Olaf
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- OH-laf
- Origin
- Old Norse
- UK rank, 2025
- #2,511 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #12,003 for boys
Olaf is a boys' name of Old Norse origin, meaning “ancestor's heir”. In 2025 it ranked 2,511th for boys in the UK (9 babies) and 12,003rd for boys in the US (5 babies).
What does Olaf mean?
Old Norse: from Old Norse Aleifr
“ancestor's heir”
King Olaf II, who helped bring Christianity to Norway, became the country's patron saint, Saint Olaf.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Olaf a girl's or a boy's name?
Olaf is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 9 boys in the UK and 5 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Olaf in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #2,511among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 9about 1 in 33,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Falling fastdown 75% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 9 boys in the UK were named Olaf, making it the 2,511th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,033rd. Its busiest year was 2015, with 81 boys.
Half of all the boys named Olaf in the UK since 1996 were born between 2011 and 2017, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among boys in 2025, it was 2,436th in England and Wales.
Olaf in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 9 | #2,511 |
| 2024 | 9 | #2,515 |
| 2023 | 12 | #2,024 |
| 2022 | 16 | #1,639 |
| 2021 | 36 | #931 |
| 2020 | 30 | #1,033 |
| 2019 | 44 | #788 |
| 2018 | 44 | #807 |
| 2017 | 58 | #675 |
| 2016 | 65 | #618 |
| 2015 | 81 | #535 |
| 2014 | 60 | #646 |
| 2013 | 48 | #746 |
| 2012 | 57 | #670 |
| 2011 | 72 | #548 |
| 2010 | 70 | #550 |
| 2009 | 45 | #736 |
| 2008 | 33 | #905 |
| 2007 | 32 | #896 |
| 2006 | 10 | #1,845 |
| 2005 | 7 | #2,292 |
| 2004 | 5 | #2,691 |
| 2003 | 1 | #4,616 |
How popular is Olaf in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #12,003among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 5about 1 in 340,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Too rare to calltoo few babies to tell
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 5 boys in the US were named Olaf, making it the 12,003rd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 9,548th. Its busiest year was 1916, with 79 boys.
Half of all the boys named Olaf in the US since 1880 were born between 1915 and 1969, the years shaded on the chart below.
Olaf in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | #12,003 |
| 2024 | 5 | #12,341 |
| 2023 | 5 | #12,232 |
| 2022 | 6 | #10,855 |
| 2021 | 7 | #9,709 |
| 2020 | 7 | #9,548 |
| 2019 | 9 | #8,209 |
| 2018 | 7 | #9,664 |
| 2017 | 8 | #8,835 |
| 2016 | 10 | #7,600 |
| 2015 | 18 | #5,056 |
| 2014 | 22 | #4,389 |
| 2013 | 9 | #8,113 |
| 2012 | 15 | #5,714 |
| 2011 | 15 | #5,670 |
| 2010 | 20 | #4,676 |
| 2009 | 17 | #5,332 |
| 2008 | 22 | #4,392 |
| 2007 | 13 | #6,259 |
| 2006 | 19 | #4,671 |
| 2005 | 18 | #4,626 |
| 2004 | 6 | #9,941 |
| 2003 | 11 | #6,251 |
| 2002 | 13 | #5,388 |
