Sven
Meaningyoung man · Old Norse
- US rank
- #3,583
- Syllables
- 1
- Peak
- #1,102 in 1967
31 babies were named Sven in the US in 2025. It has dropped 1,146 places in five years.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million boys, 1911–2025
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Sven you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Sven
Sven Bender
German footballer
Choose Sven and your child shares a first name with Sven Bender, a German footballer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Sven, like who?” Sven Bender's Wikipedia article is available in 45 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Sven Bender on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Михаил Масловский, CC BY-SA 3.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 55,249 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Sven, 31 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Sven would very likely be the only one.
- HistorySven first shows up in US birth records in 1911, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 114 years since.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1967, when it ranked #1,102. Today it's #3,583, so it could be due a comeback.
- TrendSven has slipped 1,146 places over the last five years and now sits at #3,583. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- MeaningIn Old Norse, Sven means “young man”.
- OriginSven is the #10 most popular Old Norse boy name in the US. That's out of 21 Old Norse boy and unisex names in our list.
About the name Sven
Sven is a boy name of Old Norse origin meaning “young man”. It has 4 letters and 1 syllable, starting with S and ending in “-ven”. US birth records list Sven for boys from 1911 to 2025, in 110 of those 115 years. Its best year was 1967, when it ranked #1,102 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #3,583, with 31 babies.
Origin:Old Norse names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 11 | 90,634 boys |
| 1920s | 7.3 | 136,240 boys |
| 1930s | 8.1 | 123,762 boys |
| 1940s | 4.3 | 233,100 boys |
| 1950s | 7.0 | 143,062 boys |
| 1960s | 16 | 63,776 boys |
| 1970s | 18 | 56,850 boys |
| 1980s | 14 | 72,833 boys |
| 1990s | 13 | 74,460 boys |
| 2000s | 14 | 73,421 boys |
| 2010s | 22 | 44,903 boys |
| 2020s | 27 | 36,630 boys |
More Old Norse boy names
- Boy name: Oliver · olive tree
- Boy name: Eric · eternal ruler
- Boy name: Ronald · ruler with counsel
- Boy name: Bjorn · bear
- Unisex name: Beck · stream
- Boy name: Leif · heir, descendant
- Boy name: Ramsay · wild garlic island
- Boy name: Olaf · ancestor's heir
Questions about the name Sven
What does the name Sven mean?
Sven means “young man” in Old Norse.
What is the origin of the name Sven?
Sven has Old Norse roots in our records. Other Old Norse names include Oliver, Eric, Ronald.
Is Sven a boy or girl name?
Sven is a boy name.
How popular is the name Sven?
Sven ranked #3,583 for US boys in 2025, given to 31 babies. Its best year was 1967 (#1,102).