Ólafur () is a common name in

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

, derived from the

Old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was 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 ...

Óláfr , meaning "ancestor's relic". According to Icelandic custom, people are generally referred to by first and middle names and patronyms are used if disambiguation is required. The name is a frequently given name in Iceland. In 2005, it was the fifth most common male given name after Gunnar and before

Einar Einar is a Scandinavian given name deriving from the Old Norse name Einarr, which according to Guðbrandur Vigfússon is directly connected with the concept of the einherjar, warriors who died in battle and ascended to Valhalla in Norse mytholog ...

. A diminutive form is

Óli Óli is a Faroese and Icelandic masculine given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that ...

.Statistics Iceland
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Notable Icelanders named Ólafur

Bjarni Ólafur Eiríksson Bjarni Ólafur Eiríksson (born 28 March 1982) is a retired Icelandic football defender. Career He signed for Stabæk Fotball, 2008 winner of the Norwegian Tippeligaen in February 2010 after one week on trial. Stabæk manager Jan Jönsson was ...

(born 1982), football defender *

Guðni Ólafur Guðnason Guðni Ólafur Guðnason (born 14 December 1965) is an Icelandic former basketball player and coach who played 76 games for the Icelandic national team. In 1986 he was named the Icelandic Basketball Player of the Year. As a member of KR, he wo ...

(born 1965), retired basketball player *

Ólafur Adolfsson Ólafur Adolfsson is an Icelandic politician from the Independence Party. In the 2024 Icelandic parliamentary election he was elected to the Althing. In 2009, he founded the Reykjavíkur Apótek pharmacy. He is a former councillor in Akransei. ...

, Icelandic politician *

Ólafur Arnalds Ólafur Arnalds (; born 3 November 1986) is an Icelandic multi-instrumentalist and producer from Mosfellsbær, Iceland. He mixes strings and piano with loops and beats, a sound ranging from ambient/electronic to atmospheric pop. He is also th ...

(born 1986), modern composer *

Ólafur Benediktsson Ólafur Benediktsson (born 3 August 1952) is an Icelandic former handball player who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and officially branded as Munich 197 ...

(born 1952), former handball player *

Ólafur Egilsson Ólafur Egilsson (1564 – 1 March 1639) was an Icelandic Lutheran minister. In 1627, he was abducted, along with his wife and two sons, by Barbary Pirates under the Ottoman Empire during their raid on Vestmannaeyjar. The raid is known in I ...

(1564–1639), priest *

Ólafur Elíasson Olafur Eliasson (; born 5 February 1967) is an Icelandic–Danish artist known for sculptured and large-scaled installation art employing elemental materials such as light, water, and air temperature to enhance the viewer's experience. In 1995, ...

(born 1967), Danish-Icelandic artist *

Ólafur Friðrik Magnússon Ólafur Friðrik Magnússon (born 3 August 1952) is a former mayor of Reykjavík, Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between ...

(born 1952), former mayor of Reykjavík *

Ólafur Garðar Einarsson Ólafur Garðar Einarsson (7 July 1932 – 27 April 2023) was an Icelandic politician. He was a member of the Althing The (; ), anglicised as Althingi or Althing, is the Parliamentary sovereignty, supreme Parliament, national parliament o ...

(1932–2023), politician and former minister *

Ólafur Gottskálksson Ólafur Gottskálksson (born 12 March 1968 in Keflavík) is a retired Icelandic professional football goalkeeper. He played ten games for Icelandic national football team. Football Club career Ólafur played for IA Akranes and KR Reykjavík ...

(born 1968), retired professional football goalkeeper *

Ólafur Guðmundsson Ólafur Andrés Guðmundsson (born 13 May 1990) is an Icelandic handball player for HF Karlskrona and the Icelandic national team. He represented Iceland at the 2019 World Men's Handball Championship The 2019 IHF World Men's Handball Cham ...

, handball player * Ólafur Haukur Símonarson, (born 1947), playwright and novelist *

Ólafur Ingi Skúlason Ólafur Ingi Skúlason (born 1 April 1983) is an Icelandic former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He is the manager of Iceland national under-19 football team and the Iceland national under-15 women's team. Club career Óla ...

