Espen
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- ES-pen
- Origin
- Old Norse
- UK rank, 2025
- #4,301 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #3,847 for boys
Espen is a boys' name of Old Norse origin, meaning “god + bear”. In 2025 it ranked 4,301st for boys in the UK (4 babies) and 3,847th for boys in the US (28 babies).
What does Espen mean?
Old Norse: Norwegian form of Asbjorn
“god + bear”
Espen Askeladd, the clever 'Ash Lad', is the youngest-brother hero of many Norwegian folk tales.
Is Espen a girl's or a boy's name?
Espen is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 4 boys in the UK and 15 girls and 28 boys in the US.
How popular is Espen in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- 4,301st among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 4 about 1 in 75,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Falling down 42% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 4 boys in the UK were named Espen, making it the 4,301st most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 3,108th. Its busiest year was 2018, with 7 boys.
Half of all the boys named Espen in the UK since 1996 were born between 2012 and 2021, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among boys in 2025, it was 4,212th in England and Wales.
Espen in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 | #4,301 |
| 2024 | 3 | #5,198 |
| 2023 | 4 | #4,335 |
| 2022 | 5 | #3,639 |
| 2021 | 5 | #3,614 |
| 2020 | 6 | #3,108 |
| 2019 | 6 | #3,184 |
| 2018 | 7 | #2,823 |
| 2017 | 6 | #3,191 |
| 2016 | 6 | #3,241 |
| 2015 | 1 | #6,220 |
| 2014 | 4 | #4,063 |
| 2013 | 3 | #4,884 |
| 2012 | 6 | #3,167 |
| 2011 | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 6 | #3,092 |
| 2009 | 3 | #4,691 |
| 2008 | 0 | – |
| 2007 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 0 | – |
| 2005 | 4 | #3,330 |
| 2004 | 0 | – |
| 2003 | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 3 | #3,325 |
| 2001 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 0 | – |
| 1999 | 0 | – |
| 1998 | 0 | – |
| 1997 | 1 | #3,857 |
How popular is Espen in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 3,847th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 28 about 1 in 61,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steady down 11% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 28 boys in the US were named Espen, making it the 3,847th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 3,650th. Its busiest year was 2015, with 37 boys. It first appears in the records in 1995. 15 girls were also named Espen in 2025 (7,131st for girls).
Half of all the boys named Espen in the US since 1880 were born between 2007 and 2019, the years shaded on the chart below.
Girls were 15% of the babies named Espen in the US in 2014, and 35% in 2025.
Espen in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 28 | #3,847 |
| 2024 | 31 | #3,603 |
| 2023 | 20 | #4,882 |
| 2022 | 23 | #4,438 |
| 2021 | 34 | #3,360 |
| 2020 | 29 | #3,650 |
| 2019 | 28 | #3,791 |
| 2018 | 32 | #3,442 |
| 2017 | 25 | #4,101 |
| 2016 | 31 | #3,523 |
| 2015 | 37 | #3,084 |
| 2014 | 29 | #3,615 |
| 2013 | 32 | #3,337 |
| 2012 | 29 | #3,622 |
| 2011 | 24 | #4,108 |
| 2010 | 32 | #3,376 |
| 2009 | 26 | #3,917 |
| 2008 | 24 | #4,142 |
| 2007 | 24 | #4,125 |
| 2006 | 28 | #3,600 |
| 2005 | 36 | #2,898 |
| 2004 | 18 | #4,597 |
| 2003 | 14 | #5,265 |
| 2002 | 17 | #4,496 |
| 2001 | 11 | #6,006 |
| 2000 | 7 | #8,202 |
| 1999 | 16 | #4,336 |
| 1998 | 8 | #6,837 |
| 1997 | 10 | #5,636 |
| 1996 | 7 | #7,129 |
| 1995 | 5 | #8,861 |
Names like Espen
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Luca, Ezra, Lorcan, Macsen, Cooper, Cruz, Rio, Enzo, Arlo, Jaxon, Hudson, Xander
Names related to Espen
More Old Norse names
Freya, Ronnie, Ralph, Eric, Astrid, Colby, Rafe, Odin, Ralphie, Erik, Freyja, Erick, Bo, Ronald, Bjorn, Erica
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Espen: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/espen, updated 20 October 2026.