Thorsten (Thorstein, Torstein, Torsten) is a

Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a f ...

. The

Old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...

name was ''Þórsteinn''. It is a compound of the

theonym A theonym (from Greek (), 'god', attached to (), ) is a proper name of a deity. Theonymy, the study of divine proper names, is a branch of onomastics, the study of the etymology, history, and use of proper names. Theonymy helps develop an und ...

''Þór'' (''

Thor Thor (from ) is a prominent list of thunder gods, god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred g ...

'') and ''steinn'' "stone", which became ''Thor'' and ''sten'' in

Old Danish The Danish language developed during the Middle Ages out of Old East Norse, the common predecessor of Danish and Swedish. It was a late form of common Old Norse. The Danish philologist Johannes Brøndum-Nielsen divided the history of Danish in ...

and

Old Swedish Old Swedish ( Modern Swedish: ) is the name for two distinct stages of the Swedish language that were spoken in the Middle Ages: Early Old Swedish (), spoken from about 1225 until about 1375, and Late Old Swedish (), spoken from about 1375 unti ...

. The name is one of a group of Old Norse names containing the theonym ''Thor'', besides other such as ''Þórarin, Þórhall, Þórkell, Þórfinnr, Þórvald, Þórvarðr, Þórolf'', most of which, however, do not survive as modern names given with any frequency. The name is attested in medieval Iceland, e.g. Þorsteinn rauður Ólafsson (c. 850 – 880), Þórsteinn Eiríksson (late 10th century), and in literature such as '' Draumr Þorsteins Síðu-Hallssonar''. The Old English equivalent of the Scandinavian and Norman name is ''

Thurstan :''This page is about Thurstan of Bayeux (1070 – 1140) who became Archbishop of York. Thurstan of Caen became the first Norman Abbot of Glastonbury in circa 1077.'' Thurstan or Turstin of Bayeux ( – 6 February 1140) was a medi ...

'', attested after the

Norman conquest of England The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...

in the 11th century as the name of a medieval archbishop of York (died 1140), of an abbot of

Pershore Pershore () is a market town and civil parish in the Wychavon district in Worcestershire, England, on the banks of the River Avon, Warwickshire, River Avon. At the 2011 UK census, census, the population was 7,125. The town is best known for Per ...

(1080s) and of an

abbot of Glastonbury __NOTOC__ The Abbot of Glastonbury was the head (or abbot) of the Anglo-Saxon and eventually Benedictine house of Glastonbury Abbey at Glastonbury in Somerset, England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of t ...

(1090s). The English surname Thurston is presumably derived from this given name. The English given name Dustin is derived from a surname which in origin has been derived in turn from the Norman name ''Tustin'', variant form of '' Turstin'', ''Tostain'', ''

Toutain Toutain is a French surname of Norman origin, itself from Old Norse '' Þórsteinn''. Albert Dauzat, ''Noms et prénoms de France'', Librairie Larousse 1980, édition revue et commentée par Marie-Thérèse Morlet, p. 572b Notable people with the s ...

'', etc. themselves from Old Norse given name ''Þorsteinn''. As a modern given name, Thorsten and Torsten also see some popularity in the

English-speaking world The English-speaking world comprises the 88 countries and territories in which English language, English is an official, administrative, or cultural language. In the early 2000s, between one and two billion people spoke English, making it the ...

and in

German-speaking Europe This article details the geographical distribution of speakers of the German language, regardless of the legislative status within the countries where it is spoken. In addition to the Germanosphere () in Europe, German-speaking minority languag ...

. People with this name include:

Arts and entertainment

Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen (born 11 January 1964) is a Norwegian contemporary composer. Life Aagaard-Nilsen was born in Oslo and grew up in Kabelvåg on Lofoten in northern Norway. From 1986 to 1990, he studied at the Bergen Conservatory of Mus ...

(born 1964), Norwegian composer *

Torsten Amft Torsten Amft (born 14 January 1971) is a German fashion designer and Creative Director of the Amft fashion labels. Career Amft studied fashion design in Zürich, Switzerland. In 2000, Amft won the "Lexton" fashion award in New York City. Befor ...

(born 1971), German fashion designer *

Torstein Flakne Torstein Flakne (born December 17, 1960, in Trondheim, Norway) is a Norwegian singer and guitarist, best known for being the founder of the Norwegian rock band Stage Dolls. He is from Melhus Municipality Melhus is a List of municipalities of ...

(born 1960), the founder of the Norwegian band Stage Dolls *

Thorsten Flinck Thorsten Flinck (born 17 April 1961 in Solna, Sweden), is a Swedish actor, director, and musician. He is known best for playing psychopaths and villains, and also for his outrageous personality both on stage and in real life. Between 1986 and 20 ...

(born 1961), Swedish musician * Thorsten Owusu Gyimah (born 2003), Ghanaian drill rapper known as Yaw Tog *

Thorsten Kaye Thorsten Kaye (born Thorsten Ernst Kieselbach, 22 February 1966) is a German-British-American actor. His best known roles include Patrick Thornhart on ''One Life to Live'', Dr. Ian Thornhart on ''Port Charles'', Zach Slater on ''All My Childr ...

(born 1966), American-based actor *

Torstein Lofthus Torstein Lofthus (born 10 March 1977) is a Norway, Norwegian drummer and composer who has been a member of the bands Shining (Norwegian band), Shining, Elephant9, the Mathias Eick Band, D'Sound, and Ebersson/Zanussi/Lofthus. He is married to Hege ...

(born 1977), Norwegian drummer * Thorsten Quaeschning, German musician of the band Tangerine Dream * Torsten Wasastjerna (1863–1924), Finnish artist

Politics

Torsten Bell Torsten Henricson Bell (born September 1982) is a Labour politician, economist, author, and newspaper columnist, serving as Member of Parliament (MP) for Swansea West since 2024. He was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary for the Treasury an ...

