Torben
Boy name · 6 babies recorded · 1974–2025
Torben: 6 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to boys, peaking at 3 births in 2014.
Of Danish and Old Norse origin, Torben is a Scandinavian form of Thorbjörn, meaning "Thor's bear"—a compound of the thunder god's name and the animal symbolising strength and ferocity. The name was carried into Scotland largely through Viking settlement, particularly in the Northern Isles, and remains more common in Denmark and Norway than in modern Scotland. One notable bearer is Danish footballer Torben Piechnik, who played for Liverpool in the early 1990s and helped the club win the FA Cup. You might also find the name, or its spelling Torben, among Scottish families with Scandinavian heritage, and it shares its first element with Thurso, a town in Caithness whose name derives from the Old Norse for "Thor's river."
Boy 2 of 52 years
- Peak year
- 20143 babies
- Latest (2022)
- #7033 babies
- Total births
- 6since 2014
- 5-year trend
- ≈ stablevs prior 5y