Danish hockeyplayers and the name behind them.

[Justinov]

Since Lars Eller and Company are bringing Danish hockey to greatness in NHL I will write about what their names means since In old Scandinavian belief you are your name!

Lars is the Scandinavian version of Latin Laurentius.
It can mean either a person from Laurentum (maybe the original Latin town) or more likely being "crowned with laurels" - as the winners of the ancient Olympic games were.
So not bad to start with.

Eller is not a Danish name in origin, but German.
The name Eller (and the German variant Erle) means "Alder" (Danish Elletræ, German Erlen).
Possibly the name originally just meant "Berry-tree" more broadly.

The stem comes from proto-indo-european *El- meaning red/brown as the name of Danish "Elg", English "Elk" and also Danish-English "Elm" (another tree).

So maybe not a coincidence that he plays first for Rødovre (in red) and now for Montreal (in red).
Lars Eller's English name-equivalent would be "Lawrence Alder".

Click to read more...

 

[Justinov]

Frans Nielsen.

Frans is a Dutch/Scandinavian/Finnish variant of the German Franz.
Franz is a short-form of Franziscus - a German variant of the Latin Franciscus.
Franciscus was a late Latin form created in the middle ages from Germanic "Franko" meaning "Frankish" (Danish "Franker") - the tribal name of the Frankish people that carved out France+Germany under Charlemagne in 800 AD. (Latin: Carolus Magnus, Danish: Karl den Store).
Franka means originally "Brave" and later also "Free".

Nielsen is "Son of Niels".
Niels is a Danish/Norwegian spelling version of Latin Nikolaus - from Greek Nikolaos meaning "Victory of the people" or "Victor of people". Likely as a name in the meaning of the "People's Champion".
Nike is the Greek goddess of victory and "laos" is a people.

So all in all his name means "The brave son of the people's champion"!
The English equivalent would be "Francis Nicholson".

 

[Justinov]

Mikkel Bødker.

Mikkel is a Danish version of two names that has combined.

1) Mikill is old Scandinavian meaning "great"/"large".

2) Mikael is Hebrew (Greek/Latin Michael) and means "Who is like El?" (El being the old Semitic sky god that probably fused with the warrior god Yahweh to become "God" for Jews and Christians). Mikael is the arch angel of God that defeats Satan.
The name is pretty extraordinary being a question.

So the reason the names merged is likely because for Danish Christians St. Michael was "great"!?

Bødker is an occupational name meaning barrel-maker (a Cooper).

So his English name-equivalent would be "Michael Cooper".

 

[QuietContrarian]

AWESOME!

As always you make for good reading Justinov

I took the liberty to borrow some of your stuff! Don't worry, you are credited my friend

Once again, excellent work so far.

 

[Justinov]

Peter Regin.

Peter is from Latin Petra - again from Greek Petros meaning "rock/stone".

St. Peter (Petros) got this name in direct translation of the Aramaic Kephas (meaning stone). His name before that was Simon.

Regin is old Norse meaning "the powers/rulers" - a plural name for the powers that rules the world. Likely all the gods and the norns.

Reginn was a dwarf smith and the brother of the Dragon Fafnir whom are both killed by Sigurd (German Siegfried).
The name also is the first part in Ragna-rökr (Ragnarok) -> "Fate or twillight of the powers/rulers."

So his English name-equivalent could be "Peter Powers". [wonderfully alliterative].

 

[Justinov]

and for "ImGoingNucks" especially:

Jannik Hansen

Jannik is a Danish diminutive form of Jan.

Jan is a Germanic short form of Latin Io(h)annes from Greek Iohannes and finally originally from Hebrew Yohanan meaning "Graced by Yahweh".

Hansen means "Son of Hans"
Hans is a Germanic variant of Latin Iohannes.

So remarkably his English name-equivalent would be "Johnny Johnson".

[Johnny being an English diminutive form of John -> from Iohannes as well.]

Jan is probably from Ioannes and Hans from Iohannes (the two Latin variants).

 

[Justinov]

Philip Larsen.

Philip is from Greek "Phillippos" - a compound word of Philos-Hippos meaning "loving horses." = Horse-lover.

Larsen is "Son of Lars" which we already have answered under Lars Eller.

