Given name & surname
Espen
“a bear of the gods”
Espen is a form of Esbjorn. One interpretation is “a bear of the gods.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Scandinavian use, Espen carries the interpretation “a bear of the gods.” Espen is a form of Esbjorn. One interpretation is “a bear of the gods.”
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Scandinavian.
How it developed
Espen is used as a form of Esbjorn.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1995. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Espen through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 863
- 715 boys · 148 girls
- Most popular year
- 2016
- 48 babies
- 2025
- 43
- #3,879 for boys · #7,239 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −7%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 28 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 3,879 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 6.2% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 37 in 2015. It also appeared in 15 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (5). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 698 as a first name in 2020; 135 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Espen’s family of names
In Norwegian usage, Espen shares a linguistic root with the English form Osborne. Espen is a form of Esbjorn. In Norwegian usage, Espen developed from the Danish form Esben.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 6
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 5
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Espen
- Espen Barth EideNorwegian politicianborn 1964
- Espen SandbergNorwegian film director and advertising executiveborn 1971
- Espen BredesenNorwegian ski jumperborn 1968
- Espen BaardsenNorwegian footballerborn 1977
- Espen AndersenNorwegian Nordic combined skier, b. 1993
- Espen LindNorwegian musician, recording artistborn 1971
- Espen EskåsNorwegian football refereeborn 1988
- Espen KnutsenNorwegian ice hockey player and coachborn 1972
- Espen BjørnstadNorwegian Nordic combined skierborn 1993
Characters named Espen: Askeladden (main character in many Norwegian folktales).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Espen, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Aiman
45% boys · 55% girls
Prestyn
“from the priest's town”
61% boys · 39% girls
Amaree
“having great strength; a builder” · “one who will be forever beautiful”
52% boys · 48% girls
Larsen
“daughter of Lars”
67% boys · 33% girls
Yuriah
49% boys · 51% girls
Covey
“a brood of birds”
64% boys · 36% girls
Armani
“one who is desired; a goal”
56% boys · 44% girls
Kallan
“of the flowing water” · “powerful in battle”
83% boys · 17% girls