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Sven

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Sven
GenderMale
Origin
Word/nameOld Norse
MeaningYoung man
young warrior
Other names
Variant form(s)Svend, Svein, Sveinn
Related namesStephen, Svenja (female form)

Sven (in Danish and Norwegian, also Svend and also in Norwegian most commonly Svein) is a Scandinavian first name which is also used in the Low Countries and German-speaking countries. The name itself is Old Norse for "young man" or "young warrior". The original spelling in Old Norse was sveinn (whence English swain, "servant boy"). The name can also be a Scandinavian variant of Stephen / Steven. Over the centuries, many northern European rulers have carried the name including Sweyn I of Denmark (Sven Gabelbart). An old legend relates the pagan king Blot-Sven ordered the execution of the Anglo-Saxon monk Saint Eskil.

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 W, Swen, but is pronounced as Sven.

The Icelandic version of Sven/Svend is Sveinn (Icelandic pronunciation: ​[ˈsveitn̥]); the Faroese version is Sveinur (Faroese pronunciation: [ˈsvaiːnʊɹ]).

Entertainment and music

Politics

Sports

Other

Fictional characters

  • Sven Vollfied, a sweeper (bounty hunter) in the manga and anime Black Cat
  • Sven Hjerson, fictional Finnish detective
  • "Svën Höek", an episode of The Ren & Stimpy Show (Swedish)
  • Sven, a member of the Voltron Lion Force (original pilot of Blue Lion). (Norwegian)
  • Sven the Berserk, a character 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" was 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 custom map, Defense of the Ancients and its sequel Dota 2
  • Sven, a pixie from Álfheim in the Witches of East End novel series by Melissa de la Cruz.
  • Sven Bømwøllen, the protagonist black sheep in a self-titled series of German computer games
  • Sven Bianchi, a character from the web-comic Questionable Content
  • Sven Dufva, a main character in the poem "Sven Dufva" of The Tales of Ensign Stål, written by J. L. Runeberg
  • Sven Cal Payang, a character in the anime Mobile Suit Gundam SEED C.E. 73: Stargazer
  • Sven "The Governator", a character in the movie Cars voiced by Jess Harnell
  • Sven, a Nintendo character from the game Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia
  • 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 who plays a role in Skyrim
  • Sven and Ole, a character in a type of joke told by Scandinavian-Americans
  • Sven Joergenson, Sven Pilson and Sven Johansson. The three Swedish architects from the series How I Met Your Mother

See also

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