Declining since 2009, #6,143 for boys today.
Popularity of Torsten since 1962
Babies named Torsten per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 31 |
| 1970s | 34 |
| 1980s | 21 |
| 1990s | 55 |
| 2000s | 181 |
| 2010s | 255 |
| 2020s | 128 |
Meaning & origin
Torsten is a Scandinavian masculine name with roots in the Old Norse worship of Thor. In the United States, its usage has been modest: first recorded on birth certificates in 1962, it peaked in 2009 at its highest rank, ranking 6,143rd in 2025 with about one in every 122,005 newborn boys given the name. Its popularity has been declining since 2009, remaining an uncommon but recognizable choice. The name appears in many Germanic-speaking countries and has several variant spellings, including Thorsten and Thurston.
Torsten combines Old Norse Þórr, the thunder god, and steinn meaning 'stone,' originally a byname or cult name referring to a stone associated with Thor. It has been used in Scandinavia since the Viking Age and is common in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. The name also spread to Germany and occasionally appears in other Germanic-language regions.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Tor, Tore, Sten
Sibling names for Torsten
Names that share Torsten's style, for a brother or sister.
