Svea
An archaic Swedish feminine name of uncertain meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 751 living Americans carry the first name Svea. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Svea today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Svea births was 2022 (47 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Svea. 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
751
~ 1 in 456,397 Americans
Peak year
2022
47 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,555
Tracked since 1892
Popularity
Svea: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Svea from the 1890s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 325 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Svea remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Svea 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 Svea during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Sveas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. Minnesota, California, Washington recorded the most babies named Svea, while Massachusetts, Illinois, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 21 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Svea
The name Svea originates from the Old Norse language and is closely associated with the ancient Norse culture and mythology. It is believed to be derived from the Old Norse word "Svíþjóð," which referred to the historical region of Sweden, also known as the "land of the Swedes."
The name Svea has its roots in the ancient Germanic tribes that inhabited the Scandinavian region, particularly the Svear, or Swedes, who were one of the most powerful and influential tribes during the Viking Age. The Svear tribe is mentioned in various Old Norse sagas and historical records, including the Ynglinga saga, which chronicles the legendary lineage of Swedish kings.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Svea can be found in the "Beowulf" epic, an Old English poem dating back to the 8th or 9th century. In the poem, Svea is mentioned as the name of a Swedish warrior who fought alongside the legendary hero Beowulf.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Svea, including Svea Norén (1881-1956), a Swedish painter and illustrator known for her vibrant depictions of Swedish landscapes and folklore. Another famous bearer of the name was Svea Anker (1848-1932), a Norwegian actress and playwright who played a significant role in the development of Norwegian theater.
In the realm of literature, Svea Jacobsson (1904-1979) was a renowned Swedish author and poet who won the prestigious Bellman Prize for her literary contributions. Additionally, Svea Kristina Bredberg (1888-1972) was a Swedish author and journalist who wrote extensively about women's rights and social issues.
One of the most notable historical figures with the name Svea was Svea Economou (1893-1988), a Swedish-American journalist and activist who played a crucial role in the establishment of the United Nations. She served as the first executive secretary of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and was instrumental in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
While the name Svea has its origins in ancient Norse culture and mythology, it has endured through the centuries and continues to be used in various parts of the world, particularly in Scandinavia and among those with Swedish or Norse heritage.
People
Svea + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Svea 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
Svea: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Svea?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 751 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Svea 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 456,397 US residents.
Is Svea a common name?
We classify Svea as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 935 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Svea most popular?
The single biggest year for Svea was 2022, when 47 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Svea is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Svea a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Svea in the SSA data are female. 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.