So the name means "Horse-Lover Son of the Crowned with Laurels".

English name-equivalent is "Philip Lawrenceson".

 

[QuietContrarian]

and for "ImGoingNucks" especially:

Jannik Hansen

Jannik is a Danish diminutive form of Jan.

Jan is a Germanic short form of Latin Io(h)annes from Greek Iohannes and finally originally from Hebrew Yohanan meaning "Graced by Yahweh".

Hansen means "Son of Hans"
Hans is a Germanic variant of Latin Iohannes.

So remarkably his English name-equivalent would be "Johnny Johnson".

[Johnny being an English diminutive form of John -> from Iohannes as well.]

Jan is probably from Ioannes and Hans from Iohannes (the two Latin variants).

Awesome

 

[Justinov]

Awesome

Yeah you can spread the word of "Johnny Johnson" - also "Johnnie Johnson" is possible.
I think it's pretty hilarious. of how common an English name it turned out to be.
Amazingly enough there are no players with that name on eliteprospects.com.

 

[QuietContrarian]

Yeah you can spread the word of "Johnny Johnson" - also "Johnnie Johnson" is possible.
I think it's pretty hilarious. of how common an English name it turned out to be.
Amazingly enough there are no players with that name on eliteprospects.com.

How odd haha I swear more people should visit the Danish section of Hf, it's a regular knowledge fest

 

[Justinov]

How odd haha I swear more people should visit the Danish section of Hf, it's a regular knowledge fest

thanks - happy that you appreciate it!
When I have time i might continue to the Danish AHL players and beyond.

 

[QuietContrarian]

thanks - happy that you appreciate it!
When I have time i might continue to the Danish AHL players and beyond.

Well be my guest! Id read up on it

 

[Bank]

How odd haha I swear more people should visit the Danish section of Hf, it's a regular knowledge fest

Well there's a phrase not used to much on Hf

Funnt and surprisingly interesting read Justinov. So Regin and his hands is made of stone, while the ref. pushing Jannik Hansen is son of the a religious chosen one. Seems about right

 

[Justinov]

Well there's a phrase not used to much on Hf

Funny and surprisingly interesting read Justinov. So Regin and his hands is made of stone, while the ref. pushing Jannik Hansen is son of the a religious chosen one. Seems about right

Yeah well if most people just knew what their names meant, maybe they would behave differently

 

[PietB]

thanks - happy that you appreciate it!
When I have time i might continue to the Danish AHL players and beyond.

Would appreciate it, it's an interesting read. Are there more danish players than the Lauridsen brothers Oliver and Markus and Nicklas Jensen in the AHL?

 

[Bank]

Would appreciate it, it's an interesting read. Are there more danish players than the Lauridsen brothers Oliver and Markus and Nicklas Jensen in the AHL?

Our ginger jesus - Frederik Andersen!

 

[QuietContrarian]

Would appreciate it, it's an interesting read. Are there more danish players than the Lauridsen brothers Oliver and Markus and Nicklas Jensen in the AHL?

Freddy "The Giant" Andersen

Edit: Beat 2 it

 

[PietB]

Thanks guys... How could I forget about him, especially with his stats... Guess I pictured him in the NHL already


Just checked, how he's done this year so far... 2gp, 0.96 GAA, 0.971 sv%... Hope he can keep up a good pace.

 

[Bank]

Thanks guys... How could I forget about him, especially with his stats... Guess I pictured him in the NHL already


Just checked, how he's done this year so far... 2gp, 0.96 GAA, 0.971 sv%... Hope he can keep up a good pace.

Agree but perhaps more important: His numbers are better than Gibsons. Unlike last year it seems like Frederik Andersen won't get the majority of games. At least not from the get go. So it's great for him to start out this way.

Andersen: 2g, 0.96 GAA, 97,1%
Gibson: 2g, 2,89 GAA, 91,2%

 

[Justinov]

We can start with Frederik Andersen since he is the current subject of discussion (and great start by the way in AHL).

Frederik is from Proto-Germanic *Frid-ric ("Peaceful ruler").

Since the Danish form then should have been "Fredrig", then it must have been loaned from German "Friedrich" (a Holy German-Roman Imperial name taken over by Danish Kings) and then later "Danified".

