Thorsten

Thorsten (Thorstein, Torstein, Torsten) is a Scandinavian given name. The Old Norse name was Þórsteinn. It is a compound of the theonym Þór (Thor) and steinn "stone",[1] which became Thor and sten in Old Danish and Old Swedish.[2]

Thorsten
GenderMale
Origin
Region of originScandinavia
Other names
Alternative spellingThorstein, Torstein, Torsten

The name is one of a group of Old Norse names containing the theonym Thor, besides other such as Þórarin, Þórhall, Þórkell, Þórfinnr, Þórvald, Þórvarðr, Þórolf, most of which, however, do not survive as modern names given with any frequency.

The name is attested in medieval Iceland, e.g. Þorsteinn rauður Ólafsson (c. 850 – 880), Þōrsteinn Eirīkssonr (late 10th century), and in literature such as Draumr Þorsteins Síðu-Hallssonar.

The Old English equivalent of the Scandinavian and Norman name is Thurstan, attested after the Norman conquest of England in the 11th century as the name of a medieval archbishop of York (died 1140), of an abbot of Pershore (1080s) and of an abbot of Glastonbury (1090s). The English surname Thurston is presumably derived from this given name. The English given name Dustin is derived from a surname which in origin may have been derived in turn from the Scandinavian given name.

As a modern given name, Thorsten and Torsten also see some popularity in the English-speaking world and in German-speaking Europe.

Modern people with this name

Pre-World War I births

1914–1945 births

Post-World War II births

See also

References
  1. "Þorsteinn". Nordic Names. 16 December 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  2. "Thorsten". Nordic Names. 16 December 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
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