Lars

Lars is a common male name in the Nordic countries. In Sweden, people named Lars are commonly nicknamed Lasse.

Lars is derived from the Roman name "Laurentius", which means ”from Laurentum” or "he who is crowned with laurel." Lawrence is of the same origin.

The short form Lars was also a common Etruscan name, and several Etruscan kings bore it. Since a large portion of the population of Rome was Etruscan, the name Laurentius is often interpreted as a derivation of Lars. This could have contributed to the popularity of the name Laurentius in Rome. The original Etruscan meaning of Lars is not known.

Some famous people named Lars include:

* Lars (archbishop), Archbishop of Uppsala
* Lars Knudsen, Danish researcher in cryptography
* Lars Fillmore, a character in the animated movie "Futurama: Bender's Big Score". Also known as "Philip J. Fry", the main character in the animated television show "Futurama"
* Lars Frederiksen, American musician
* Lars Hjortsberg, Swedish actor
* Lars Johann Yngve Lannerbäck, Swedish musician, better known as Yngwie Malmsteen
* Lars Jonsson, Swedish ice hockey player
* Lars Jonsson, Swedish tennis player
* Lars Kleppich, Australian sailor
* Lars Larson, American conservative talk radio show host
* Lars Leiro, Norwegian politician
* Lars Lindberg Christensen, Danish astronomer
* Lars Magnus Ericsson, Swedish inventor
* Lars Petrus, Rubik's cube champion
* Lars Porsena, Etruscan king
* Lars von Trier, Danish film director
* Lars Ulrich, Danish musician
* Lars Vilks, Swedish artist
* Lars Lindstrom, the lead character of the 2007 film, "Lars and the Real Girl", as portrayed by Ryan Gosling

ee also

*Lasse