Girl name · Old Norse
Ylva
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: a she-wolfYlva is a girl's name that comes from Old Norse and means "a she-wolf". It is used in Scandinavian.
- Meaning
- A she-wolf
- Origin
- Old Norse
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- IL-vah
Meaning and origin of Ylva
As a girl's name, Ylva comes from Old Norse and means "a she-wolf". It is used in Scandinavian.
Say it IL-vah. Say it IL-va. In Old Norse, say ILL-vah. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Ylva on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Ylva on 3 lists.
“She-wolf; Swedish and Norwegian. Say IL-vah”
From Names that mean wolf, girl names that mean wolf
“A she-wolf; Old Norse, a favorite in Sweden. Say IL-va”
From Unique girl names, rare Norse girl names
“She-wolf; fierce, short and still used today. Say ILL-vah”
From Viking names, viking names from animals and nature
How popular is Ylva?
- Recent US rank
- Fewer than 5 babies in 2025
- Best rank
- #14,062 in 2017
- 7 babies that year
- Babies since 2017
- At least 35
- 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 | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 0 per million |
| 1970s | 0 per million |
| 1980s | 0 per million |
| 1990s | 0 per million |
| 2000s | 0 per million |
| 2010s | 1 per million |
| 2020s | 2 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | – | #14,062 | – | #17,928 | #17,438 | – | #15,245 | #15,135 | #15,212 | – |
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 Ylva
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- YaaBorn on Thursday (Akan, girl)
- YafaBeautiful, pleasant (Hebrew, girl)
- YaldaThe winter solstice festival (Syriac, girl)
- YanaGod is gracious (Hebrew, girl)
- YenaArt and graceful (depends on hanja) (Korean, girl)
- YukaGentle flower (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- YunaGentle and graceful (depends on hanja) (Korean, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- ConanLittle hound or little wolf (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- FaolánLittle wolf (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- IngolfIng's wolf (Old Norse, boy)
- MaeveShe who intoxicates (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- PhelanLittle wolf (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- RodolfoFamous wolf (Germanic, boy)
- RolfFamous wolf (Germanic, boy)
- RudolphFamous wolf (Germanic, boy)
- RudyFamous wolf (Germanic, boy)
- UlfA wolf (Old Norse, boy)
Middle names for Ylva
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- GabrielleGod is my strength (Hebrew, girl)
- HarmonyConcord, agreement (Greek, girl)
- LinneaTwinflower, a woodland flower (Swedish, girl)
- PoppyPoppy flower (Old English, girl)
- SabineSabine woman (Latin, girl)
- SimoneHe has heard (Hebrew, girl)
- VivienneAlive (Latin, girl)
- WilhelminaResolute protector (Germanic, girl)
More girl names from Old Norse
- FreyaLady, noblewoman (Old Norse, girl)
- IngaNamed for Ing, a Germanic god (Old Norse, girl)
- AstridDivinely beautiful (Old Norse, girl)
- EricaEver ruler (Old Norse, girl)
- ErikaEternal ruler (Old Norse, girl)
- GudrunGod's secret lore (Old Norse, girl)
- HelgaHoly, blessed (Old Norse, girl)
- HildBattle (Old Norse, girl)
- IngeborgIng's protection (Old Norse, girl)
- IngridIng is beautiful (Old Norse, girl)
Ylva: common questions
What does the name Ylva mean?
Ylva comes from Old Norse and means "a she-wolf".
Is Ylva a boy or girl name?
Ylva is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Ylva come from?
Ylva comes from Old Norse and means "a she-wolf". Today it is used in Scandinavian.
How do you pronounce Ylva?
Say IL-vah. Say IL-va. In Old Norse, say ILL-vah. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.
What names are similar to Ylva?
Names spelled like Ylva include Yaa, Yafa, Yalda, Yana and Yena.
What middle names go with Ylva?
Middle names that flow well with Ylva include Gabrielle, Harmony, Linnea, Poppy and Sabine. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.