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| Pronunciation | Swedish: [ˈsvɛ̌nː] |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Old Norse |
| Meaning | Young man young warrior |
| Other names | |
| Variant forms | Svend, Svein, Sveinn |
| Related names | Svenja (female form) |
Sven is a Scandinavian masculine first name. In Old Norse the meaning was "young man" or "servant" and the original Old Norse spelling was sveinn.[1]
Variants such as Svend are found in Danish and Norwegian.[1] Another variant, Svein is used in Norway, the Low Countries, and German-speaking countries, and is cognate with the English surname Swain.[2]
In medieval Swedish, sven or sven av vapen "sven of arms", is a term for squire.[3] The female equivalent, Svenja, though seemingly Dutch and Scandinavian, is not common anywhere outside of German-speaking countries. Sven can also be spelled with a "w" - Swen - but is pronounced as Sven.[4]
The Icelandic version is Sveinn (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈsveitn̥]); the Faroese version is Sveinur (Faroese pronunciation: [ˈsvaiːnʊɹ]).
Entertainment and music
- Sven Einar Englund (1916–1999), Finnish composer
- Sven Epiney (born 1972), Swiss television, radio host and editor
- Sven Grünberg (born 1956), Estonian synthesizer and progressive rock composer and musician
- Sven August Körling (1842–1919), Swedish composer
- Sven Lõhmus (born 1972), Estonian composer, producer and lyricist
- Sven Maes (born 1973), Belgian producer
- Sven Martin, German keyboardist and sound-director
- Sven Nordström (1801–1887), Swedish organ builder
- Sven Regener (born 1961), German musician and writer
- Sven Sachsalber (1987–2020), Italian performance artist
- Sven-Bertil Taube (1934–2022), Swedish singer and actor
- Sven Väth (born 1964), German electronic music DJ/producer
- Sven Wollter (1934–2020), Swedish actor
- Sven van Veen (DJ Sven), one half of Dutch Hip Hop duo "MC Miker G & DJ Sven"
Politics
- Sven Alkalaj (born 1948), Bosnian politician
- Sven Arrestad (1850–1942), Norwegian temperance campaigner
- Sven Aspling (912–2000), Swedish politician
- Sven Hulterström (born 1938), Swedish politician
- Sven Lehmann (born 1979), German politician
- Sven Lindgren (born 1946), Swedish politician
- Sven Otto Littorin (born 1966), Swedish politician
- Sven Mikser (born 1973), Estonian politician
- Sven Ranck (1616–1684), Swedish statesman
- Sven Romanus (1906–2005), Swedish civil servant, Minister for Justice
- Sven Rydenfelt (1911–2005), Swedish economist and political writer
- Sven Spengemann (born 1966), Canadian politician
Sports
- Sven Andrighetto (born 1993), Swiss ice hockey player (playing in NHL)
- Sven Axbom (1926–2006), Swedish footballer
- Sven Bartschi (born 1992), Swiss ice hockey player (playing in NHL Vancouver Canucks)
- Sven Bender (born 1989), German footballer (playing in Borussia Dortmund)
- Sven Butenschön (born 1976), German ice hockey player
- Sven Magnus Carlsen (born 1990), Norwegian chess Grandmaster
- Sven Coster (born 1978), Dutch sailor
- Sven Davidson (1928–2008), Swedish tennis player
- Sven-Göran Eriksson (1948–2024), Swedish football (soccer) manager
- Sven Fischer (born 1971), German biathlete
- Sven Habermann (born 1961), German-Canadian football (soccer) player
- Sven Hannawald (born 1974), German ski jumper
- Sven Kaldre (born 1991), Estonian basketball player
- Sven Kramer (born 1986), Dutch speed skater
- Sven Lindman (1942–2025), Swedish footballer
- Sven Loll (born 1964), East German judoka
- Sven Lundgren (1896–1960), Swedish athlete
- Sven Meinhardt (born 1971), German field hockey player
- Sven Mikaelsson (born 1943), Swedish alpine skier
- Sven Nylander (born 1962), Swedish hurdler
- Sven Nys (born 1976), Belgian cyclist
- Sven Ottke (born 1967), German boxer
- Sven Riederer (born 1981), Swiss athlete
- Sven Rydell (1905–1975), Swedish footballer
- Sven Schultze (born 1978), German basketball player
- Sven Thorgren (born 1994), Swedish snowboarder
- Sven Tumba (1931–2011), Swedish ice hockey player
- Sven-Ole Thorsen (born 1944), Danish actor, stuntman and athlete
- Sven Vermant (born 1973), Belgian footballer
Other
- Sven Allard (1896–1975), Swedish diplomat
- Sven Backlund (1917–1997), Swedish diplomat
- Sven Dahlvig, Swedish philatelist
- Sven Hassel (1917–2012), Danish-born soldier and writer
- Sven Hedin (1865–1952), Swedish explorer and geographer
- Sven O. Høiby (1936–2007), father of Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway
- Sven Jaschan (born 1986), German computer programmer
- Sven Lidman (clergyman) (1786-1845), Swedish priest and Orientalist
- Sven Markelius (1889–1972), Swedish architect
- Sven Nykvist (1922–2006), Swedish cinematographer
- Sven Salander (1894–1965), Swedish Army lieutenant general
Fictional characters
- Sven Hjerson, fictional Finnish detective
- "Svën Höek", an episode of The Ren & Stimpy Show
- Sven Holgersson, from the Voltron franchise
- Sven the Berserk, in the 1989 film Erik the Viking, played by Tim McInnerny
- Sven, the silent scorer sometimes appearing on the BBC radio show I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue
- "Sven from Swiss Cottage", a character used by Peter Cook when participating in radio phone-ins
- Sven – Rogue Knight, one of the many heroes featured in the custom Warcraft III map Defense of the Ancients, and its sequel Dota 2
- Sven, in the Witches of East End novel series by Melissa de la Cruz
- Sven Dufva, main character in the poem "Sven Dufva" of The Tales of Ensign Stål, written by J. L. Runeberg
- Sven Cal Bayang, from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED C.E. 73: Stargazer
- Sven "The Governator", in the movie Cars, voiced by Jess Harnell
- Sven, from the Georgia Nicolson book series by Louise Rennison
- Sven, Kristoff's pet reindeer in the movie Frozen
- Sven, the name of a puffin in Happy Feet Two
- Sven, a Nord character in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Sven and Ole, a character in a type of joke told by Scandinavian-Americans
- Sven Joergenson, Sven Pilson and Sven Johansson, from the series How I Met Your Mother
- Sven, the name of PewDiePie's pet wolf in his Minecraft YouTube series
See also
- Son
- Swain (name)
- Swen
- Sweyn, a given name
- Swanson (surname)
- Svensson (son of Sven)
- Svante (name)
- Svendborg (city in Denmark)
- Swedenborg (Svendberg – surname)
References
- ^ a b Litteraturselskab, Det Danske Sprog- og. "Dansk Navneleksikon". ordnet.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 2024-02-04.
- ^ "swain | Etymology of swain by etymonline". www.etymonline.com. Retrieved 2025-01-19.
- ^ "sven | SAOB" (in Swedish). Retrieved 2025-01-19.
- ^ "Swen - German Names - Pronunciation". www.germannames.de. Retrieved 2025-01-19.
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