(born 1983), footballer and a midfielder *

Ólafur Ísleifsson Ólafur Ísleifsson (born 10 February 1955 in Reykjavík) is an Icelandic economist and politician from the Centre Party (Iceland), Centre Party. He has represented Reykjavík North (Althing constituency), Reykjavik North in the Parliament of Icela ...

(born 1955), Icelandic economist and politician *

Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson (born 26 September 1962), also known as Olaf Olafsson, is an Icelandic businessman and writer. He is best known for his tenure at Sony and his leadership in the creation of the PlayStation video game console. Personal ...

(born 1962), author *

Ólafur Jóhann Sigurðsson Ólafur Jóhann Sigurðsson (26 September 1918 – 30 July 1988) was an Icelandic novelist, short story writer and poet. His style was social realism. His published works include five volumes of short stories, six novels, two short novels, four ...

(1918–1988), novelist, short story writer and poet *

Ólafur Jóhannesson (football manager) Ólafur Davíð Jóhannesson (born 30 June 1957) is an Icelandic football manager and former player who formerly managed the Iceland national team. During his manager career, he has won the Icelandic championship five times and the Icelandic C ...

(born 1957), football manager and former player *

Ólafur Jóhannesson Ólafur Jóhannesson (1 March 1913 – 20 May 1984) was twice the Prime Minister of Iceland for the Progressive Party (1971–1974 and 1978–1979). He was a member of the Progressive Party, serving as party chairman from 1968 to 1979. C ...

(1913–1984), the fifteenth Prime Minister of Iceland *

Ólafur Jónsson Ólafur Jónsson (born 7 December 1949) is an Icelandic former handball player who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics. Playing career Jónsson began playing handball at the age of 15 years at Valur Handball. He debuted for the national team a ...

(born 1946), former handball player *

Ólafur Josephsson Ólafur () is a common name in Iceland, derived from the Old Norse Óláfr , meaning "ancestor's relic". According to Icelandic custom, people are generally referred to by first and middle names and patronyms are used if disambiguation is require ...

, musician, better known by the stage name ''Stafrænn Hákon'' *

Ólafur Örn Bjarnason Ólafur Örn Bjarnason (born 15 May 1975) is an Icelandic former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. He is currently the Head of Coaching at Danish Superliga side AaB. Club career He started his career in Grindavík, and ret ...

(born 1975), football defender *

Ólafur Páll Snorrason Ólafur Páll Snorrason (born 22 April 1982) is an Icelandic football coach and former player. Playing career Born in Reykjavík, Ólafur played as a right winger for Valur, Bolton Wanderers, Fjölnir, Stjarnan, Fylkir and FH. When he joined E ...

(born 1982), international footballer *

Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson (; born 14 May 1943) is an Icelandic politician who was the fifth president of Iceland, serving from 1996 to 2016.

(born 1943), the fifth President of Iceland *

Ólafur Stefánsson Ólafur Indriði Stefánsson (born 3 July 1973) is an Icelandic former handball player who, for many years was the captain of the Iceland men's national handball team but announced his international retirement after the 2012 London Olympics. H ...

(born 1973), handball player *

Ólafur Stígsson Ólafur Ingi Stígsson (born 16 December 1975) is a retired Icelandic footballer. He spent the majority of his playing career with Fylkir, making more than 150 league appearances for the club. Ólafur has also assisted Valur and had spells in Sc ...

(born 1975), footballer *

Ólafur Þór Gunnarsson Ólafur Þór Gunnarsson (born 25 October 1977) is an Icelandic former footballer. He played the majority of his career in Iceland and capped for the Icelandic national team against Brazil in 2002. He played football for Flagler College in the ...

(born 1977), footballer *

Ólafur Þórðarson (footballer) Ólafur Þórðarson (; born 22 August 1965) is an Icelandic former association football, footballer, who played as a midfielder. Ólafur is the former coach of Knattspyrnufélagið Víkingur, Vikingur Reykjavik. He is the brother of Teitur Tho ...

(born 1965), former footballer *

Ólafur Thors Ólafur Tryggvason Thors (19 January 1892 – 31 December 1964) was an Icelandic politician of the Independence Party, who served six times as prime minister of Iceland. Career The son of Margrét Þorbjörg Kristjánsdóttir and Danish Icelan ...

(1892–1964), former Prime Minister of Iceland on five occasions

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Olafur Masculine given names Icelandic masculine given names

Notable Icelanders named Ólafur

See also

References