Olaf or Olav (, , or

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English ...

;

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...

: ''Áleifr'', ''Ólafr'', ''Óleifr'', ''Anleifr'') is a Scandinavian and German given name. It is presumably of

Proto-Norse Proto-Norse (also called Ancient Nordic, Ancient Scandinavian, Ancient Norse, Primitive Norse, Proto-Nordic, Proto-Scandinavian and Proto-North Germanic) was an Indo-European language spoken in Scandinavia that is thought to have evolved as a ...

origin, reconstructed as ''*Anu-laibaz'', from ''anu'' "ancestor, grand-father" and ''laibaz'' "heirloom, descendant". Old English forms are attested as ''Ǣlāf'', ''Anlāf''. The corresponding

Old Novgorod dialect Old Novgorod dialect (russian: древненовгородский диалект, translit=drevnenovgorodskij dialekt; also translated as Old Novgorodian or Ancient Novgorod dialect) is a term introduced by Andrey Zaliznyak to describe the dia ...

form is ''Uleb''. A later English form of the name is ''Olave''. In the

Norwegian language Norwegian ( no, norsk, links=no ) is a North Germanic language spoken mainly in Norway, where it is an official language. Along with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a dialect continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regi ...

, ''Olav'' and ''Olaf'' are equally common, but Olav is traditionally used when referring to Norwegian royalty. The Swedish form is ''

Olov Olov (or Olof) is a Swedish form of Olav/ Olaf, meaning "ancestor's descendant". A common short form of the name is ''Olle''. The name may refer to: *Per-Olov Ahrén (1926–2004), Swedish clergyman, bishop of Lund from 1980 to 1992 * Per-Olov B ...

'' or ''Olof'', and the

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...

form is ''Oluf''. It was borrowed into

Old Irish Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic ( sga, Goídelc, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ga, Sean-Ghaeilge; gd, Seann-Ghàidhlig; gv, Shenn Yernish or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive writte ...

and

Scots Scots usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: * Scots language, a language of the West Germanic language family native to Scotland * Scots people, a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland * Scoti, a Latin na ...

with the spellings ''Amlaíb'' and ''Amhlaoibh'', giving rise to modern version '' Aulay''. The name is Latinized as ''Olaus''.

Notable people

North Germanic

;Denmark *

Olaf I of Denmark Olaf I ( da, Oluf; – 18 August 1095), nicknamed Olaf Hunger, was king of Denmark from 1086 to 1095, following the death of his brother Canute IV the Holy. He was a son of king Sweyn II Estridsson, and the third of Sweyn's sons to rule. He m ...

, king 1086–1095 *

Olaf II of Denmark no, Olav Håkonsson , house = Bjelbo , father = Haakon VI of Norway , mother = Margaret I of Denmark , birth_date = , birth_place = Akershus Castle, Oslo , death_date = , death_place = Falsterbo ...

, also Olaf IV of Norway * Oluf Haraldsen (died c. 1143), Danish nobleman who ruled Scania for a few years from 1139 ;Norway * Olaf Haraldsson Geirstadalf, petty king *

Olaf I of Norway Olaf Tryggvason (960s – 9 September 1000) was King of Norway from 995 to 1000. He was the son of Tryggvi Olafsson, king of Viken ( Vingulmark, and Rånrike), and, according to later sagas, the great-grandson of Harald Fairhair, first King of ...

Tryggvason, 969 – 9 September 1000 *

Olaf II of Norway Olaf II Haraldsson ( – 29 July 1030), later known as Saint Olaf (and traditionally as St. Olave), was King of Norway from 1015 to 1028. Son of Harald Grenske, a petty king in Vestfold, Norway, he was posthumously given the title '' Rex Per ...

, or Saint Olaf, ruled 1015–1030 * Olaf III of Norway, king 1067–1093 * Olaf Magnusson (formerly IV) of Norway, 1103–1110 *

Olaf IV of Norway no, Olav Håkonsson , house = House of Bjelbo, Bjelbo , father = Haakon VI of Norway , mother = Margaret I of Denmark , birth_date = , birth_place = Akershus Fortress, Akershus Castle, Oslo , death_date = ...

, king 1370 – 23 August 1387; was also Olaf II of Denmark ;Sweden *

Olaf of Sweden (disambiguation) Olaf of Sweden also "Onela" - Swedish: ''Olov'' or ''Olof'' - may refer to: * Onela, mythological Swedish ruler * Olof (I) of Sweden, Swedish king in 854 (speculative numeral) * Olof Björnsson, Olof "II", Swedish king (reigned ca. 970–975) (spec ...

