Sven (in Danish and Norwegian also Svend and in Norwegian also Svein) is a Nordic first name which is used throughout Scandinavia, Estonia, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, South Africa, Germany, Austria and Hungary. The name itself is Old Norse for "young man" or "young warrior". The original spelling in Old Norse was sveinn (whence Eng swain, "servant boy"). Over the centuries, many northern European rulers have carried the name including Sweyn I of Denmark (Sven Gabelbart), who established Danish rule over Norway and successfully invaded England in the year 1002. 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.
The Icelandic and Faroese version of Sven/Svend is Sveinn (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈsveitn̥]).
Entertainment and music
Sven Einar Englund, Finnish composer
Sven August Körling, Swedish composer
Sven Lõhmus, composer, Estonian producer and lyricist
Sven Maes, Belgian producer
Sven Martin, German keyboardist and sound-director
Sven Regener, German musician and writer
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
Sven Alkalaj, Bosnian politician
Sven Arrestad, Norwegian temperance campaigner
Sven Lindgren, Swedish politician
Sven Otto Littorin, Swedish Moderate Party politician and government minister
Sven Mikser, Estonian politician
Sven Ranck, Swedish statesman
Sven Rydenfelt, Swedish economist and political writer
Sveinn Björnsson, Iceland's first president
Sven-Göran Eriksson, Swedish football (soccer) manager
Sven-Ole Thorsen, Danish actor, stuntman and athlete
Sven Andrighetto, Swiss ice hockey player (playing in NHL)
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 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 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 Vermant, Belgian footballer
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)
Sven Markelius, Swedish architect
Sven Nykvist, Swedish cinematographer
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 Holgersson, 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 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, from How I Met Your Mother on CBS. Episode Aired November 17, 2008. Sven was a fictional architectural collective.
Sven, the 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 Wikipedia (Text) CC BY-SA
