Boy · #2,240 in 2026

Lars

Lars is a common male name in Scandinavian countries and Germany.

Current Rank
#2,240
Peak Rank
#720 (2000)
Total Babies
7K
5-Yr Trend
-7%
1883
First Year
2026
Last Year
2000
Peak Year
#720
Peak Rank
7K
Total Count
121
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Lars

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Lars is a common male name in Scandinavian countries and Germany.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Origin & history
Lars means "from the city of Laurentum". Lars is derived from the Latin name Laurentius , which means "from Laurentum " or "crowned with laurel ", and is therefore related to the names Laurence and Lauren . [ citation needed ] A homonymous Etruscan name was borne by several Etruscan kings, and later used as a last name by the Roman Lartia family . The etymology of the Etruscan name is unknown.

The Story of Lars

Lars first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1883, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2000, when 127 Larss were born — ranking #1,106 that year. As of 2026, Lars ranks #2,240 for baby boys with 65 births, gradually falling (-7%). In total, more than 7K Larss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
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Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Notable people named Lars

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

  • Lars I [ sv ] , bishop of Linköping (1236–1258)
  • Lars II [ sv ] , bishop of Linköping (1292–1307)
  • Lars (archbishop of Uppsala) (1255–1267)
  • Lars Kristian Abrahamsen (1855–1921), Norwegian politician
  • Lars Ahlfors (1907–1996), Finnish Fields Medal recipient
  • Lars Amble (1939–2015), Swedish actor and director
  • Lars Herminius Aquilinus , ancient Roman consul
  • Lars Bak (born 1980), Danish road bicycle racer

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Names that sound like Lars

Phonetically similar names — useful when Lars is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Larz
  • Laars
  • Lours
  • Layers
  • Liars
  • Lawyers
  • Lures
  • Lowers
  • Lairs
  • Leers
  • Lears
  • Lyres

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Lars

What does the name Lars mean?
Lars is a common male name in Scandinavian countries and Germany.
How popular is Lars in 2026?
In 2026, Lars ranks #2,240 among boys' names in the U.S., with 65 babies given the name that year.
When was Lars most popular?
Lars reached its peak popularity in 2000, ranking #720 that year with 127 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Lars most popular?
Lars has historically been most popular in Alaska, South Dakota, Idaho. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Lars.
Is Lars a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Lars is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Lars?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Lars include Montgomery, Ellison, Magnus. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Lars

Lars is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1883 and has accumulated 7K births in the dataset. Lars's peak popularity came in 2000 when it ranked #720. Use the chart and map above to compare Lars's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.