| Brand | Torsten | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Firebrand, sword | Thor's stone |
| Origin | norse | Norse |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | BRAND | TOR-sten |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1962 |
| Peak year | 1953 (11) | 2009 (33) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 14 |
| Trend | Rising | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Brand | Torsten |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 14 | 128 |
| 2010s | 45 | 255 |
| 2000s | 26 | 181 |
| 1990s | 33 | 55 |
| 1980s | 52 | 21 |
| 1970s | 50 | 34 |
| 1960s | 16 | 31 |
| 1950s | 48 | 0 |
| 1940s | 5 | 0 |
From the Old Norse 'brandr', which meant both 'firebrand' (a burning piece of wood) and, by extension, 'sword blade'. The fire sense is the original one; the name is sometimes glossed 'sword' for the derived meaning.
Torsten joins the god Thor with “stone,” a name of solid strength.
Torsten is more popular than Brand today: about 14 US babies were given the name Torsten in 2025, compared with 0 named Brand.
Brand means Firebrand, sword (norse origin), while Torsten means Thor's stone (Norse origin).
In US records, Brand first appears in 0 and Torsten in 1962, so Brand has the longer recorded history.