Anders is a male name in
Scandinavian languages
The North Germanic languages make up one of the three branches of the Germanic languages—a sub-family of the Indo-European languages—along with the West Germanic languages and the extinct East Germanic languages. The language group is al ...
and
Fering North Frisian, an equivalent of the Greek
Andreas
Andreas () is a name derived from the Greek noun ἀνήρ ''anēr'', with genitive ἀνδρός ''andros'', which means "man". See the article on Andrew for more information. The Scandinavian name is earliest attested as antreos in a runeston ...
("manly") and the English
Andrew
Andrew is the English form of the given name, common in many countries. The word is derived from the , ''Andreas'', itself related to ''aner/andros'', "man" (as opposed to "woman"), thus meaning "manly" and, as consequence, "brave", "strong", "c ...
. It originated from
Andres via
metathesis.
In Sweden, Anders has been one of the most common names for many centuries, earliest attested in 1378. It was common for priests and farmers during medieval times.
[ According to ]Statistics Sweden
Statistics Sweden ( ; SCB, ) is the Swedish government agency operating under the Ministry of Finance and responsible for producing official statistics for decision-making, debate and research. The agency's responsibilities include:
* developin ...
, as of 31 December 2021patronymic
A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (more specifically an avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor. It is the male equivalent of a matronymic.
Patronymics are used, b ...
s were converted into family name
In many societies, a surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family. It is typically combined with a given name to form the full name of a person, although several give ...
s is the reason why 1 out of every 30 Swedes today is called Andersson
Andersson is a Swedish language surname, a form of the surname Anderson. ''Andersson'' is, if several spelling variants are included, the most common surname in Sweden.name day
In Christianity, a name day is a tradition in many countries of Europe and the Americas, as well as Christian communities elsewhere. It consists of celebrating a day of the year that is associated with one's baptismal name, which is normatively t ...
of Anders in the Scandinavian calendar is 30 November,[ and in the old peasant superstition that day was important for determining what the ]Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...
weather would be. If it was very cold on 30 November there would be much sleet on Christmas (and vice versa).
In Denmark Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created by the Walt Disney Company. Donald is an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit, sailor shirt and cap with ...
's name is ''Anders And''.
The Fering name Anders may have been borrowed from the Danish version.
People
Given name
A–E
*Anders Aarum
Anders Aarum (born 17 December 1974) is a Norwegian jazz pianist, known from numerous albums and international collaborations like Sonny Simmons, Ola Kvernberg, Tine Asmundsen, Sigurd Køhn, Børre Dalhaug, Nora Brockstedt and Even Kruse Ska ...
(born 1974), Norwegian jazz pianist
*Anders Aalborg
Anders Olav Aalborg (August 24, 1914 – February 13, 2000) was a teacher and a politician from Alberta, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1948 to 1971 as a member of the Social Credit caucus, and served in the cabine ...
(1914–2000), Canadian teacher and politician
*Anders Ahlgren
Anders Oscar Ahlgren (12 February 1888 – 27 December 1976) was a Swedish Greco-Roman wrestler. He was a world champion in 1913 and finished second in 1911 and 1922.
At the 1912 Summer Olympics, Ahlgren won the silver medal in the light heavyw ...
(1888–1976), Swedish Greco-Roman wrestler
* Anders Andersen (1912–2006), Danish politician
*Anders Antonsen
Anders Antonsen (born 27 April 1997) is a Danish badminton player. He is a three-time World Championships medalist, two-time European Champion, and he has been ranked as high as No. 2 in the men’s singles discipline of BWF World Ranking.
He ...
(born 1997), Danish badminton player
*Anders Anundsen
Anders Anundsen (born 17 November 1975) is a Norwegian politician for the Progress Party who served as Minister of Justice from 2013 to 2016. He was also a member of the Norwegian parliament, representing Vestfold from 2005 to 2017.
A jurist ...
(born 1975), Norwegian politician
*Anders Aplin (born 1991), Singapore football player
*Anders Arborelius (born 1949), Swedish Roman Catholic cardinal
*Anders Askevold (1834–1900), Norwegian painter
*Anders August (born 1978), Danish screenwriter
*Anders Aukland (born 1972), Norwegian cross-country skier
*Anders Bjork (ice hockey), Anders Bjork, American NHL player for the Buffalo Sabres
*Anders Björklund (born 1945), Swedish neuroscientist
*Anders Björler (born 1973), Swedish musician and songwriter
*Anders Blume (born in 1985), Danish CS:GO commentator
*Anders Behring Breivik (born 1979), Norwegian terrorist and right-wing extremist
*Anders Boesen (born 1976), Danish badminton player
*Anders Brännström (born 1957), Swedish Army major general
*Anders Callert (born 1965), Swedish Army major general
*Anders Carlson (American football) (born 1998), American football player
*Anders Carlsson (ice hockey) (born 1960), "Masken", Swedish ice hockey player
*Anders Celsius (1701–1744), Swedish astronomer
*Anders Danielsen Lie (born 1979), Norwegian actor, musician and medical doctor
*Anders Daun (born 1963), Swedish ski jumper
*Anders Eklund (boxer) (1957–2010), Swedish boxer
*Anders Eriksson (ice hockey b. 1975), Anders Eriksson (born 1975), Swedish ice hockey player
F–L
*Anders Fannemel (born 1991), Norwegian ski jumper
*Anders Frandsen (1960-c. 2012), Danish actor and musician, Danish representative in the Eurovision Song Contest 1991, 1991 Eurovision Song Contest
*Anders Fridén (born 1973), Swedish death metal singer for the band In Flames
*Anders Gärderud (born 1946), Swedish steeplechase runner
*Anders Abraham Grafström (1790–1870), Swedish poet and historian
*Anders Hedberg (born 1951), Swedish pioneering ice hockey player
*Anders Hejlsberg (born 1960), Danish software engineer
*Anders Holm, American writer and one of the stars and creators of the Comedy Central show ''Workaholics''
*Anders Holmertz (born 1968), Swedish retired swimmer, twice freestyle world champion
*Anders Jacobsen (ski jumper) (born 1985), Norwegian ski jumper
*Anders Järryd (born 1961), Swedish former tennis doubles player, winner of eight Grand Slam titles
*Anders Kaliff (born 1963), Swedish archaeologist
*Anders Kraft (born 1968), Swedish journalist and news anchor
*Anders Lange (1904–1974), Norwegian politician
*Anders Langlands, visual effects supervisor
*Anders Lee (born 1990), American ice hockey player for the New York Islanders
*Anders Limpar (born 1965), Swedish footballer
*Anders Lindegaard (born 1984), Danish footballer
*Anders Linderoth (born 1950), Swedish professional football player and coach
*Anders Lindström (born 1969), Swedish rock guitarist and pianist
*Anders Lindström (Swedish Army officer), Anders Lindström (born 1955), Swedish Army officer
*Anders Lustgarten, British playwright
*Anders Olson Lysne (1764–1803), Norwegian rebel leader
M–Z
*Anders Nilsen (disambiguation), multiple people
*Anders Örne (1881–1956), Swedish politician
*Anders Österberg (born 1981), Swedish politician
*Anders Paulsen (died 1692), North Sámi people, Sami noaidi, last victim of the Vardø witch trials (1621-1692). In Sámi form his name was Poala-Ánde.
