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.

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 (1943–2024), 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 Hake (1945–2025), Swedish sculptor
• 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
• Claes Westring (1893–1975), Swedish diplomat
• Claës Ivar Wollin (1918–1999), Swedish diplomat

• 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

Claes is the 7th most common surname in Belgium (16,840 people in 1998) and the most common surname in Belgian Limburg.¹² In contrast, only 405 people have the surname in the Netherlands.³ People with the last name Claes include:

• Claes (surname)