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