Andersen means "Son of Anders".
Anders is a Scandinavian version of Greek "Andreas" -> it derives from a word for "Man": "Aner"' in nominative and "Andros" in genitive form.

So meaning is "Peace-ruler Son of Man".

English name-equivalent is Frederick Andrewson.

 

[QuietContrarian]

Agree but perhaps more important: His numbers are better than Gibsons. Unlike last year it seems like Frederik Andersen won't get the majority of games. At least not from the get go. So it's great for him to start out this way.

Andersen: 2g, 0.96 GAA, 97,1%
Gibson: 2g, 2,89 GAA, 91,2%

Yeah they want Gibson to mature thats why.

But Andersen is first choice to be called up, which he has been as of yesterday

http://www.norfolkadmirals.com/release_story1.php?id=2982

 

[QnebO]

New Danish goalie played in NHL last night.

Andersen's was 100%, 0 goals allowed. He was changed in net after two goals against ducks. He coudln't have started better so expecting new chances for him in the future.

Winners (Selänne, Fowler, Andersen)

 

[Justinov]

New Danish goalie played in NHL last night.

Andersen's was 100%, 0 goals allowed. He was changed in net after two goals against ducks. He coudln't have started better so expecting new chances for him in the future.

Here is one Dane that might live up to his name. He is "peaceful ruler" and you have to look hard for a guy that is more calm than Hr. Frederik.
Hope he will "rule" much more than the 40 min he did last night!

 

[Justinov]

Sorry to have been forgetting my own thread, but here in continues with our new NHL player:

Nikolaj Ehlers.

First name Nikolaj is a Danish variant (like Niels, Claus etc) of Latin Nicolaus, originally from Greek Nikolaos “nikē” = victory' and “laos” = people. So the meaning is likely either the “people’s champion” or “conqueror of people”.

Surname Ehlers is German in origin and is a composite name:
The first part of the name has three possible origins and the second part has two possibilities.

1)
The first part is likely from the Germanic “Agil-” from the root *Agi- (= fear, awe, terror”; Old Norse = Agi, Gothic = Agis), which evolves into German Eil- (with variant Ehl-).

2)
OR from the Proto-Germanic root *Agjo, which evolves into *Ag- (Anglo-Saxon = Ecg; Modern English = Edge; Danish = Æg). So in the meaning of "sword/blade".
These two meanings are sometimes almost impossible to tell apart and they likely merged quite early in Scandinavia.

Example: The Proto-Germanic name *Agilaz, becomes Proto-Norse AgilaR and Old Norse Egill.
Icelandic warrior-poet Egill Skallagrímsson certainly had a name fitting him as he was a dangerous man.

3)
In a few instances the first part could also be from “Adal” (= Noble, Danish = Adel).
Like Adolf is from Adal+wolf = Noble wolf.

A)
The second part is either -harti/herti with the meaning of “hard” (Danish “hÃ¥rd”)
B)
or in a few instances it could also be –hari (later “heri”) meaning “army” (Danish “hær”).

1A) The most likely origin is from “Agilhart” (= Fear/awe/terror-Hard), which evolves to the patronymic Eilert/Ehlert and in the genitive case would be Eilers or Ehlers.
So “of the Fear/awe/terror-hard”.

3B) The less likely possibility is from Adalheri > Edeler > Ehler (which would be Ehlers again in the genitive case). So “of the Noble-Army”.

Anyways these 4 surnames are thus related: Eilert, Eilers, Ehlert, Ehlers.
In all of modern Germany the variant Ehlers is by far most prominent in Holsten, which until 1864 was Danish territory.

In English his name would be Nicholas (of) Ecgheard (Anglo-Saxon for Egdehard) or "Agilheard" (Hypothetic Anglo Saxon)
The Agil- variant (fear, terror, awe) doesn't seem to have been used in England, but we have a Frankish "Agilbert" (-bert/-berth = bright), who was Bishop in Dorchester - West Sussex - in the mid-600's]

The name more certainly from Ag- has many German variants Ekkehard, Eckardt, Eckard, Eckhardt, Ekkehart, Eckhard, Eckhart etc. (lots of edge-hard Germans)!

 

[KriminellPipa]

I. Love. This. Thread.

Great work Justinov.