| Ylva | Saga | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | she-wolf | Seeing one; story |
| Origin | norse | Norse |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | IHL-vah | SAH-gah |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1996 |
| Peak year | 2017 (7) | 2024 (19) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 17 |
| Trend | Steady | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Ylva | Saga |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 23 | 81 |
| 2010s | 12 | 61 |
| 2000s | 0 | 31 |
| 1990s | 0 | 5 |
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.
Saga is a Norse goddess associated with poetry and stories.
Saga is more popular than Ylva today: about 17 US babies were given the name Saga in 2025, compared with 0 named Ylva.
Ylva means she-wolf (norse origin), while Saga means Seeing one; story (Norse origin).
In US records, Ylva first appears in 0 and Saga in 1996, so Ylva has the longer recorded history.