*Anders Holch Povlsen (born 1972), Danish billionaire, CEO and sole owner of the international retail clothing chain Bestseller
*Anders Sandøe Ørsted (1778–1860), Danish politician and jurist, Prime Minister of Denmark (1853–1854)
*Anders Sandøe Ørsted (botanist) (1816–1872), Danish botanist, mycologist, zoologist and marine biologist, nephew of the prime minister
*Anders Rapp (1927–1998), Swedish geographer
*Anders Fogh Rasmussen (born 1953), Danish politician, 24th Prime Minister of Denmark and 12th Secretary General of NATO
*Anders Södergren (born 1977), Swedish cross-country skier
*Anders Svensson (bandy) (born 1975), Swedish bandy player
*Anders Svensson (canoeist) (born 1977), Swedish canoer
*Anders Svensson (footballer, born 1976), Swedish footballer
*Anders Svensson (footballer, born 1939) (1939–2007), Swedish footballer
*Anders Sunesen (c. 1167–1228), Danish archbishop
*Anders Erikson Sparrman (1748–1820), Swedish naturalist and abolitionist
*Anders Szalkai (born 1970), Swedish retired long-distance runner
*Anders Thunborg (1934–2004), Swedish politician and diplomat
*Anders Wijkman (born 1944), Swedish politician
*Anders Zorn (1860–1920), Swedish painter, sculptor and printmaker
Middle name
*Bengtolle Oldinger (1911–1988), born as Bengt Anders Valter Oldinger, Swedish painter
*Paul Anders Ogren (born 1951), American carpenter, farmer, and politician
*David Anders, David Anders Holt (born 1981), known professionally as David Anders, American television and stage actor
Surname
*Allison Anders (born 1954), American film and television director
*Andrea Anders (born 1975), American actress
*Andy Anders (born 1956), Louisiana state representative
*Benny Anders (born 1963), American basketball player
*Christian Anders (born 1945), Austrian singer and composer
*Edward Anders (1926–2025), Latvian-born American geochemist and historian of the Holocaust
*Ernst Anders (1845–1911), German painter
*Eryk Anders (born 1987), American mixed martial artist
*Frank L. Anders (1875–1966), U.S. Army soldier awarded the Medal of Honor
*Fritz Anders (aviator) (1889–1919), German World War I flying ace
*Fritz Anders (geneticist) (1919–1999), German geneticist and molecular biologist
*Günther Anders (1902–1992), German thinker
*Günther Anders (cinematographer) (1908–1977), German cinematographer
*Ira Anders (1942–2025), American politician in Missouri
*Joe Anders (born 2003), American-British actor
*Merry Anders (1932–2012), American actress
*Peter Anders (tenor) (1908–1954), German operatic tenor
*Reinhard Anders (1940–2025), German politician
*Rob Anders (born 1972), Canadian politician
*Ron Anders Jr., American politician
*Thomas Anders (born 1963), stage name of German singer Bernd Weidung
*William Anders (1933–2024), Apollo 8 astronaut, former U.S. Air Force officer, and businessman
*Władysław Anders (1892–1970), Polish general and politician
Stage name
*Anders (singer), Canadian R&B singer and songwriter
Fictional characters
*Anders (Dragon Age), a character in the ''Dragon Age'' video game series
* Andurs, a Nord priest of Arkay, and Anders (deceased bandit), characters in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, a game heavily influenced by Scandinavian culture
* Captain Leslie Anders, supporting character in the 1968 movie ”Ice Station Zebra”, played by the actor Jim Brown
*Joseph Anders, a character in the U.S. TV series ''Dynasty'' and its reboot
*Kory Anders, civilian name for ''DC Comics'' superheroine Starfire (Teen Titans), Starfire
*Anders 'Dup' DuPlessis, a character in the UK ITV Series Wild at Heart (British TV series), "Wild at Heart", played by the actor Deon Stewardson, Dion Stewardson
References
{{given name, type=both
Scandinavian masculine given names
Danish masculine given names
Norwegian masculine given names
Masculine given names
Swedish masculine given names
Surnames from given names