| Solveig | Ylva | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Sun's strength | she-wolf |
| Origin | Norse | norse |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | SOL-vay | IHL-vah |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1909 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2021 (33) | 2017 (7) |
| In 2025 | 17 | 0 |
| Trend | Rising | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Solveig | Ylva |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 150 | 23 |
| 2010s | 178 | 12 |
| 2000s | 120 | 0 |
| 1990s | 65 | 0 |
| 1980s | 23 | 0 |
| 1970s | 47 | 0 |
| 1960s | 48 | 0 |
| 1950s | 25 | 0 |
| 1940s | 65 | 0 |
| 1930s | 112 | 0 |
| 1920s | 109 | 0 |
| 1910s | 110 | 0 |
| 1900s | 5 | 0 |
Solveig joins the Old Norse for “sun” and “strength” or “house.”
From the Old Norse 'ylgr', the feminine of 'ulfr' ('wolf'), meaning 'she-wolf'. Formed on the same pattern as other Norse female-animal nouns; the masculine equivalent is Ulf.
Solveig is more popular than Ylva today: about 17 US babies were given the name Solveig in 2025, compared with 0 named Ylva.
Solveig means Sun's strength (Norse origin), while Ylva means she-wolf (norse origin).
In US records, Solveig first appears in 1909 and Ylva in 0, so Ylva has the longer recorded history.