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, and is cognate with the English name Swain. The name itself is Old Norse for "young man" or "young warrior". The original spelling in Old Norse was sveinn.

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

• 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

• 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

• 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-Ole Thorsen, Danish actor, stuntman and athlete
• Sven Vermant, Belgian footballer

Other

• 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)
• Sven Markelius, Swedish architect
• Sven Nykvist, 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

See also

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