Ylva
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- IL-vah
- Origin
- Scandinavian
Ylva is a girls' name of Scandinavian origin, meaning “she-wolf”. Too few babies were given it in the latest year to rank.
What does Ylva mean?
Scandinavian: Swedish, from Old Norse for 'she-wolf'
“she-wolf”
A Swedish name from an old word for a she-wolf.
Is Ylva a girl's or a boy's name?
Ylva is a girls' name.
How popular is Ylva in the UK?
No girls in the UK were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 2015, with 5 girls.
Ylva in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 5 | #4,168 |
| 2021 | 5 | #4,148 |
| 2020 | 0 | – |
| 2019 | 5 | #4,214 |
| 2018 | 0 | – |
| 2017 | 4 | #4,967 |
| 2016 | 0 | – |
| 2015 | 5 | #4,294 |
| 2014 | 0 | – |
| 2013 | 3 | #6,003 |
| 2012 | 3 | #6,108 |
Names like Ylva
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Rosa, Luna, Pippa, Cora, Maria, Lola, Esme, Mila, Alba, Clara, Aria, Dua
More Scandinavian names
Kaia, Jenson, Jensen, Maren, Gustavo, Anders, Stellan, Iverson, Kari, Kaja, Larson, Olsen, Nea, Ronya, Jensyn, Soley
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland) and Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Ylva: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/ylva, updated 20 October 2026.