Olaf

Olaf or Olav (/ˈoʊləf/, /ˈoʊlɑːf/, or British /ˈoʊlæf/; Old Norse: Ólafr, Ōleifr, Anleifr) is a Scandinavian, German and Dutch 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.

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

Medieval bearers

Norse (Scandinavia):

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
Olaf I of Denmark, king 1086–1095
Olaf II of Denmark was also Olaf IV of Norway
Olaf of Sweden (disambiguation) (I, II and III)
Oluf Haraldsen (died c. 1143) was a Danish nobleman who ruled Scania for a few years from 1139

Norse-Gaelic: Not all the following were strictly Norse-Gaels, but simply share one of the most common Norse-Gaelic names.

Olaf the White, 9th century sea-king
Amlaíb Conung (King Olaf), King of Dublin, possibly identical with Olaf the White
Olaf Sihtricson (Amlaíb Cuarán), Norse-Gael king of Northumbria and king of Dublin
Olaf III Guthfrithson (Amlaíb mac Gofraid), king of Dublin
Amlaíb of Scotland, king of Scotland
Amlaíb Cenncairech (Olaf Sinful-Head), ruler of Limerick (in Ireland)
Auliffe Mór O'Donoghue (Olaf the Great), regional Irish king
Amlaíb Ua Donnubáin (Auliffe O'Donovan), regional Irish king

Of 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 Russia)

Uleb Ragnvaldsson - son of Ragnvald Ulfsson jarl of Staraja Ladoga (Aldeigjuborg), military leader of Novgorod Republic in conquering of Yugra in 1032.

Septs and clans

Modern people

Olav V of Norway, king 1957–1991
Olaf Fink (1914-1973), American educator and state senator
Oluf van Steenwinckel (died 1659) was a Danish building master and engineer
Count Oluf of Rosenborg (1923–1990).
Erwin Olaf (Erwin Olaf Springveld), Dutch photographer

Fictional characters

In E. E. Cummings poem "I sing of Olaf glad and big", Olaf is a conscientious objector.
Count Olaf, a fictional character and 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, a fictional character in Jungle Jam and Friends: The Radio Show!
List of minor Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters#Olaf (Olaf the Troll) A fictional character in "Buffy the Vampire slayer teleseries he appears in the episode Triangle, played by Abraham Benrubi
Olaf (Disney), an anthropomorphic snowman in Disney's 2013 animated film Frozen.

Places

St. Olaf's church, Tallinn, 12th-century church in Tallinn, Estonia
St. Olaf College, a liberal arts college in Northfield, MN
St. Olaf's Castle, 15th-century castle in Savonlinna, Finland
St. Olaf, Minnesota, the fictitious hometown of Rose Nylund on the TV sitcom The Golden Girls