Sven

{{Infobox given name

| name = Sven

| image =

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| pronunciation = {{IPA|sv|ˈsvɛ̌nː|lang}}

| gender = Male

| meaning = Young man
young warrior

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| language =

| origin = Old Norse

| alternative spelling =

| nickname =

| variant forms = Svend, Svein, Sveinn

| related names = Svenja (female form)

| name day =

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}}

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.

Variants such as Svend are found in Danish and Norwegian.{{cite web | last=Litteraturselskab | first=Det Danske Sprog- og | title=Dansk Navneleksikon | website=ordnet.dk | url=https://ordnet.dk/dnl/ordbog/?query=Sven | language=da | access-date=2024-02-04}} Another variant, Svein is used only in the Low Countries and German-speaking countries, and is cognate with the English surname Swain.{{Cite web |title=swain {{!}} Etymology of swain by etymonline |url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/swain#etymonline_v_22453 |access-date=2025-01-19 |website=www.etymonline.com |language=en}}

In medieval Swedish, sven or sven av vapen "sven of arms", is a term for squire.{{Cite web |title=sven {{!}} SAOB |url=https://www.saob.se/artikel/?unik=S_14945-0129.YC3s |access-date=2025-01-19 |language=sv-SE}} 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.{{Cite web |title=Swen - German Names - Pronunciation |url=https://www.germannames.de/wiki/Swen |access-date=2025-01-19 |website=www.germannames.de}}

The Icelandic version is Sveinn ({{IPA|is|ˈsveitn̥}}); the Faroese version is Sveinur ({{IPA|fo|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 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