Olaf or Olav (, , or

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

; ) is a Dutch, Polish, Scandinavian and German given name. It is presumably of

Proto-Norse Proto-Norse (also called Ancient Nordic; Danish and ; ; ; ) was an Indo-European language spoken in Scandinavia that is thought to have evolved as a northern dialect of Proto-Germanic in the first centuries CE. It is the earliest stage of a c ...

origin, reconstructed as ''*Anu-laibaz'', from ''anu'' "ancestor, grand-father" and ''laibaz'' "heirloom, descendant".

Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...

forms are attested as ''Ǣlāf'', ''Anlāf''. The corresponding

Old Novgorod dialect The Old Novgorod or Old Novgorodian dialect (, ) was the East Slavic variety used in the city of Veliky Novgorod and its surrounding area. It is mainly known from medieval birch bark writings dating to the 11th to 15th centuries. Andrey Zalizn ...

form is ''Uleb''. A later English form of the name is ''Olave''. In the

Norwegian language Norwegian ( ) is a North Germanic language from the Indo-European language family spoken mainly in Norway, where it is an official language. Along with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a dialect continuum of more or less mutually intelli ...

, ''Olav'' and ''Olaf'' are equally common, but Olav is traditionally used when referring to Norwegian royalty. The

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

form is '' Olov'' or ''Olof'', and the Danish form is ''Oluf''. It was borrowed into

Old Irish Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic (, Ogham, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ; ; or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic languages, Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive written texts. It was used from 600 to 900. The ...

and

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic (, ; Endonym and exonym, endonym: ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Celtic language native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a member of the Goidelic language, Goidelic branch of Celtic, Scottish Gaelic, alongs ...

with the spellings ''Amlaíb'' and ''Amhlaoibh'', giving rise to modern version ''

Aulay Aulay is a Scottish masculine given name. It is an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic , , , and . The standard Irish Gaelic form of these names is ''Amhlaoibh'' (, ); which can be Anglicised as ''Auliffe'' and ''Humphrey''. The Old Irish person ...

''. The name is Latinized as ''Olaus''.

Notable people

North Germanic

Denmark

Olaf I of Denmark Olaf I (; – 18 August 1095), nicknamed Olaf Hunger, was king of Denmark from 1086 to 1095, following the death of his brother Canute IV the Holy. He was a son of king Sweyn II Estridsson, and the third of Sweyn's sons to rule. He married In ...

, king 1086–1095 *

Olaf II of Denmark Olaf II of Denmark (December 1370 – 3 August 1387) was King of Denmark as Olaf II (though occasionally referred to as Olaf III) from 1376 and King of Norway as Olav IV from 1380 until his death. Olaf was the son of Queen Margaret I of Denmark ...

, also Olaf IV of Norway *

Oluf Haraldsen Olaf Haraldsen (died ) was a Danish anti-king who ruled Scania for a few years from 1139. He never won control over the rest of Denmark, and he is not included in the list of Danish monarchs used by the Danish monarchy or ''Den Store Danske Encyk ...

(died c. 1143), Danish nobleman who ruled Scania for a few years from 1139

Norway

Olaf Haraldsson Geirstadalf Olaf Haraldssøn Geirstadalf Digerbein (Agder, c. 877 - Tønsberg, c. 934), was a reputed son of King Harald Fairhair of Norway with Svanhild Øysteinsdatter, daughter of Øystein Jarl. Biography The saga ''Heimskringla'', written in Iceland in th ...

(c.877–c.934), Norwegian petty king *

Olaf I of Norway Olaf Tryggvason (960s – 9 September 1000) was King of Norway from 995 to 1000. He was the son of Tryggvi Olafsson, king of Viken ( Vingulmark, and Rånrike), and, according to later sagas, the great-grandson of Harald Fairhair, first King o ...

Tryggvason, 969–1000 *

Olaf II of Norway Saint Olaf ( – 29 July 1030), also called Olaf the Holy, Olaf II, Olaf Haraldsson, and Olaf the Stout or "Large", was List of Norwegian monarchs, King of Norway from 1015 to 1028. Son of Harald Grenske, a petty king in Vestfold, Norway, he w ...

