Olaf or Olav (, , or British ;

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 Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...

forms are attested as ''Ǣlāf'', ''Anlāf''. The corresponding Old Novgorod dialect 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 regio ...

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

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

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 Br ...

'' 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 writt ...

and Scots with the spellings ''Amlaíb'' and ''Amhlaoibh'', giving rise to modern version ''

Aulay Aulay is a Scottish masculine given name. It is an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic ''Amhladh'', ''Amhlaidh'', ''Amhlaigh'', and ''Amhlaibh''. The standard Irish Gaelic form of these names is ''Amhlaoibh'' (pronounced "ow-liv", and "owl-lee"); ...

''. The name is Latinized as ''Olaus''.

Notable people

North Germanic

;Denmark * Olaf I of Denmark, 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 Ca ...

, also Olaf IV of Norway *

Oluf Haraldsen Olaf Haraldsen (died ) was a Danish anti-king who ruled Scania for a few years from 1139. He never won control over the rest of Denmark, and he is not included in the list of Danish monarchs used by the Danish monarchy or ''Den Store Danske Encyk ...

(died c. 1143), Danish nobleman who ruled Scania for a few years from 1139 ;Norway *

Olaf Haraldsson Geirstadalf Olaf Haraldssøn Geirstadalf Digerbein (Agder, c. 877 - Tønsberg, c. 934), was a reputed son of King Harald Fairhair of Norway with Svanhild Øysteinsdatter, daughter of Øystein Jarl. Biography The saga ''Heimskringla'', written in Iceland in the ...

, 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 N ...

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 Perpet ...

, 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, 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 Onela was according to ''Beowulf'' a Swedish king, the son of Ongentheow and the brother of Ohthere. He usurped the Swedish throne, but was killed by his nephew ...

(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, 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 br ...

(King Olaf), King of Dublin, possibly identical with Olaf the White * Olaf III Guthfrithson (Emlaíb mac Gofraid), King of Dublin * Amlaíb Ua Donnubáin (Auliffe O'Donovan), regional Irish king

Mann and the Isles

* Olaf I of Mann, 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 jarl of Staraja Ladoga (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 Olaf Amundsen (13 May 1876–12 December 1939) was a Norway, Norwegian lawyer and politician for the Venstre (Norway), Liberal Party. Amundsen was elected to the Parliament of Norway for the parliamentary terms 1910-1912 and 1913–1918. F ...

(1876–1939), Norwegian lawyer and politician *

Olaf Fink Olaf James Fink (March 15, 1914 – March 26, 1973) was a Louisiana educator and politician who served as a Democrat in the Louisiana State Senate from 1956 to 1972. Born in Algiers, New Orleans, Fink received a B.A. from Spring Hill Colleg ...

(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 to ...

(1914–2015), English actor *

Count Oluf of Rosenborg Oluf, Count of Rosenborg (Oluf Christian Carl Axel; 10 March 1923 – 19 December 1990), a former Danish prince, was the youngest child and son of Prince Harald of Denmark by his wife, Princess Helena Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Gl� ...

(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 of Germany, Social Democratic Party (SPD), he previously served as Vice Chancellor of German ...

(born 1958), German politician *

Olaf C. Seltzer Olaf C. Seltzer (August 27, 1877 - December 16, 1957) was a Danish-born American painter and illustrator from Great Falls, Montana. He did over 2,500 paintings and illustrations of the American West, including cowboys. Early life Seltzer was born ...

(1877-1957), Danish-born American painter * Olaf Stapledon (1886–1950), British author and historian *

Oluf van Steenwinckel Oluf van Steenwinckel (died 1659) was a Denmark, 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 Copenh ...

(died 1659), Danish building master and engineer

Middle name

* Erwin Olaf (Erwin Olaf Springveld), Dutch photographer

Fictional characters

* Count Olaf, 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 ...

, 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'' *Olaf "the Stout", a fictional character in the video game series '' The Lost Vikings'' * 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 Anita Blake is the title and viewpoint character of the '' Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter'' series by Laurell K. Hamilton. The series takes place in a parallel world in which supernatural characters like vampires and werewolves exist alongside reg ...

'' series. *Olaf One-Eye, ancient High King of Skyrim from the video game series The Elder Scrolls.

Named animals

* Nils Olav

Septs and clans

McAuliffe (surname) McAuliffe or MacAuliffe is a surname of Norse Irish origin.Mac Amhlaoibh and Mac Amhalghaidh (Irish septs) *

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 Argyll ...