(born 1982), British politician * Torstein Børte (1899–1985), Norwegian politician * Torsten Bréchôt (born 1964), East German judoka *

Torstein Dahle Torstein Dahle (born 20 February 1947) is a Norwegian politician and economist. He works at the Bergen University College and represents Red Party in the city council of Bergen. Dahle was born in Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most ...

(born 1947), Norwegian politician and economist * Thorsten Faas (born 1975), German political scientist * Thorsten Guttormsen Fretheim (1808–1874), Norwegian politician * Thorstein John Ohnstad Fretheim (1886–1971), Norwegian politician * Torsten Gejl (born 1964), Danish politician * Torsten Lindström (born 1974), Swedish politician * Torsten Nothin (1884–1972), Swedish politician * Torstein Olav Kuvaas (1908–1996), Norwegian politician * Torstein Kvamme (1893–1985), Norwegian politician * Torstein Rudihagen (born 1952), Norwegian politician * Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel (born 1969), German politician of the SPD * Torstein Selvik (1900–1983), Norwegian politician * Torstein Slungård (1931–2009), Norwegian politician * Thorsten Svensson (1901–1954), Swedish footballer * Thorstein Treholt (1911–1993), Norwegian politician * Torstein Tynning (1932–2000), Norwegian politician

Sports

* Torstein Andersen Aase (born 1991), Norwegian footballer * Torsten Abel (born 1974), German triathlete * Thorsten Barg (born 1986), German football player * Thorsten Becker (born 1980), German footballer * Thorsten Burkhardt (born 1981), German footballer * Thorsten Dauth (born 1968), German decathlete * Thorsten Engelmann (born 1981), German rower *

Thorsten Fink Thorsten Fink (born 29 October 1967) is a German football coach and a former footballer, who is the head coach of Belgian Pro League club KRC Genk. Playing career Fink began his career with Borussia Dortmund's reserve squad before moving to S ...

(born 1967), German football coach and former player *

Torsten Frings Torsten Klaus Frings (born 22 November 1976) is a German former Association football, footballer and Manager (association football), manager, who last managed SV Meppen. A former midfielder, throughout his career he played for several German clu ...

(born 1976), German footballer * Thorsten Grönfors (1888–1968), Swedish sailor and tennis player *

Torsten Gütschow Torsten Gütschow (born 28 July 1962) is a German football manager and former player who played as a striker. He is most associated with Dynamo Dresden, with whom he had two successful spells, playing top level football in East Germany and afte ...

(born 1962), German football striker * Torstein Hansen (1943–2018), Norwegian handball player * Thorstein Helstad (born 1977), Norwegian footballer * Thorsten Hohmann (born 1979), German pool player *

Torstein Horgmo Torstein Horgmo (born 18 February 1987) is a Norwegian professional snowboarder. Horgmo has competed, and medalled in, a variety of slopestyle and big air snowboarding competitions. He rides regular stance. Personal Horgmo grew up in Trondhe ...

(born 1987), Norwegian snowboarder * Thorstein Johansen (1888–1963), Norwegian rifle shooter * Thorsten Kirschbaum (born 1987), German footballer * Thorsten Legat (born 1968), German football coach and retired player * Thorsten Leibenath (born 1975), German basketball coach and basketball player * Torsten Loibl (born 1972), German basketball coach * Thorsten Nehrbauer (born 1978), German footballer * Thorsten Schmitt (born 1975), German Nordic combined skier * Thorsten Schmugge (born 1971), German footballer * Thorsten Stuckmann (born 1981), German football goalkeeper * Torsten Tegnér (1888–1977), Swedish athlete and journalist * Thorsten Wittek (born 1976), German football player

Other fields

* Thorsten Andersson (1923–2018), Swedish toponymist * Torstein Eckhoff (1916–1993), Norwegian civil servant and professor of law * Torsten Engberg (1934–2018), Swedish Coastal Artillery lieutenant general *

Þorsteinn Gylfason Þorsteinn Gylfason (12 August 1942 – 16 August 2005) was an Icelandic philosopher, translator, musician and poet. Þorsteinn distinguished himself in Icelandic public life with his writings in newspapers, journals and publications. His l ...

(1942–2005), Icelandic intellectual * Torsten Lindh (1941–2020), Swedish Navy rear admiral *

Torstein Moland Torstein Moland (born 4 November 1945) is a Norwegian economist. From 1986 to 1989, during the second cabinet Brundtland, Moland was a state secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister. He was then CEO of Norske Skog from 1990 to 1993, an ...

(born 1945), Norwegian economist * Thorsten Nordenfelt (1842–1920), Swedish inventor and industrialist * Thorsten J. Pattberg (born 1977), German philologist and cultural critic *

Torstein Raaby Torstein Pettersen Raaby (6 October 1918 – 23 March 1964) was a Norwegian telegrapher, resistance fighter and explorer. He is known as a crew member on the Kon-Tiki expedition. Biography Raaby was born in the village of Dverberg on the isl ...

(1919–1964), Norwegian telegrapher, resistance fighter and explorer * Thorsten Sellin (1896–1994), American sociologist, penologist and scientific criminologist *

Thorstein Veblen Thorstein Bunde Veblen (; July 30, 1857 – August 3, 1929) was an American Economics, economist and Sociology, sociologist who, during his lifetime, emerged as a well-known Criticism of capitalism, critic of capitalism. In his best-known book ...

(1857–1929), Norwegian-American sociologist and economist

References

{{given name Scandinavian masculine given names German masculine given names Masculine given names no:Thorsten nn:Thorsten

Arts and entertainment

Politics

Sports

Other fields

See also

References