Ulf, or Ulv is a masculine name common in Scandinavia and Germany. It derives from the

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 ...

word for "

wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly u ...

" (''úlfr'', see

Wulf ''Wulf'' (Common Germanic "wolf") was one of the most prolific elements in early Germanic names. It could figure as the first element in dithematic names, as in '' Wulfstan'', but especially as second element, in the form ''-ulf, -olf'' as in ...

). The oldest written record of the name's occurrence in Sweden is from a

runestone A runestone is typically a raised stone with a runic inscription, but the term can also be applied to inscriptions on boulders and on bedrock. The tradition began in the 4th century and lasted into the 12th century, but most of the runestones da ...

of the 11th century. The female form is

Ylva Ylva (She-wolf, female Wolf) is an old Sweden, Swedish female given name. It is the female form of the masculine given name Ulf and is one of the earliest names to appear in documents. The oldest written proof of the name's occurrence in Sweden was ...

. The given name Ulf was relatively popular during the 20th century, but by the 21st century mostly fell out of fashion.

Notable people

Ulf the Earl Ulf Thorgilsson, commonly known as Ulf Jarl, was a Danish jarl of Skåne and regent of Denmark. Ulf was the son of Thorgil Sprakling and the father of King Sweyn II of Denmark and thus the progenitor of the House of Estridsen, which would rule D ...

, brother-in-law of

Cnut the Great Cnut (; ang, Cnut cyning; non, Knútr inn ríki ; or , no, Knut den mektige, sv, Knut den Store. died 12 November 1035), also known as Cnut the Great and Canute, was King of England from 1016, King of Denmark from 1018, and King of Norwa ...

and regent of Denmark *

Ulf Adelsohn Ulf Adelsohn (born 4 October 1941) is a Sweden, Swedish politician, leader of the Moderate Party from 1981 to 1986 and List of governors of Stockholm County, Governor of Stockholm County from 1992 to 2001. He was a member of the Riksdag from 1982 ...

, Swedish politician, former leader of Moderata Samlingspartiet and county governor of Stockholm *

Ulf Andersson Ulf Andersson (born 27 June 1951) is a leading Swedish chess player. FIDE awarded him the International Master title in 1970 and the Grandmaster title in 1972. Career At his peak, Andersson reached number four on the FIDE rating list. Tourname ...

, Swedish chess player *

Ulf Björlin Mats Ulf Stefan Björlin (21 May 1933 – 23 October 1993) was a Swedish composer and conductor. Bjorlin was known for being one of the most active opera composers in the 20th century. Björlin was born in Stockholm in 1933. He studied music ...

(1933-1993), Swedish conductor, composer, pianist, arranger, music producer *

Ulf Dahlén Ulf Reinhold Dahlén (born January 21, 1967) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey player, and former head coach for HV71 and Frölunda HC in the Swedish Hockey League. His son Jonathan Dahlén was drafted 42nd overall in the 2016 NHL Entr ...

, Swedish ice hockey player *

Ulf Ekberg Ulf Gunnar Ekberg (born 6 December 1970), also known as Buddha, is a Swedish singer-songwriter, musician, businessman and television and film producer, best known as a founding member of the pop group Ace of Base, along with siblings Jonas Bergg ...

, Swedish pop musician *

Ulf Ekman Ulf Ekman (born 8 December 1950) is a former charismatic pastor and the founder of the Livets Ord (Word of Life) organization in Sweden, which brought the Word of Faith movement to that country. Ekman is now a Catholic. Ekman is married to Bi ...

, Swedish pastor, leader of Livets Ord * Ulf Eriksson, Swedish footballer *

Ulf von Euler Ulf Svante von Euler (7 February 1905 – 9 March 1983) was a Swedish physiologist and pharmacologist. He shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1970 for his work on neurotransmitters. Life Ulf Svante von Euler-Chelpin was born in S ...

, Swedish physiologist *

Ulf Fase Ulf Fase (died 1247) was the jarl of Sweden (c. 1221-47) . Biography Ulf Fase was probably the son of jarl Charles the Deaf (''Karl Döve'') and member the house of Folkung (''Folkungaätten''). After jarl Charles had been killed during th ...

Swedish jarl during the Middle Ages *

Ulf Friberg Ulf Sven Friberg (born 4 October 1962) is a Swedish actor, screenwriter, theatre and film director. Friberg studied in Malmö 1986–89. After that he was engaged at Stockholm City Theatre. He has also been engaged at the Orion Theatre in Stoc ...

(born 1962), Swedish actor and film director *

Ulf Georgsson Ulf Georg Georgsson (born 22 April 1962 in Kinna Parish in former Älvsborg County, Sweden), is a Swedish songwriter, who has participated at Melodifestivalen as a songwriter, and written songs recorded by, among other, Lasse Stefanz, Vikingarna, ...

(born 1962), Swedish songwriter *

Ulf Gustafsson Ulf Lindor Gustafsson (also ''Gustavsson''; born 13 December 1937) is a retired Sweden, Swedish Rowing (sport), rower who won a bronze medal in the coxed fours at the 1959 European Championships. He competed in the coxed fours and in the Eight (r ...

(born 1937), Swedish rower *

Ulf Hamrin Ulf Hamrin, born on 11 June 1946 in Östersund Östersund (; sma, Staare) is an urban area (city) in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at t ...