, or Saint Olaf, ruled 1015–1030 *

Olaf III of Norway Olaf III or Olaf Haraldsson (Old Norse: ''Óláfr Haraldsson'', Norwegian: ''Olav Haraldsson''; – 22 September 1093), known as Olaf the Peaceful (Old Norse: ''Óláfr kyrri'', Norwegian: ''Olav Kyrre''), was King of Norway from 1067 until hi ...

, king 1067–1093 *

Olaf Magnusson Olav Magnusson (1099 – 22 December 1115) was king of Norway The Norwegian monarch is the head of state of Norway, which is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system. The Norwegian monarchy can trace its line b ...

(formerly IV) of Norway, 1103–1110 *

Olaf IV of Norway Olaf II of Denmark (December 1370 – 3 August 1387) was King of Denmark as Olaf II (though occasionally referred to as Olaf III) from 1376 and King of Norway as Olav IV from 1380 until his death. Olaf was the son of Queen Margaret I of Denmark ...

, king 1370 – 23 August 1387; was also Olaf II of Denmark

Sweden

Olaf of Sweden (disambiguation) Olaf of Sweden also "Onela" - Swedish: ''Olov'' or ''Olof'' - may refer to: *Onela, mythological Swedish ruler *Olof (I) of Sweden Olof (Old Norse: ''Óláfr'') was a Swedish monarch or local ruler who ruled over Birka, an important port town, an ...

(I, II and III)

Norse-Gaelic

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

Olaf the Black Óláfr Guðrøðarson (died 1237) (Scottish Gaelic: ''Amhlaibh Dubh''), also known as Olaf the Black, was a thirteenth-century King of the Isles, and a member of the Crovan dynasty. He was a son of Guðrøðr Óláfsson, King of the Isles and F ...

, 13th-century Norse king *

Amlaíb Conung Amlaíb Conung ( ; died c. 874) was a Viking leader in Ireland and Scotland in the mid-late ninth century. He was the son of the king of Lochlann, identified in the non-contemporary '' Fragmentary Annals of Ireland'' as Gofraid, and brother of ...

(King Olaf), King of Dublin, possibly identical with

Olaf the White Olaf the White () was a viking sea-king who lived in the latter half of the 9th century. Life Olaf was born around 820, in Ireland. His father was the Hiberno-Norse warlord Ingjald Helgasson. Some traditional sources portray Olaf as a descendan ...

Olaf III Guthfrithson Olaf Guthfrithson or Anlaf Guthfrithson ( ; ; ; died 941) was a Hiberno-Scandinavian (Irish-Viking) leader who ruled Dublin and Viking Northumbria in the 10th century. He was the son of Gofraid ua Ímair and great-grandson of Ímar, making ...

(Emlaíb mac Gofraid), King of Dublin *

Amlaíb Ua Donnubáin Amlaíb Ua Donnubáin (or Olaf/Auliffe O'Donovan) (died 1201) is the last member of the O'Donovan family to be styled king of Uí Chairpre Áebda (Cairbre Eva) in the Irish annals, and in fact the very last known king of this people. He is th ...

(Auliffe O'Donovan), regional Irish king

Mann and the Isles

Olaf I of Mann Olaf or Olav (, , or British ; ) is a Dutch, Polish, Scandinavian and German given name. It is presumably of Proto-Norse origin, reconstructed as ''*Anu-laibaz'', from ''anu'' "ancestor, grand-father" and ''laibaz'' "heirloom, descendant". Old E ...

, also called Olaf Godredsson (c. 1080–1153) *

Olaf II the Black Óláfr Guðrøðarson (died 1237) (Scottish Gaelic: ''Amhlaibh Dubh''), also known as Olaf the Black, was a thirteenth-century King of the Isles, and a member of the Crovan dynasty. He was a son of Guðrøðr Óláfsson, King of the Isles and F ...

