Anders

For other uses, see Anders (disambiguation).
Anders
PronunciationDanish: [ˈɑnɐs]
Swedish: [ˈânːdɛʂ]
Norwegian: [ˈɑ̂nːəʂ]
GenderMale
Language(s)Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
Other names
See alsoAndreas, Andrew, Andres

Anders is a male name in Scandinavian languages and Fering North Frisian, an equivalent of the Greek Andreas ("manly") and the English Andrew. It originated from Andres via metathesis.[1]

In Sweden, Anders has been one of the most common names for many centuries, earliest attested in 1378. It was common for priests and farmers during medieval times.[1] According to Statistics Sweden, as of 31 December 2021[2] it ranks 4th among the male names. The great frequency of this name at the point in time (around 1900) when patronymics were converted into family names is the reason why 1 out of every 30 Swedes today is called Andersson.

The name day of Anders in the Scandinavian calendar is 30 November,[1] and in the old peasant superstition that day was important for determining what the Christmas weather would be. If it was very cold on 30 November there would be much sleet on Christmas (and vice versa).[citation needed]

In Denmark Donald Duck's name is Anders And.

The Fering name Anders may have been borrowed from the Danish version.[3]

  1. ^ a b c "Anders". Swedish Institute for Language and Folklore (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 2020-09-28. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  2. ^ "Given names, men 2021, top 100". Statistikmyndigheten SCB. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  3. ^ Faltings, Volkert F., ed. (1985). Kleine Namenkunde für Föhr und Amrum [A little Etymology for Föhr and Amrum] (in German). Hamburg: Helmut Buske. p. 38. ISBN 3-87118-680-5.