(born 1946), Swedish writer *

Ulf Hohmann Ulf Hohmann (born 9 July 1963, in Stuttgart) is a German ethologist, whose studies about the raccoon have played a significant role in the understanding of its social behavior and its distribution in Germany. Biography Studying at the univer ...

, German ethology researcher *

Ulf Isaksson Ulf Erik Isaksson (March 19, 1954 – December 25, 2003) was a professional ice hockey player who played one season for the Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The team competes i ...

(1954–2003), Swedish ice hockey player *

Ulf Kristersson Ulf Hjalmar Ed Kristersson (born 29 December 1963) is a Swedish politician who has been serving as Prime Minister of Sweden since October 2022. He has been the leader of the Moderate Party (M) since October 2017 and a member of the Riksdag (MP) ...

, Swedish politician *

Ulf Kirsten Ulf Kirsten (born 4 December 1965) is a German former professional footballer who played as a striker. Nicknamed ''Der Schwatte'' (dialect for ''Der Schwarze'', 'The Black One'), he is the first player in history to reach a total 100 caps play ...

, German soccer player *

Ulf Larsson Ulf Sigfrid "Uffe" Larsson (1 July 1956 – 28 September 2009) was a Swedish actor, revue artist, comedian and stage director. Ulf Larsson was born in Bromma, Stockholm, in 1956. In the early 1980s, he appeared in numerous television shows and ...

, Swedish actor and TV host *

Ulf Linde Ulf Harald Linde (15 April 1929 – 12 October 2013) was a Swedish art critic, writer, museum director and a member of the Swedish Academy. Born in Stockholm, he was elected to the Swedish Academy on 10 February 1977 and admitted on 20 December 197 ...

, Swedish art critic, writer, museum director *

Ulf Lönnqvist Ulf Lönnqvist (26 June 1936 – 24 June 2022) was a Swedish social democratic politician who held several government posts and was a member of the Swedish Parliament. Biography Lönnqvist was born in Malmö on 26 June 1936. He was a graduate of ...

, Swedish politician *

Ulf Lundell Ulf Gerhard Lundell (born 20 November 1949) is a Sweden, Swedish writer, poet, songwriter, composer, musician and artist. He made his debut in 1975 with the LP ''Vargmåne'' and was immediately hailed as "Sweden's Bob Dylan". In 1976 his first no ...

, Swedish author and rock musician *

Ulf Lundkvist Ulf Lundkvist (born 1952) is a Swedish comic creator, illustrator, and painter. A nostalgia buff in love with the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, Lundkvist depicts the "old Sweden" with humor and affection, small towns and countryside, anachronistic pla ...

, Swedish comic creator, illustrator, and painter * Ulf Nilsson, Swedish ice hockey player *

Ulf Olsson Ulf Olsson (19 December 1951 – 10 January 2010), also known as Helénmannen ("the Helén man") was a Swedish murderer. He was convicted for the murders of 10-year-old Helén Nilsson and 26-year-old Jannica Ekblad in 1989. Found after a DNA test ...

, Swedish murderer *

Ulf Ottosson Ulf Peter "Mål-Otto" Ottosson (born 2 July 1968) is a Swedish former professional association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), striker. He has also coached various teams in Sweden. He is Degerfors IF, Degerfor ...

, Swedish soccer player, Mål-Otto *

Ulf Merbold Ulf Dietrich Merbold (born June 20, 1941) is a German physicist and astronaut who flew to space three times, becoming the first West German citizen in space and the first non-American to fly on a NASA spacecraft. Merbold flew on two Space Shut ...

, German astronaut (retired) and glider pilot *

Ulf Palme Ulf Henrik Palme (18 October 1920 – 12 May 1993) was a Swedish film actor. He was born in Stockholm and died in Ingarö. Partial filmography * '' Black Roses'' (1945) - Gunnar Bergström * '' The Serious Game'' (1945) - Ture Törne * '' ...

, Swedish film actor *

Ulf Pilgaard Ulf Pilgaard (born 15 November 1940) is a Danish actor. The son of a priest, he studied theology but changed his career to acting. He is married. He has been an important part of Cirkusrevyen for 28 years. He has appeared on several films e.g. ' ...

, Danish actor * Ulf the Quarrelsome, brother (or sometimes identified as stepson) to

Brian Boru Brian Boru ( mga, Brian Bóruma mac Cennétig; modern ga, Brian Bóramha; 23 April 1014) was an Irish king who ended the domination of the High King of Ireland, High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill and probably ended Viking invasion/domi ...

Ulf Samuelsson Ulf Bo Samuelsson (born March 26, 1964) is a Swedish-American former professional ice hockey defenceman who formerly served as assistant coach of the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League. He played several seasons in the NHL with the Har ...

, Swedish ice hockey player *

Ulf Schmidt Ulf "Uffe" Christian Johan Schmidt (born 12 July 1934) is a former Swedish tennis player. He competed for AIK from Stockholm. He won 14 singles' tournaments, among them the International Swedish Championships in Båstad in 1957 and 1961. In 19 ...

, Swedish tennis player *

Ulf Timmermann Ulf, or Ulv is a masculine name common in Scandinavia and Germany. It derives from the Old Norse word for "wolf" (''úlfr'', see Wulf). The oldest written record of the name's occurrence in Sweden is from a runestone of the 11th century. The f ...

, East German shot putter

Notable people

See also