, also called Olaf Godredsson (1173/4–1237), King of Mann and the Isles 1229–1237

Novgorod Republic (in Ukraine or Kievan Rus')

Uleb Ragnvaldsson Uleb (Ulf) Ragnvaldsson () was a '' posadnik'' and military leader of Novgorod Veliky Novgorod ( ; , ; ), also known simply as Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the oldest citi ...

, son of

Ragnvald Ulfsson Ragnvald Ulfsson the Old () was a jarl of Västergötland or Östergötland and was married to a sister of King Olav Tryggvason.Winroth 1995–1997:616 Biography According to Snorri, Ragnvald was the son of jarl Ulf Tostesson. He was al ...

jarl of Staraja Ladoga (Aldeigjuborg), military leader of Novgorod Republic in conquering of Yugra in 1032

Scotland

Amlaíb, King of Scotland Amlaíb mac Illuilb (; died 977) was a tenth century King of Alba. He was one of three sons of Illulb mac Custantín, King of Alba, and a member of Clann Áeda meic Cináeda, a branch of the Alpínid dynasty. Amlaíb's paternal grandfather p ...

(971–977)

Modern people

Given name

Olav V of Norway Olav V (, ; born Prince Alexander of Denmark; 2 July 1903 – 17 January 1991) was King of Norway from 1957 until his death in 1991. Olav was born at Sandringham House in England, the only child of Prince Carl of Denmark and Princess Maud of ...

, king 1957–1991 * Olaf Amundsen (1876–1939), Norwegian lawyer and politician *

Olaf Fink Olaf James Fink (March 15, 1914 – March 26, 1973) was a Louisiana educator and politician who served as a Democratic Party (United States), Democrat in the Louisiana State Senate from 1956 to 1972. Born in Algiers, New Orleans, Fink receive ...

(1914–1973), American educator and state senator *Olaf Lubaszenko, Polish actor *Olaf Pooley (1914–2015), English actor *Count Oluf of Rosenborg (1923–1990) *Olaf Scholz (born 1958), German politician and Chancellor of Germany (2021–2025) *Olaf C. Seltzer (1877–1957), Danish-born American painter *Olaf Stapledon (1886–1950), British author and historian *Oluf van Steenwinckel (died 1659), Danish building master and engineer

Middle name

*Erwin Olaf (Erwin Olaf Springveld), Dutch photographer

Fictional characters

*Count Olaf, the main antagonist in the series of novels ''A Series of Unfortunate Events'' by Lemony Snicket *List of Jungle Jam and Friends: The Radio Show! characters#Olaf and Carl, Olaf, in ''Jungle Jam and Friends: The Radio Show!'' *Olaf (Frozen), Olaf (''Frozen''), an anthropomorphic snowman in the 2013 film ''Frozen'' *Olaf, the Berserker, in the multiplayer online battle arena video game ''League of Legends'' *Olaf "the Stout", in the video game series ''The Lost Vikings (series), The Lost Vikings'' *Olaf (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Olaf the Troll, in the TV series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' *Olaf, one of Snoopy#Siblings, Snoopy's siblings in ''Peanuts'' *Olaf Potato, an anthropomorphic potato in the British animated short series ''Small Potatoes (2011 TV series), Small Potatoes'' *Olaf the Smug Anteater, from ''Animal Crossing: New Leaf'' *Olaf the Lofty, an inventor from Noggin the Nog *Agent Olaf, from ''Odd Squad'' *Olaf (Agent Otto Jefferies), from the ''Anita Blake'' series *Olaf One-Eye, ancient High King of Skyrim from the video game series The Elder Scrolls *Olaf, a CO in Advance Wars

Named animals

*Nils Olav, a succession of penguins at Edinburgh Zoo, officers in the Norwegian King's Guard

Septs and clans

* McAuliffe (surname) * Mac Amhlaoibh and Mac Amhalghaidh (Irish septs) * Clan Macaulay of Lewis * Clan MacAulay