| 2001 | 11 | #6,006 |
| 2000 | 7 | #8,202 |
| 1999 | 7 | #7,867 |
| 1998 | 9 | #6,308 |
| 1997 | 9 | #6,094 |
| 1996 | 10 | #5,528 |
| 1995 | 8 | #6,400 |
| 1994 | 12 | #4,797 |
| 1993 | 7 | #6,809 |
| 1992 | 9 | #5,652 |
| 1991 | 18 | #3,319 |
| 1990 | 9 | #5,375 |
| 1989 | 0 | – |
| 1988 | 11 | #4,157 |
| 1987 | 10 | #4,233 |
| 1986 | 11 | #3,878 |
| 1985 | 5 | #6,517 |
| 1984 | 7 | #4,969 |
| 1983 | 5 | #6,234 |
| 1982 | 9 | #4,232 |
| 1981 | 8 | #4,507 |
| 1980 | 13 | #3,255 |
| 1979 | 13 | #3,167 |
| 1978 | 9 | #3,855 |
| 1977 | 16 | #2,664 |
| 1976 | 8 | #4,010 |
| 1975 | 21 | #2,133 |
| 1974 | 7 | #4,188 |
| 1973 | 20 | #2,035 |
| 1972 | 14 | #2,533 |
| 1971 | 19 | #2,125 |
| 1970 | 21 | #1,938 |
| 1969 | 16 | #2,129 |
| 1968 | 21 | #1,730 |
| 1967 | 18 | #1,852 |
| 1966 | 17 | #1,890 |
| 1965 | 14 | #2,177 |
| 1964 | 23 | #1,654 |
| 1963 | 15 | #2,114 |
| 1962 | 18 | #1,895 |
| 1961 | 15 | #2,147 |
| 1960 | 18 | #1,909 |
| 1959 | 21 | #1,758 |
| 1958 | 10 | #2,640 |
| 1957 | 15 | #2,092 |
| 1956 | 12 | #2,359 |
| 1955 | 15 | #2,047 |
| 1954 | 12 | #2,315 |
| 1953 | 17 | #1,899 |
| 1952 | 17 | #1,855 |
| 1951 | 11 | #2,366 |
| 1950 | 12 | #2,206 |
| 1949 | 13 | #2,122 |
| 1948 | 14 | #2,026 |
| 1947 | 8 | #2,861 |
| 1946 | 18 | #1,691 |
| 1945 | 15 | #1,771 |
| 1944 | 13 | #1,987 |
| 1943 | 16 | #1,832 |
| 1942 | 10 | #2,385 |
| 1941 | 17 | #1,685 |
| 1940 | 13 | #1,983 |
| 1939 | 22 | #1,425 |
| 1938 | 15 | #1,818 |
| 1937 | 10 | #2,332 |
| 1936 | 17 | #1,639 |
| 1935 | 19 | #1,584 |
| 1934 | 15 | #1,860 |
| 1933 | 19 | #1,586 |
| 1932 | 18 | #1,716 |
| 1931 | 24 | #1,427 |
| 1930 | 31 | #1,283 |
| 1929 | 25 | #1,443 |
| 1928 | 33 | #1,254 |
| 1927 | 35 | #1,227 |
| 1926 | 35 | #1,219 |
| 1925 | 38 | #1,144 |
| 1924 | 31 | #1,329 |
| 1923 | 34 | #1,235 |
| 1922 | 33 | #1,259 |
| 1921 | 50 | #991 |
| 1920 | 43 | #1,073 |
| 1919 | 49 | #959 |
| 1918 | 60 | #851 |
| 1917 | 74 | #706 |
| 1916 | 79 | #662 |
| 1915 | 71 | #690 |
| 1914 | 55 | #687 |
| 1913 | 46 | #658 |
| 1912 | 40 | #668 |
| 1911 | 13 | #924 |
| 1910 | 14 | #822 |
| 1909 | 9 | #1,020 |
| 1908 | 23 | #522 |
| 1907 | 21 | #511 |
| 1906 | 19 | #523 |
| 1905 | 8 | #918 |
| 1904 | 8 | #874 |
| 1903 | 9 | #783 |
| 1902 | 12 | #650 |
| 1901 | 9 | #727 |
| 1900 | 8 | #967 |
| 1899 | 9 | #714 |
| 1898 | 13 | #610 |
| 1897 | 13 | #584 |
| 1896 | 13 | #592 |
| 1895 | 11 | #640 |
| 1894 | 16 | #502 |
| 1893 | 8 | #768 |
| 1892 | 12 | #596 |
| 1891 | 15 | #456 |
| 1890 | 14 | #511 |
| 1889 | 17 | #446 |
| 1888 | 12 | #580 |
| 1887 | 14 | #461 |
| 1886 | 17 | #431 |
| 1885 | 21 | #388 |
| 1884 | 20 | #399 |
| 1883 | 17 | #433 |
| 1882 | 13 | #514 |
| 1881 | 7 | #705 |
| 1880 | 11 | #571 |
Names like Olaf
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Ollie Otto Otis Archie Arthur Charlie Reuben Henry Wilfred Leo Albert Ralph
More Old Norse names
Freya Ronnie Eric Astrid Colby Rafe Odin Ralphie Erik Freyja Erick Bo Ronald Bjorn Erica Raife
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Olaf: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/olaf, updated 20 October 2026.