Svante

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

In the latter half of the 13th century, Svantepolk of Viby (d 1310), a lord of high nobility, settled in Sweden. His mother had been a Pomeranian lady whose first name and precise origin is not known to us, but who is indicated to have come from the ducal family of Pomerelia. Svantepolk's father was Canute, Duke of Revalia, a bastard son of king Valdemar II of Denmark with a high-born Swedish lady Helena, daughter of Earl Guttorm. The name was presumably given to Svantepolk as namesake of some maternal relative of Slavic princely dynasties. Svantepolk's brother Eric, Duke of Halland, had got a traditionally Scandinavian first name.

Svantepolk became justiciar (lagman) of Östergötland and a wealthy and remarkable feudal lord in Sweden. His wife was Benedicta, granddaughter of king Sverker II of Sweden. Svantepolk and Benedicta's daughters married lords of Swedish high nobility and became ancestresses of several Swedish noble families, bringing substantial dowries. Lord Svantepolk, with royal ancestry and rights to ducal dignity of Halland, Blekinge and Revalia, was a valued ancestor, well-remembered in his noble Swedish descendants' pedigrees and family lore. The name Svante, a shortened version of Svantepolk, was given to many 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

Pedigree of Regent Svante:

1. Svantepolk of Viby (bc 1230, d 1310) and his wife Benedikte of Ymseborg (d after 1261)
2. Ingeborg Svantepolksdotter of Viby (d c 1341) who married John Philipson, Lord of Aspenäs, who was executed in 1280
3. Knut Jonsson of Aspenäs (d 1346), Lord High Justiciar of Sweden, wife was Karin Bengtsdotter (d 1350), daughter of justiciar Bengt, cousin of Folkunge kings
4. Cecilia Knutsdotter of Aspenäs (d 1350), married Bo Nilsson of the Natt och Dag (d 1322), Lord of Ringshult
5. Bo Bosson of the Natt och Dag (dc 1390) - (Bo's sister Märta Bosdotter was grandmother of Sten Sture the Elder)
6. Sten Bosson of the Natt och Dag (dc 1411), wife was Ingeborg Karlsdotter of the Stjärna of Vinäs
7. Bo Stensson of the Natt och Dag, his wife was Karin Svendsdatter of the Scanian Sture, Lords of Ekesiö - their children also included knight Svante Bosson
8. Nils Bosson called Sture, wife was Brita Karlsdotter of the Bonde of Penningby
9. Svante Nilsson (regent of Sweden) of the Natt och Dag (1460–1512), regent 1504-12, first wife was Iliana Erengisladotter (Gädda), second Mette Iversdatter Dyre