Sven
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Pronunciation | Swedish: [ˈsvɛ̌nː] |
---|---|
Gender | Male |
Origin | |
Word/name | Old Norse |
Meaning | Young man young warrior |
Other names | |
Variant form(s) | 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 only in the Low Countries and German-speaking countries, and is cognate with the English surname Swain.[citation needed]
In medieval Swedish, sven or sven av vapen "sven of arms", is a term for squire. 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.[citation needed]
The Icelandic version is Sveinn (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈsveitn̥]); the Faroese version is Sveinur (Faroese pronunciation: [ˈsvaiːnʊɹ]).
Many ancient northern European rulers have carried the name, including Sweyn Forkbeard and Sven Gabelbart, died 1017. An old legend relates pagan king Blot-Sven ordered the execution of an Anglo-Saxon monk, Saint Eskil.
Entertainment and music
[edit]- Sven Einar Englund, Finnish composer
- Sven Epiney, Swiss television, radio host and editor
- Sven Grünberg, Estonian synthesizer and progressive rock composer and musician
- Sven August Körling, Swedish composer
- Sven Lõhmus, Estonian composer, producer and lyricist
- Sven Maes, Belgian producer
- Sven Martin, German keyboardist and sound-director
- Sven Regener, German musician and writer
- Sven Sachsalber, Italian performance artist
- Sven-Bertil Taube, Swedish singer and actor
- Sven Väth, German electronic music DJ/producer
- Sven Wollter, Swedish actor
- Svein Berge, Norwegian electronic musician, half of the duo Royksopp
Politics
[edit]- Sven Alkalaj, Bosnian politician
- Sven Arrestad, Norwegian temperance campaigner
- Sven Aspling, Swedish politician
- Sven Hulterström, Swedish politician
- Sven Lehmann, German politician
- Sven Lindgren, Swedish politician
- Sven Otto Littorin, Swedish politician
- Sven Mikser, Estonian politician
- Sven Ranck, Swedish statesman
- Sven Romanus, Swedish civil servant, Minister for Justice
- Sven Rydenfelt, Swedish economist and political writer
- Sveinn Björnsson, Iceland's first president
- Sven Franck, Franco-German politician (Volt)
Sports
[edit]- Sven Andrighetto, Swiss ice hockey player (playing in NHL)
- Sven Axbom, Swedish footballer
- Sven Bartschi, Swiss ice hockey player (playing in NHL Vancouver Canucks)
- Sven Bender, German footballer (playing in Borussia Dortmund)
- Sven Butenschön, German ice hockey player
- Sven Magnus Carlsen, Norwegian chess Grandmaster
- Sven Coster, Dutch sailor
- Sven Davidson, Swedish tennis player
- Sven-Göran Eriksson, Swedish football (soccer) manager
- Sven Fischer, German biathlete
- Sven Habermann, German-Canadian football (soccer) player
- Sven Hannawald, German ski jumper
- Sven Kaldre, Estonian basketball player
- Sven Kramer, Dutch speed skater
- Sven Loll, East German judoka
- Sven Lundgren, Swedish athlete
- Sven Meinhardt, German field hockey player
- Sven Mikaelsson, Swedish alpine skier
- Sven Nylander, Swedish hurdler
- Sven Nys, Belgian cyclist
- Sven Ottke, German boxer
- Sven Riederer, Swiss athlete
- Sven Rydell, Swedish footballer
- Sven Schultze, German basketball player
- Sven Thorgren, Swedish snowboarder
- Sven Tumba, Swedish ice hockey player
- Sven-Ole Thorsen, Danish actor, stuntman and athlete
- Sven Vermant, Belgian footballer
Other
[edit]- Sven Backlund (1917–1997), Swedish diplomat
- Sven Dahlvig, Swedish philatelist
- Sven Hassel, Danish-born soldier and writer
- Sven Hedin, Swedish explorer and geographer
- Sven O. Høiby, father of Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway
- Sven Jaschan, German computer programmer
- Sven Lidman (clergyman) (1786-1845), Swedish priest and Orientalist
- Sven Markelius, Swedish architect
- Sven Nykvist, Swedish cinematographer
- Sven Salander (1894–1965), Swedish Army lieutenant general
Fictional characters
[edit]- 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
[edit]- Son
- Swain (name)
- Swen
- Sweyn, a given name
- Swanson (surname)
- Svensson (son of Sven)
- Svante (name)
- Svendborg (city in Denmark)
- Swedenborg (Svendberg – surname)
References
[edit]- ^ a b Litteraturselskab, Det Danske Sprog- og. "Dansk Navneleksikon". ordnet.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 2024-02-04.