColinWhelp, young dog (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- CoraMaiden, young girl (Greek, girl)
- CaileanWhelp, young dog (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- CamiloYoung religious attendant (Latin, boy)
- CollinsFrom a surname meaning descendant of Coileán, whelp, young dog (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- ColtYoung horse (Old English, boy)
- CyrusPossibly young, or humiliator of the enemy (Persian, boy)
- EgidioYoung goat (Greek, boy)
- FilizSprout, young shoot (Turkish, girl)
Middle names for Sven
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- ChristopherBearer of Christ (Greek, boy)
- CurtisCourteous (Old French, boy)
- FlorianFlourishing, blossoming (Latin, boy)
- HowellEminent, conspicuous (Welsh, boy)
- LanceLand (Germanic, boy)
- RowanLittle red one (Irish Gaelic, unisex)
- ThomasA twin (Aramaic, boy)
- 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)
Sven: common questions
What does the name Sven mean?
Sven comes from Old Norse and means "boy, young man".
Is Sven a boy or girl name?
Sven is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Sven come from?
Sven comes from Old Norse and means "boy, young man". Today it is used in German, Dutch and Scandinavian.
How popular is the name Sven?
Sven ranked #3,645 in the US in 2025, with 31 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Sven?
Forms of Sven with the same meaning and origin include Svein (Scandinavian) and Sweyn (Scandinavian).
What middle names go with Sven?
Middle names that flow well with Sven include Christopher, Curtis, Florian, Howell and Lance. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.