Claes

Claes is a masculine given name, a version of Nicholas, as well as a patronymic surname. It is also spelled Klas, Clas and Klaes.

## Given name

[edit]

Claes is a common first name in Sweden. It was also a common name in the Low countries until the 18th century, after which the spelling Klaas was largely adopted. People with the given name Claes include:

* Claes Adelsköld (1824–1907), Swedish engineer, military officer and politician
* Claes Andersson (1937–2019), Finnish psychiatrist and politician
* Claes Bang (born 1967), Danish actor and musician
* Claes van Beresteyn (1627–1684), Dutch landscape painter
* Claes Berglund (born c.1960), Swedish ski-orienteering competitor
* Claes Björklund (born 1971), Swedish musician, producer and songwriter
* Claes Michielsz Bontenbal (1575–1623), Dutch civil servant involved in a conspiracy against Maurice of Orange
* Claes Borgström (1944–2020), Swedish lawyer and politician
* Claes Compaen (1587–1660), Dutch privateer, pirate, and merchant
* Claes Cronqvist (born 1944), Swedish former footballer
* Claes Cronstedt, Swedish lawyer
* Claes Dahlbäck (born 1948), Swedish businessman
* Claes Duyst van Voorhout (fl. 1638), Dutch brewer painted by Frans Hals
* Claes Egnell (1916–2012), Swedish sport shooter
* Claes Eklundh (born 1944), Swedish artist
* Claes Elefalk (born 1959), Swedish sports agent
* Claes Elfsberg (born 1948), Swedish television journalist
* Claes Elmstedt (1928–2018), Swedish politician
* Claes Eriksson (born 1950), Swedish director, actor, comedian and composer
* Claes Fellbom (born 1943), Swedish director, writer and composer
* Claes Fornell, Swedish-born American entrepreneur
* Claes af Geijerstam (born 1946), Swedish musician, radio personality and DJ
* Claes Gill (1910–1973), Norwegian author, poet and actor
* Claes Dirksz van der Heck (1595–1649), Dutch painter
* Claes Jacobsz van der Heck (1575–1652), Dutch painter
* Claes Hellgren (born 1955), Swedish handball player
* Claes van Heussen (1598–1633), Dutch still life painter
* Claes Hylinger (born 1943), Swedish novelist, essayist, poet and literary critic
* Claes Johanson (1884–1949), Swedish wrestler
* Claes Kronberg (born 1987), Danish footballer
* Claes Lang (1690–1761), Finnish painter
* Claes Loberg (born 1970), Swedish-born Australian technology entrepreneur
* Claes Malmberg (born 1952), Swedish former footballer
* Claes Malmberg (born 1961), Swedish actor and stand-up comedian
* Claes Pietersz van der Meulen (1642–1693), Dutch glass painter
* Claes Corneliszoon Moeyaert (1592–1655), Dutch painter
* Claes Nordén (born 1993), Swedish ice hockey player
* Claes Nordin (born 1955), Swedish badminton player
* Claes Oldenburg (1929–2022), Swedish-born American pop art sculptor
* Claes Pieterszoon (1593–1674), Dutch surgeon and mayor of Amsterdam
* Claes Rålamb (1622–1698), Swedish statesman
* Claes Roxbergh (born 1945), Swedish politician
* Claes G. Ryn (born 1943), Swedish-born American political scientist
* Claes Isaacsz Swanenburg (1572–1652), Dutch painter
* Claes Tholin (1860–1927), Swedish politician
* Claes Tornberg (born 1936), Swedish rear admiral
* Claes Uggla (1614–1676), Swedish military officer
* Claes Västerteg (born 1972), Swedish politician
* Claes Jansz Visscher (1587–1652), Dutch draughtsman, engraver, mapmaker and publisher
* Claes Wersäll (1888–1951), Swedish gymnast

### Claës

[edit]

* Claës Fredrik Hornstedt (1758–1809), Swedish naturalist, taxonomist and illustrator
* Claës König (1885–1961), Swedish noble man and horse rider
* Claës Lindsström (1876–1964), Swedish vice admiral
* Claës Palme (1917–2006), Swedish maritime lawyer
* Claës Rundberg (1874–1958), Swedish sport shooter
* Claës Skoglund (1916–2008), Swedish major general

## Surname

[edit]

Claes is the 7th most common surname in Belgium (16,840 people in 1998) and the most common surname in Belgian Limburg.[1][2] In contrast, only 405 people have the surname in the Netherlands.[3] People with the last name Claes include:

* Dirk Claes (born 1959), Belgian politician
* Ernest Claes (1885–1968), Belgian author
* Gabrielle Claes, Belgian museum curator
* Georges Claes (1920–1994), Belgian racing cyclist
* Glenn Claes (born 1994), Belgian footballer
* Ian Claes (born 1981), Belgian former footballer
* Johnny Claes (1916–1956), Belgian racing driver
* Kelly Claes (born 1995), American volleyball player
* Paul Claes (born 1943), Belgian writer, poet and translator
* Virginie Claes (born 1982), Miss Belgium 2006
* Willy Claes (born 1938), Belgian politician, Secretary General of NATO 1994-1995
* Wouter Claes (born 1975), Belgian badminton player

## See also

[edit]

* Clas (given name)
* Claus, given name and surname
* Klaas, given name and surname
* Nicholas
* Claas, German agricultural machinery manufacturer

### Fictional

[edit]

* Katarina Claes, main character of Japanese novel and anime series My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Meest voorkomende familienamen in België en Nederland « Naamkunde". www.naamkunde.net.
2. ^ "Familienaam.be - Geografische spreiding van familienamen in België". www.familienaam.be. Archived from the original on 2019-10-22. Retrieved 2013-08-12.
3. ^ Claes at the Meertens Institute database of surnames in the Netherlands

## External links

[edit]

* Media related to Claes (given name) at Wikimedia Commons