Sverre
A masculine Scandinavian name of Old Norse origin meaning "warrior" or "fighter".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Sverre. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Sverre today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sverre births was 1913 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sverre. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Sverre. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1913
7 babies that year
Average age
-
1916 SSA rank
#4,450
Tracked since 1913
Popularity
Sverre: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Sverre 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 Sverre during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 12 | 0 | 12 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Sverre
The given name Sverre has its origins in Old Norse, which was the language spoken by the Norse people in Scandinavia during the Viking Age and medieval period. It is derived from the Old Norse word "sverri," which means "stern" or "severe." The name was likely given to individuals who were perceived as having a serious or stern demeanor.
One of the earliest known historical references to the name Sverre can be found in the Heimskringla, a collection of sagas written by the Icelandic scholar and poet Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century. The book chronicles the lives of Norwegian kings, including King Sverre Sigurdsson (1145-1202), who was a pivotal figure in Norwegian history during the late 12th century.
King Sverre Sigurdsson played a significant role in the civil war known as the Age of Sturlungs, which lasted from 1184 to 1240. He claimed to be the illegitimate son of King Sigurd Munn and fought to establish his claim to the throne. Despite facing opposition from the powerful Norwegian nobility, Sverre emerged victorious and reigned as King of Norway from 1184 until his death in 1202.
Another notable figure who bore the name Sverre was Sverre Fedin (1895-1957), a Norwegian writer and playwright. He was born in Trondheim and is best known for his novel "The Chill of the Night," which was published in 1924 and is considered a classic of Norwegian literature.
In the realm of sports, Sverre Isachsen (1925-2006) was a Norwegian speed skater who won a gold medal in the 5000m event at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo. He was also a four-time World Allround Speed Skating Champion, winning the title in 1947, 1949, 1950, and 1951.
Another notable bearer of the name was Sverre Farstad (1939-2016), a Norwegian actor and theatre director. He had a prolific career spanning over five decades and was known for his work in both theatre and film. He received numerous awards and accolades, including the prestigious Amanda Award for Best Actor in 1994.
While the name Sverre has its roots in Old Norse and was historically more common in Scandinavia, particularly in Norway, it has also been used in other parts of the world. However, its usage and popularity have varied over time and across different regions.
People
Sverre + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sverre 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
Sverre: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sverre?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sverre 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 - US residents.
Is Sverre a common name?
We classify Sverre as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 12 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sverre most popular?
The single biggest year for Sverre was 1913, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sverre is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Sverre in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Sverre a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sverre 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.
Is Sverre still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Sverre in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Sverre can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Sverre?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Sverre at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.