Svante

Svante is the shortening for the Swedish male first name Svantepolk. It originates from Slavic ancestors of first prominent Svantes in Sweden. The Slavic languages have the name which is rendered as Sviatopolk in Ukrainian, Russian and Bulgarian, Swiãtopôłk in Kashubian, Świętopełk in Polish and Svatopluk/Svätopluk in Czech and Slovakian. Also Svjatopluk and so forth in other renditions.

In the 13th century, Svantepolk of Viby (d 1310) settled in Sweden. He was a valued ancestor, well-remembered in his noble Swedish descendants' pedigrees and family lore, and the name Svante was given to many of his descendants.


 * Svante Bosson (Sture), uncle of the regent Svante (see below)
 * Svante, Regent of Sweden (1460–1512), leader of the Swedish government between 1504 and 1512
 * Svante Sture, Count of Stegeholm (1517–67), his grandson
 * Svante Arrhenius a Swedish chemist
 * Svante Stenbock (1578–1632)
 * Svante Bielke, Lord High Chancellor of Sweden 1602-1609
 * Svante Larsson Sparre, Governor of Uppland 1649-1652
 * Svante Banér (1584–1628)
 * Svante Svantesson Banér (1624–74), Governor of Uppland 1652-54

Others

 * Svante Larsson (born 1955), Swedish footballer
 * Svante Lundkvist (1919–1991), Swedish politician
 * Svante Thunberg (born 1969), Swedish actor, manager, and producer