What Does the Name Lars Mean?

Lars is a boy's name of Scandinavian (from Latin) origin meaning “From Laurentum; (by tradition) laurel-crowned.”

Updated June 2026

Name	Lars
Gender	male
Origin	Scandinavian (from Latin)
Meaning	From Laurentum; (by tradition) laurel-crowned
Variants	Lasse, Laurentius, Laurids, Lauri, Lars-Erik
Popularity	Extremely common across Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, especially for men born in the mid-20th century.

The meaning and origin of Lars

The name Lars means “From Laurentum; (by tradition) laurel-crowned” and has Scandinavian (from Latin) origins. Lars is the Scandinavian short form of Laurentius (Lawrence), referring to someone from the Roman town of Laurentum, popularly linked to the laurel. It is one of the most iconic Nordic male names.

Variants and related names

Lars is related to several other names you may recognize: Lasse, Laurentius, Laurids, Lauri, Lars-Erik. These share a common root or are spelling and language variants of the same name.

How popular is the name Lars?

Extremely common across Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, especially for men born in the mid-20th century.

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