Morten
A masculine name of Scandinavian origin meaning "dweller by the marsh".
Name Census estimates that about 2 living Americans carry the first name Morten. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Morten today is around 109 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Morten births was 1929 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Morten. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Morten is about 109 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Mortens were born before 1927.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Morten. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
2
~ 1 in 171,377,169 Americans
Peak year
1929
8 babies that year
Average age
109
years old
1934 SSA rank
#3,556
Tracked since 1880
Origin
Meaning and history of Morten
The name Morten is derived from the Old Norse name Mordur, which is a combination of the words "mor" meaning "marsh" or "moor" and "dyr" meaning "deer." The name originates from Scandinavia, particularly Denmark and Norway, where it was popular during the Viking era. It is believed to have been a name given to individuals who lived near marshlands or hunted deer in those regions.
In ancient Norse mythology, there are references to a god named Mordur, who was associated with hunting and the natural world. This could potentially be the origin of the name, as it was common for Norse names to be inspired by their gods or natural elements.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Morten can be found in the Icelandic sagas, where a character named Morten Borgsson is mentioned in the 13th century Sturlunga saga. This suggests that the name was in use in Scandinavia at least as early as the Middle Ages.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the name Morten. One of the most famous was Morten Lauridsen (1943-), a Danish-American composer known for his choral works, such as "O Magnum Mysterium" and "Lux Aeterna." Another prominent figure was Morten Valkendorf (1518-1597), a Danish Protestant reformer and theologian who played a significant role in the Reformation in Denmark.
In the field of science, Morten Tholstrup Blicher (1915-1988) was a Danish physicist who made important contributions to the study of particle physics and the development of accelerators. Morten Hammar (1914-1998) was a Swedish writer and journalist who gained recognition for his novels and short stories.
The name Morten has also been associated with royalty, as evidenced by Morten, Duke of Zealand (1919-1944), a member of the Danish royal family who served in the Danish resistance movement during World War II.
Despite its Scandinavian roots, the name Morten has gained popularity in various parts of the world, particularly in Europe and North America, where it has been adopted and adapted to different cultural contexts.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Morten
People
Morten + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Morten as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Morten: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Morten?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Morten 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 171,377,169 US residents.
Is Morten a common name?
We classify Morten as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 43 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Morten most popular?
The single biggest year for Morten was 1929, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Morten is about 109 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Morten a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Morten 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.