(I, II and III)

Norse-Gaelic

Not all the following were strictly Norse-Gaels, but they share the most common Norse-Gaelic names. *

Olaf the Black Óláfr Guðrøðarson (died 1237) (Scottish Gaelic: ''Amhlaibh Dubh''), also known as Olaf the Black, was a thirteenth-century King of the Isles, and a member of the Crovan dynasty. He was a son of Guðrøðr Óláfsson, King of the Isles and ...

, 13th-century Norse king *

Amlaíb Conung Amlaíb Conung ( non, Óláfr ; died c. 874) was a Viking leader in Ireland and Scotland in the mid-late ninth century. He was the son of the king of Lochlann, identified in the non-contemporary '' Fragmentary Annals of Ireland'' as Gofraid, and ...

(King Olaf), King of Dublin, possibly identical with

Olaf the White Olaf the White ( non, Óláfr hinn Hvíti) was a viking sea-king who lived in the latter half of the 9th century. Life Olaf was born around 820, in Ireland. His father was the Hiberno-Norse warlord Ingjald Helgasson. Some traditional sources po ...

Olaf III Guthfrithson Olaf Guthfrithson or Anlaf Guthfrithson ( non, Óláfr Guðrøðsson ; oe, Ánláf; sga, Amlaíb mac Gofraid; died 941) was a Hiberno-Scandinavian (Irish-Viking) leader who ruled Dublin and Viking Northumbria in the 10th century. He was th ...

(Emlaíb mac Gofraid), King of Dublin *

Amlaíb Ua Donnubáin Amlaíb Ua Donnubáin (or Olaf/Auliffe O'Donovan) (died 1201) is the last member of the O'Donovan family to be styled king of Uí Chairpre Áebda (Cairbre Eva) in the Irish annals, and in fact the very last known king of this people. He is th ...

(Auliffe O'Donovan), regional Irish king

Mann and the Isles

Olaf I of Mann Olaf or Olav (, , or British ; Old Norse: ''Áleifr'', ''Ólafr'', ''Óleifr'', ''Anleifr'') is a Scandinavian and German given name. It is presumably of Proto-Norse origin, reconstructed as ''*Anu-laibaz'', from ''anu'' "ancestor, grand-father" ...

, also called Olaf Godredsson (c. 1080–1153) *

Olaf II the Black Óláfr Guðrøðarson (died 1237) (Scottish Gaelic: ''Amhlaibh Dubh''), also known as Olaf the Black, was a thirteenth-century King of the Isles, and a member of the Crovan dynasty. He was a son of Guðrøðr Óláfsson, King of the Isles and ...

, also called Olaf Godredsson (1173/4–1237), King of Mann and the Isles 1229–1237.

Novgorod Republic (in Ukraine or Kievan Rus')

Uleb Ragnvaldsson Uleb Ragnvaldsson was a military leader of Novgorod Republic in conquering of Yugra in 1032.Ragnvald Ulfsson Ragnvald Ulfsson the Old (beginning 11th century) was a jarl of Västergötland or Östergötland and was married to a sister of King Olav Tryggvason.Winroth 1995–1997:616 Biography According to Snorri, Ragnvald was the son of jarl Ulf ...

jarl of

Staraja Ladoga Staraya Ladoga (russian: Ста́рая Ла́дога, p=ˈstarəjə ˈladəɡə, lit=Old Ladoga), known as Ladoga until 1704, is a rural locality (a '' selo'') in Volkhovsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the Volkhov River ne ...

(Aldeigjuborg), military leader of Novgorod Republic in conquering of Yugra in 1032.

Modern people

Given name

Olav V of Norway Olav V (; born Prince Alexander of Denmark; 2 July 1903 – 17 January 1991) was the King of Norway from 1957 until his death in 1991. Olav was the only child of King Haakon VII of Norway and Maud of Wales. He became heir apparent to the Nor ...

, king 1957–1991 * Olaf Amundsen (1876–1939), Norwegian lawyer and politician * Olaf Fink (1914–1973), American educator and state senator *

Olaf Lubaszenko Olaf Sergiusz Linde-Lubaszenko (born 6 December 1968)Olaf Lubaszenko
at the Polish Internet Movie Database

, Polish actor *

Olaf Pooley Oloe Krohn "Olaf" Pooley (13 March 1914 – 14 July 2015) was an English actor, screenwriter and painter. As an actor, he appeared as Professor Stahlman in the seven-part '' Doctor Who'' serial ''Inferno'' (1970). Early life Pooley was born t ...

(1914–2015), English actor * Count Oluf of Rosenborg (1923–1990) *

Olaf Scholz Olaf Scholz (; born ) is a German politician who has served as the chancellor of Germany since 8 December 2021. A member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), he previously served as Vice Chancellor under Angela Merkel and as Federal Minister ...

