Olaf

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This article is about the name. For other uses, see Olaf (disambiguation).

Olaf or Olav (/ˈoʊləf/, /ˈoʊlɑːf/, or British /ˈoʊlæf/; Old Norse: Áleifr, Ólafr, Óleifr, Anleifr) is a Scandinavian given name. It is presumably of Proto-Norse 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 form is Uleb. A later English form of the name is Olave.

In the Norwegian language, Olav and Olaf are equally common, but Olav is traditionally used when referring to Norwegian royalty. The Swedish form is Olov or Olof. It was borrowed into Old Irish and Scots with the spellings Amlaíb and Amhlaoibh, giving rise to modern version Aulay (see also Mac Amhlaoibh and Mac Amhalghaidh (Irish septs)). The name is Latinized as Olaus.

Notable people[]

North Germanic[]

Denmark
Norway
  • Olaf Haraldsson Geirstadalf, petty king
  • Olaf I of Norway Tryggvason, 969 – 9 September 1000
  • Olaf II of Norway, 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) (I, II and III)

Norse-Gaelic[]

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

Mann and the Isles[]

  • Olaf I of Mann, also called Olaf Godredsson (c. 1080–1153)
  • Olaf II the Black, also called Olaf Godredsson (1173/4–1237), King of Mann and the Isles 1229–1237.

Novgorod Republic (in Ukraine or Kievan Rus')[]

Modern people[]

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, a fictional character in Jungle Jam and Friends: The Radio Show!
  • Olaf, 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 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.

Septs and clans[]

See also[]

  • Aulay, the Anglicized Scottish form of the name
  • Ólafur, the Icelandic form of the name
  • Olavi, the Finnish form of the name
  • Olavo, the Portuguese form of the name
  • Ole and Oluf, the Danish forms of the name
  • Ola and Olov, the Swedish forms of the name
  • Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav
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