Anders – Name Meaning
The name Anders is a Scandinavian form of the name Andrew, which is derived from the Greek name Andreas. The meaning of the name Anders is “manly” or “strong”. It is a popular name in Scandinavia and has been used as a given name since the Middle Ages.
Origin and History
The origin of the name Anders can be traced back to the Greek language. The original form of the name was Andreas, which was derived from the Greek word andros, meaning “manly” or “strong”. The name was popularized by Saint Andrew, one of Jesus’ twelve apostles. In Scandinavia, the name was adapted to Anders, which became a popular given name in the Middle Ages.
Popularity
Anders is a very popular name in Scandinavia, particularly in Sweden and Norway. According to statistics from 2018, it was the third most popular male given name in Sweden and the fourth most popular male given name in Norway. It is also common in other parts of Europe, such as Denmark and Finland.
Famous People Named Anders
There are many famous people who have been given the name Anders, including:
- Anders Celsius (1701-1744), Swedish astronomer and physicist
- Anders Zorn (1860-1920), Swedish painter
- Anders Fogh Rasmussen (born 1953), Danish politician and former Prime Minister of Denmark
- Anders Behring Breivik (born 1979), Norwegian terrorist
Variations of the Name
The variations of the name Anders include: Andres (Spanish), Andrei (Romanian), Andriy (Ukrainian) and Andrej (Slovak). There are also several diminutives of the name, such as Andy, Drew and Drey.