Sven

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]).

• 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"

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• Son
• Swain (name)
• Swen
• Sweyn, a given name
• Swanson (surname)
• Svensson (son of Sven)
• Svante (name)
• Svendborg (city in Denmark)
• Swedenborg (Svendberg – surname)