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

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 Ivar Wollin (1918–1999), Swedish diplomat

=Claës=

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
Claës Axel Klingenstierna (1875–1966), Swedish major general

Surname

Claes is the 7th most common surname in Belgium (16,840 people in 1998) and the most common surname in Belgian Limburg.{{cite web|url=http://www.naamkunde.net/?page_id=166|title=Meest voorkomende familienamen in België en Nederland « Naamkunde|website=www.naamkunde.net}}{{cite web|url=http://www.familienaam.be/|title=Familienaam.be - Geografische spreiding van familienamen in België|website=www.familienaam.be|access-date=2013-08-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191022195142/https://familienaam.be/|archive-date=2019-10-22|url-status=dead}} In contrast, only 405 people have the surname in the Netherlands.[http://www.meertens.knaw.nl/nfb/detail_naam.php?gba_lcnaam=claes&gba_naam=Claes&nfd_naam=Claes&operator=eq&taal= Claes] at the Meertens Institute database of surnames in the Netherlands 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