Lars

Lars is a Scandinavian form of Laurentius, the Latin name behind Laurence and Lawrence. Laurentius originally described someone from Laurentum, an ancient Italian town traditionally associated with the laurel tree. That history explains the familiar laurel interpretation without making Lars literally a phrase for someone wearing a wreath.

The short form has a complete identity in Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish naming traditions. Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich and film director Lars von Trier are well-known Danish bearers, while Lars and the Real Girl supplies a fictional reference. Its single syllable gives a particularly compact form to a name family that appears much longer in other languages. Families may choose it to preserve a Scandinavian connection or honor a Laurence.