Fun Facts About the Name Bjorn
- More than 5 thousand babies named Bjorn: U.S. records list 5,249 babies given the name Bjorn from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Bjorn Mean?
Bjorn means 'bear' and comes from Old Norse bjǫrn, the noun for a bear. It is a masculine personal name, not a compound, and its meaning is the literal animal name. The same Old Norse word is the source of the modern Scandinavian forms Björn in Swedish and Icelandic, Bjørn in Norwegian and Danish, and the anglicized spelling Bjorn used in English. The bear can later be treated as a symbol of strength or courage, but that is a symbolic association, not part of the name's etymology.
Bjorn Name History & Origins
The name goes back to the Old Norse personal name Bjǫrn, formed directly from the noun bjǫrn, 'bear.' It was used in Scandinavia during the Viking Age and the Middle Ages, and it appears in Old Norse sources such as sagas and historical records. In Norse tradition, Björn Ironside is a son of Ragnar Lodbrok; this is a legendary literary association, not evidence of the name's earliest use. The name remained in use across the Nordic countries and developed into the modern forms Björn in Swedish and Icelandic and Bjørn in Norwegian and Danish. In English, Bjorn is an anglicized spelling of these Scandinavian forms.
How Popular is the Name Bjorn?
Bjorn recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2024. Its best rank was #766 in 2021.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #829 | 298 | 0.0174% |
| 2024 | #767 | 330 | 0.0192% |
| 2023 | #798 | 310 | 0.0181% |
| 2022 | #782 | 323 | 0.0185% |
| 2021 | #766 | 327 | 0.0187% |
| 2020 | #777 | 302 | 0.0175% |
| 2019 | #868 | 254 | 0.0142% |
| 2018 | #870 | 251 | 0.0138% |
| 2017 | #947 | 220 | 0.0119% |
| 2016 | #1,223 | 153 | 0.0081% |
| 2015 | #1,602 | 100 | 0.0052% |
| 2014 | #2,156 | 63 | 0.0033% |
| 2013 | #2,425 | 51 | 0.0027% |
| 2012 | #3,185 | 35 | 0.0018% |
| 2011 | #2,512 | 49 | 0.0026% |
| 2010 | #2,378 | 53 | 0.0028% |
| 2009 | #2,849 | 42 | 0.0021% |
| 2008 | #2,471 | 51 | 0.0025% |
| 2007 | #2,094 | 65 | 0.0031% |
| 2006 | #2,285 | 55 | 0.0027% |
| 2005 | #2,086 | 59 | 0.0030% |
| 2004 | #1,817 | 68 | 0.0034% |
| 2003 | #2,475 | 42 | 0.0021% |
| 2002 | #2,198 | 48 | 0.0025% |
| 2001 | #1,746 | 65 | 0.0033% |
| 2000 | #1,896 | 55 | 0.0028% |
| 1999 | #2,233 | 41 | 0.0021% |
| 1998 | #1,902 | 51 | 0.0027% |
| 1997 | #2,168 | 40 | 0.0021% |
| 1996 | #2,446 | 32 | 0.0017% |
| 1995 | #2,108 | 39 | 0.0020% |
| 1994 | #2,225 | 36 | 0.0019% |
| 1993 | #1,680 | 52 | 0.0027% |
| 1992 | #2,090 | 37 | 0.0019% |
| 1991 | #1,985 | 38 | 0.0019% |
| 1990 | #2,014 | 37 | 0.0018% |
| 1989 | #1,435 | 58 | 0.0029% |
| 1988 | #1,528 | 48 | 0.0025% |
| 1987 | #1,867 | 34 | 0.0018% |
| 1986 | #1,217 | 62 | 0.0034% |
| 1985 | #1,333 | 52 | 0.0028% |
| 1984 | #1,175 | 60 | 0.0033% |
| 1983 | #1,240 | 55 | 0.0031% |
| 1982 | #1,179 | 61 | 0.0034% |
| 1981 | #1,015 | 80 | 0.0045% |
| 1980 | #958 | 88 | 0.0049% |
| 1979 | #1,155 | 61 | 0.0035% |
| 1978 | #1,079 | 65 | 0.0040% |
| 1977 | #990 | 75 | 0.0046% |
| 1976 | #1,321 | 45 | 0.0029% |
| 1975 | #1,305 | 44 | 0.0028% |
| 1974 | #1,993 | 22 | 0.0014% |
| 1973 | #2,230 | 18 | 0.0012% |
| 1972 | #2,254 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1971 | #1,922 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1970 | #1,620 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 1969 | #1,986 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1968 | #1,738 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1967 | #1,714 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1966 | #2,228 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1965 | #2,281 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1964 | #2,319 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1963 | #1,968 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 1962 | #2,521 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1961 | #3,120 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1960 | #2,893 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1957 | #4,038 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1956 | #2,994 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1954 | #3,878 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1951 | #3,765 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1950 | #3,741 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1944 | #3,481 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1925 | #4,270 | 5 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Bjorn Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You can go to great heights and equally great depths. You are emotional and fixed in your opinions. You are hospitable, sentimental, often psychic, sometimes moody. You are ruled by love and the lack of it and feel a need to be encouraged and appreciated. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Bjorn's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Bjorn's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.