Espen
A Scandinavian masculine name of Old Norse origin meaning "god of the aspen tree".
Name Census estimates that about 812 living Americans carry the first name Espen. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 83.8% of registrations being male. The average person named Espen today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Espen births was 2016 (48 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Espen. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
812
~ 1 in 422,111 Americans
Peak year
2016
48 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,710
Tracked since 1995
Gender
Gender distribution for Espen
Espen leans heavily male at 83.8% of total registrations, but 133 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Espen as a male name
- Ranked #3,710 in 2024
- 30 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2015 (37 births)
Espen as a female name
- Ranked #12,531 in 2024
- 7 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2019 (18 births)
Popularity
Espen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Espen from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 371 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Espen remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Espen by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Espen during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Espens live
Origin
Meaning and history of Espen
The name Espen is a Norwegian masculine given name. It originated as a form of the Old Norse name Ásbjarn, which is composed of the elements áss meaning "god" and bjǫrn meaning "bear". The name Espen is believed to have emerged as a shortened form of Ásbjarn during the medieval period in Scandinavia.
The earliest recorded use of the name Espen dates back to the 13th century in Norway. It appears in historical records and documents from this time, particularly in areas where Old Norse was spoken. The name was likely influenced by the popularity of the Norse mythology and the reverence for bears in ancient Norse culture.
In the 14th century, Espen Thorsteinsson was a Norwegian chieftain and landowner who played a role in the Norwegian struggle for independence from Denmark. He is mentioned in the Icelandic sagas and is one of the earliest notable historical figures to bear the name Espen.
During the 16th century, Espen Anderssen (1550-1628) was a Norwegian farmer and landowner from Hallingdal, Norway. He is known for his involvement in the Peasant Revolt of 1612-1613, where he led a group of farmers in protest against the Danish-Norwegian king's taxation policies.
In the 17th century, Espen Christensen Vibe (1610-1675) was a Norwegian merchant and ship owner from Bergen. He played a significant role in the development of trade and commerce in Norway during this period.
Another notable figure named Espen was Espen Hille (1733-1804), a Norwegian farmer and politician from Hallingdal. He served as a representative in the Norwegian Storting (parliament) and was known for his advocacy for farmers' rights and land reforms.
In the 19th century, Espen Michelsen (1870-1953) was a Norwegian explorer and Arctic researcher. He participated in several expeditions to the Arctic regions and made important contributions to the study of glaciers and ice formations.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Espen. The name has its roots in ancient Norse culture and has been used in Norway and other Scandinavian countries for centuries.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Espen
People
Espen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Espen as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Espen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Espen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 812 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Espen going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 422,111 US residents.
Is Espen a common name?
We classify Espen as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 819 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Espen most popular?
The single biggest year for Espen was 2016, when 48 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Espen is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Espen a male name?
Yes, 83.8% of people registered as Espen in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.