How popular is the baby name Torbjorn in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Torbjorn.

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Popularity of the baby name Torbjorn


Posts that mention the name Torbjorn

Boy names that debuted in the U.S. baby name data in 2021

lotus bud

Which boy names emerged in the U.S. baby name data in 2021 for the first time ever?

Exactly 500 boy names debuted in the data last year, and the most impressive debut was made by Azaire. Here are the other top debuts:

  1. Azaire, 25 baby boys
  2. Gediz, 21
  3. Jeyvier, 15
  4. Damiri, 14
  5. Ripton, 14
  6. Zakius, 13
  7. Kampbell, 12
  8. Biden, 11
  9. Khaizer, 11
  10. Nuta, 11
  11. Shrithik, 11

The name Biden was no doubt inspired by Joe Biden, who was elected president in late 2020.

Some more debuts:

10 baby boysAmaias, Azekial, Howl, Maclen, Oceano, Oleander
9 baby boysAathiran, Atlus, Avyaanreddy, Cymere, Dhamir, Eleo, Ice, Kapree, Kenshi, Kyza, Riftyn, Three, Yankiel
8 baby boysAadrik, Ador, Amirii, Anansi, Aurum, Ayaat, Bucklee, Emerett, Gervonta, Henlee, Hiyaan, Hyndrix, Inzo, Jerzi, Jetzyn, Jhayco, Karlisle, Kyngdom, Ledgend, Maaran, Ovi, Ovin, Rhiatt, Rodas, Sicarii, Svar, Wilden, Yahnis, Yasuke, Yzael, Zeldris

Finally, here’s a sampling of the rest of the debuts:

  • 7 baby boys: Arcturus, Arminius, Brixson, Darlington, Finnin, Habibullah, Jahvani, Kovie, Lobo, Mellow, Neptune, Osaro, Riften, Ropyr, Teghbir, Zagreus
  • 6 baby boys: Anwyll, Cardinal, Debonair, Evansh, Five, Gilber, Huxtin, Jovial, Kalki, Khrome, Koufax, Lightning, Lugh, Minhaj, Niqo, Pure, Rhema, Rizvan, Saturn, Torbjorn, Varenya, Whiskey, Ymir, Zeelan
  • 5 baby boys: Amnon, Benelli, Caique, Costner, Dhev, Endymion, Grit, Haaland, Henzo, Hotchner, Iyah, Jheico, Kazarion, Keeper, Laiku, Maestro, Nyne, Ohtli, Preacher, Quban, Regulus, Sango, Sansar, Science, Tancredi, Wickham, Woodensley, Yester, Yoshiyahu

Zagreus is the main character of the recently released video game Hades.

Haaland goes hand-in-hand with the fast-rising boy name Erling, as they both refer to Norwegian soccer player Erling Haaland (which alex has already noted — thank you!).

I think it’s particularly interesting that several number-names — Three (9), Five (6), and Nyne (5) — popped up last year. I have no idea why, though.

If you can explain any of the above debuts, please leave a comment!

Source: SSA

Image: Adapted from LotusBud0048a (public domain) by Frank “Fg2” Gualtieri

Where did the baby name Torben come from?

Danish tennis player Torben Ulrich
Torben Ulrich (in 1957)

The name Torben first emerged in the U.S. baby name data in the late 1960s:

  • 1971: unlisted
  • 1970: unlisted
  • 1969: 6 baby boys named Torben
  • 1968: 7 baby boys named Torben [debut]
  • 1967: unlisted
  • 1966: unlisted

Where did it come from?

Sports…sort of.

The source seems to be Danish professional tennis player Torben Ulrich. But he’d been playing professionally for many years by the late ’60s. What happened in 1968?

That year, Torben was memorably profiled in American newspapers by sports columnist Murray Olderman. The article wasn’t about Torben’s tennis-playing as much as it was about Torben’s unapologetic nonconformism. Here’s how it began:

Behind dark glasses framed by swirls of long brown hair, Torben Ulrich looks out on a curious world. It’s the world that’s curious–not necessarily Torben–because it sees him as a slightly hunched, slender, effete, bearded and tressed hippie. It also sees him, curiously, as an athlete who has made his living, more or less, for 20 years by playing tennis. We say more or less because Torben also plays the tenor sax in a rock ‘n’ roll band, tootles a classical flute, writes a weekly column for a Copenhagen newspaper, broadcasts on the Danish national radio and raises a family.

In a tone that vacillated between mockery and admiration, Olderman described Ulrich’s nomadic lifestyle, sleeping habits (night owl), language skills (Danish, English, French, German, Italian, etc.), and sense of style (including “a bracelet made from the hair of an elephant’s tail”).

I imagine the profile would have struck a chord with counterculture readers. In fact, maybe it was those readers specifically who were enticed enough by the name Torben — which is a variant of Torbjörn, which can be traced back to Old Norse elements meaning “thunder” (Thor) and “bear” — to choose it for their newborns that year.

What are your thoughts on the baby name Torben?

P.S. The article also mentioned that Torben had a 4-year-old son. That son, Lars Ulrich, grew up to become the co-founder/drummer of the heavy metal band Metallica. (Metallica is also a baby name, btw.)

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Torben Ulrich photo by J.D. Noske via Nationaal Archief under CC0.