Ansgar (Latinized ''Ansgarius''; Old Norse ''Ásgeirr'') is a
Germanic given name
Germanic languages, Germanic given names are traditionally wikt:dithematic, dithematic; that is, they are formed from two elements (word stem, stems), by joining a prefix and a suffix. For example, Æthelred the Unready, King Æþelred's name was ...
, composed of the elements ''
ans'' "god", and ''
gar'' "spear".
''Ansgar'' is the
Old High German
Old High German (OHG; ) is the earliest stage of the German language, conventionally identified as the period from around 500/750 to 1050. Rather than representing a single supra-regional form of German, Old High German encompasses the numerous ...
form of the name. The form ''Asger'' was in use in Denmark in the medieval period.
[Eva Villarsen Meldgaard: Den store navnebog (2004)]
The Old English cognate of the name is ''Ōsgār'' (the given name ''
Oscar
Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to:
People and fictional and mythical characters
* Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar
* Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...
'' is however thought to be of Irish origin). The name might come from when the Vikings spread through Ireland.
Modern variants of the name include Norwegian ''Asgeir'', Icelandic ''Ásgeir'', Danish ''Asger'', ''Eske'', ''Esge'', ''Asgar'', ''Asker''.
List of people
Notable people with the given name:
Medieval
* Saint
Ansgar
Ansgar (8 September 801 – 3 February 865), also known as Anskar, Saint Ansgar, Saint Anschar or Oscar, was Archbishopric of Bremen, Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen in the northern part of the Kingdom of the East Franks. Ansgar became known as the ...
(801 – 865), Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen who was active in the Christianization of Scandinavia
*
Anscar I of Ivrea (d. 902), Margrave of Ivrea
*
Anscar of Spoleto
Anscar (Italian ''Anscario''; died 940) was a magnate in the Kingdom of Italy who served as Count of Pavia (c. 924–29), Margrave of Ivrea (929–36) and Duke of Spoleto (936–40). He is sometimes numbered "Anscar II" to distinguish him from his ...
(d. 940), Duke of Spoleto
*
Osgar (d. 984), English abbot
*
Ansgar the Staller
Ansgar the Staller or Esegar (c. 1025 – 1085) was one of the wealthiest and most powerful nobles in late Anglo-Saxon England. He escaped badly wounded from the Battle of Hastings in October 1066, then led the defence of London.
His family wer ...
(c. 1025–1068), Anglo-Saxon nobleman
Modern
;Ansgar
*
Ansgar Beckermann (b. 1945), German philosopher
*
Ansgar Elde (1933 – 2000), Swedish artist
*
Ansgar Gabrielsen (b. 1955), Norwegian politician
*
Ansgar Knauff (b. 2002), German footballer
;Asgeir
*
Asgeir Almås (born 1948), Norwegian politician
*
Asgeir Årdal
Asgeir Mandelid Årdal (born 30 November 1983) is a Norwegian cross-country skier. He made his FIS Cross-Country World Cup debut in March 2005 in Drammen, Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...
(born 1983), Norwegian cross-country skier
*
Asgeir Dølplads (1932–2023), Norwegian ski jumper
*
Asgeir Mickelson
Asgeir Mickelson (born 30 September 1969) is a Norwegian musician, artist, photographer and music reviewer. Although primarily known as a drummer, he is also a skilled guitarist and bassist.
Biography
He has stated on his official message boar ...
(born 1969), Norwegian musician, artist, photographer and music reviewer
;Ásgeir
*
Ásgeir Ásgeirsson
Ásgeir Ásgeirsson (; 13 May 1894 – 15 September 1972) was the second president of Iceland; he served from 1952 to 1968. He also served as the prime minister of Iceland from 3 June 1932 to 28 July 1934 for the Progressive Party. Ásgeir is ...
(1894–1972), second President of Iceland, from 1952 to 1968
*
Ásgeir Gunnar Ásgeirsson (born 1980), Iceland football (soccer) player
*
Ásgeir Elíasson (1949–2007), football (soccer) manager and national coach
*
Ásgeir Örn Hallgrímsson (born 1984), Icelandic handball player
*
Ásgeir Helgason
Ásgeir R. Helgason (born 1957) is an Icelandic scientist working at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. Since 2002 he has been an associate professor in psychology at the Departments of Oncology-Pathology and Public Health at the Karolinska Instit ...
(born 1957), Icelandic scientist
*
Ásgeir Jónsson, Icelandic economist, teacher and author
*
Ásgeir Sigurgeirsson, Icelandic sport shooter and Olympian
*
Ásgeir Sigurvinsson (born 1955), Icelandic football (soccer) player and coach
*
Ásgeir Trausti (born 1992), Icelandic singer, songwriter, known by his mononym Ásgeir
;Asger
''See
Asger''
See also
*
Kong Asgers Høj, large passage grave on the island of Møn in Denmark
*
Oslac
*
Osred
*
Axel
*
Asbjørn
Asbjørn is a Norwegian and Danish male given name. In 2013, there were more than 7,000 men in Norway with this name. In Norway it reached the peak of its popularity between 1910 and 1930, during which period approximately 1% of children were gi ...
*
Åsmund
*
Astle
*
Ascari, Italian surname
References
{{given name, cat1=Masculine given names, cat2=Germanic masculine given names, cat3=Old English masculine given names
German masculine given names
Masculine given names
Scandinavian masculine given names
Theophoric names