Olaf
Olaf is a male given name: 99% of people named Olaf are men, and it is recorded as male in 12 of the 12 countries covered.
- Verdict
- Male
- Male / female split
- 99% male / 1% female
- Confidence
- High (64 or more weighted country observations)
- Most common in
- Germany, East Frisia, United States
- US births since 1880
- 2,474 male / 0 female
- Data
- nam_dict (GFDL) + US SSA
- Updated
- 2026-09-11
How to address Olaf
When you do not know their gender for certain, the full name with no title is the safe choice: "Dear Olaf," in English, "Guten Tag Olaf," in German. Olaf is a male given name: about 99% of people named Olaf are men. A quick look at a profile confirms it for certain.
Ready-made greetings in six languages
English
Dear Olaf,
German
Guten Tag Olaf,
French
Bonjour Olaf,
Spanish
Estimado/a Olaf:
Chinese
Olaf您好：
Japanese
Olaf様
English
Hi Olaf,
German
Hi Olaf,
French
Salut Olaf,
Spanish
Hola Olaf,
Chinese
Olaf你好：
Japanese
Olafさん
This is a statistical estimate, not a statement about the gender, identity or correct form of address of any particular person.
Country breakdown
| Country | How common | Usually | Male share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | uncommon | man's name | 98% |
| East Frisia | uncommon | man's name | 98% |
| United States | uncommon | man's name | 100% |
| Norway | uncommon | man's name | 98% |
| Denmark | uncommon | man's name | 98% |
| Netherlands | uncommon | man's name | 98% |
| Switzerland | rare | man's name | 98% |
| Poland | rare | man's name | 98% |
| Austria | rare | man's name | 98% |
| Belgium | rare | man's name | 98% |
| Estonia | rare | man's name | 98% |
| Sweden | rare | man's name | 98% |
United States birth data
2,474 male · 0 female · 2,474 births recorded
Since 1980: 100% male.
Frequently asked questions
Is Olaf a male or female name?
Olaf is a male given name: 99% of people named Olaf are men, and it is recorded as male in 12 of the 12 countries covered.
How do I address Olaf in an email?
When you do not know their gender for certain, the full name with no title is the safe choice: "Dear Olaf," in English, "Guten Tag Olaf," in German. Olaf is a male given name: about 99% of people named Olaf are men. A quick look at a profile confirms it for certain.
Is Olaf a unisex name?
Olaf is not a unisex name: 99% of people named Olaf are men. Olaf leans strongly male overall.
Related names
Sources
Gender by country: nam_dict, the c't first-names dictionary by Joerg Michael, roughly 44,000 names across 55 countries, licensed GFDL. US frequencies: United States Social Security Administration baby-name data, public domain. Method: how we classify names. Full dataset: data & licences. Data built 2026-09-11.
DearWho, "Is Olaf a male or female name?", https://dearwho.vercel.app/name/olaf (accessed 2026-09-11). Data: nam_dict (J. Michael, GFDL) and US SSA, built 2026-09-11.
BibTeX
@misc{dearwho_olaf,
title = {Is Olaf a male or female name?},
author = {{DearWho}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://dearwho.vercel.app/name/olaf},
note = {Data: nam_dict (GFDL), US SSA public domain}
}