Sten
A Scandinavian name derived from the Old Norse word 'steinn', meaning stone or rock.
Name Census estimates that about 151 living Americans carry the first name Sten. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Sten today is around 52 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sten births was 1965 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sten. 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
151
~ 1 in 2,269,896 Americans
Peak year
1965
10 babies that year
Average age
52
years old
2003 SSA rank
#8,520
Tracked since 1945
Popularity
Sten: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sten from the 1940s through to the 2000s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 66 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sten 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 Sten during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Stens live
Origin
Meaning and history of Sten
The name Sten is of Swedish origin, derived from the Old Norse word "steinn," which means "stone." This name has been in use since the Middle Ages in Scandinavia and other parts of northern Europe.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sten can be found in the Icelandic sagas, which are medieval literary works that date back to the 13th century. In these sagas, Sten was often used as a nickname or diminutive form of longer names that contained the element "stein" or "steen."
During the Viking Age, which spanned from the late 8th century to the late 11th century, the name Sten was popular among the Norse people who settled in various parts of Europe, including Scandinavia, England, and Normandy. This name was likely chosen for its association with strength and durability, as stones were seen as symbols of resilience and permanence.
One of the most notable historical figures with the name Sten was Sten Sture the Elder (1440-1503), a Swedish statesman and regent who played a crucial role in the struggle for Sweden's independence from the Kalmar Union. He was a prominent leader of the Sture family, which held significant power in Sweden during the late 15th and early 16th centuries.
Another famous bearer of the name Sten was Sten Sture the Younger (1493-1520), the son of Sten Sture the Elder. He followed in his father's footsteps and served as regent of Sweden, leading the country's resistance against the Danish King Christian II during the Swedish War of Liberation.
In the realm of literature, Sten Selander (1891-1957) was a Swedish novelist and playwright who gained recognition for his works that explored social issues and rural life in Sweden. His most famous novel, "The Scorners of Peipsiö," was published in 1920 and became a classic of Swedish literature.
Sten Rudholm (1905-1974) was a Swedish actor and director who made significant contributions to the Swedish film industry during the mid-20th century. He appeared in numerous films and television productions, and his directorial debut, "One Summer of Happiness," received critical acclaim in 1951.
Another notable figure with the name Sten was Sten Lundwall (1923-2009), a Swedish actor and comedian who rose to fame in the 1950s and 1960s. He starred in numerous popular films and television shows, cementing his status as one of Sweden's most beloved comedians of his time.
People
Sten + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sten as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Sten: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sten?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 151 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sten 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 2,269,896 US residents.
Is Sten a common name?
We classify Sten as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 170 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sten most popular?
The single biggest year for Sten was 1965, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sten is about 52 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sten a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sten 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.