(born 1958), German politician * Olaf C. Seltzer (1877-1957), Danish-born American painter *

Olaf Stapledon William Olaf Stapledon (10 May 1886 – 6 September 1950) – known as Olaf Stapledon – was a British philosopher and author of science fiction.Andy Sawyer, " illiamOlaf Stapledon (1886-1950)", in Bould, Mark, et al, eds. ''Fifty Key Figure ...

(1886–1950), British author and historian *

Oluf van Steenwinckel Oluf van Steenwinckel (died 1659) was a Danish building master and engineer, probably the son of Hans van Steenwinckel the Younger. Biography In the 1640s he worked at Nykøbing Castle among other places and from 1651 to 52 he was Copenhagen's f ...

(died 1659), Danish building master and engineer

Middle name

Erwin Olaf Erwin Olaf Springveld (born 2 July 1959), professionally known as Erwin Olaf, is a Dutch photographer from Hilversum. Time magazine described his work as straddling "the worlds of commercial, art and fashion photography at once." Biography E ...

(Erwin Olaf Springveld), Dutch photographer

Fictional characters

Count Olaf The children's novel series ''A Series of Unfortunate Events'' and its film and television adaptations features a large cast of characters created by Daniel Handler under the pen name of Lemony Snicket. The original series follows the turbulent ...

, a fictional character and the main antagonist in the series of novels ''A Series of Unfortunate Events'' by Lemony Snicket *

Olaf Olaf or Olav (, , or British ; Old Norse: ''Áleifr'', ''Ólafr'', ''Óleifr'', ''Anleifr'') is a Scandinavian and German given name. It is presumably of Proto-Norse origin, reconstructed as ''*Anu-laibaz'', from ''anu'' "ancestor, grand-father" ...

, a fictional character in ''Jungle Jam and Friends: The Radio Show!'' *

, a fictional anthropomorphic snowman in the 2013 film ''Frozen'' *Olaf, the Berserker, a character in the multiplayer online battle arena video game ''

League of Legends ''League of Legends'' (''LoL''), commonly referred to as ''League'', is a 2009 multiplayer online battle arena video game developed and published by Riot Games. Inspired by ''Defense of the Ancients'', a custom map for ''Warcraft III'', Ri ...

'' *Olaf "the Stout", a fictional character in the video game series ''

The Lost Vikings ''The Lost Vikings'' is a puzzle-platform game developed by Silicon & Synapse (now Blizzard Entertainment) and published by Interplay. It was originally released for the Super NES in 1993, then subsequently released for the Amiga, Amiga CD32, MS ...

'' * Olaf the Troll, a fictional character in the TV series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' *Olaf, one of

Snoopy's siblings Snoopy is an anthropomorphic beagle in the comic strip ''Peanuts'' by Charles M. Schulz. He can also be found in all of the ''Peanuts'' films and television specials. Since his debut on October 4, 1950, Snoopy has become one of the most recog ...

in ''Peanuts'' *Olaf Potato, a fictional anthropomorphic potato in the British animated short series '' Small Potatoes'' *Olaf the Smug Anteater, a fictional character from '' Animal Crossing: New Leaf'' *Olaf the Lofty, a fictional inventor from Noggin the Nog *Agent Olaf, from Odd Squad (TV series) *Olaf (Agent Otto Jefferies), a fictional character from the '' Anita Blake'' series. *Olaf One-Eye, ancient High King of Skyrim from the video game series

The Elder Scrolls ''The Elder Scrolls'' is a series of action role-playing video games primarily developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The series focuses on free-form gameplay in an open world. '' Morrowind'', '' Oblivion' ...

Named animals

Nils Olav Brigadier Sir Nils Olav III is a king penguin who resides in Edinburgh Zoo, Scotland. He is the mascot and colonel-in-chief of the Norwegian King's Guard. The name 'Nils Olav' and associated ranks have been passed down through three king peng ...

Septs and clans

McAuliffe (surname) McAuliffe or MacAuliffe is a surname of Norse Irish origin.Mac Amhlaoibh and Mac Amhalghaidh (Irish septs) ''Mac Amhlaoibh'' and ''Mac Amhalghaidh'' are two different Gaelic patronymic names with different origins and meanings, but which share the same or similar Anglicisations. These Gaelic names are borne by at least three unrelated native Irish cla ...

Clan Macaulay of Lewis The Macaulay family of Uig in Lewis, known in Scottish Gaelic as ''Clann mhic Amhlaigh'', were a small family located around Uig on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. There is no connection between the Macaulays of Lewis and C ...

Clan MacAulay Clan MacAulay ( gd, Clann Amhlaoibh, ), also spelt Macaulay or Macauley is a Scottish clan. The clan was historically centred on the lands of Ardincaple, which are today consumed by the little village of Rhu and burgh of Helensburgh in Argyl ...