László Explained

László (in Hungarian pronounced as /ˈlaːsloː/) is a Hungarian male given name and surname after the King-Knight Saint Ladislaus I of Hungary (1077–1095). It derives from Ladislav, a variant of Vladislav.^[1] The name has a history of being frequently anglicized as Leslie. It is the most common male name among the whole Hungarian male population since 2003.^[2]

People with this name are listed below by field.

Given name

Science and mathematics

• László Babai (b. 1950), Hungarian-born American mathematician and computer scientist
• László Lovász (b. 1948), Hungarian mathematician
• László Fejes Tóth (1915–2005), Hungarian mathematician
• László Fuchs (b. 1924), Hungarian-American mathematician
• László Rátz (1863–1930), influential Hungarian mathematics high school teacher
• László Tisza (1907–2009), Professor of Physics Emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• László Mérő (b. 1949), Hungarian research psychologist and science author

Politics and the military

• László Almásy (politician) (1869–1936), Hungarian jurist, soldier and politician
• László Batthyány-Strattmann (1870–1931), Hungarian aristocrat and physician
• László Ignác Bercsényi (1689–1778), Hungarian-born soldier who became Marshal of France
• László Csány, Hungarian politician, who served as Minister of Public Works and Transport in 1849, martyr of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848
• László Kövér (b. 1959), Hungarian politician and Speaker of the National Assembly of Hungary
• László Rajk (1909–1949), Hungarian communist Minister of the Interior and Minister of Foreign Affairs
• László L. Simon (born 1972), Hungarian politician and writer
• László Palóczy (1783–1861), Hungarian politician
• László Sólyom (b. 1942), Hungarian politician, lawyer and librarian; President of Hungary from 2005 to 2010
• László Szalkai (1485–1526), Archbishop of Esztergom and official under King Louis II of Hungary
• László Szapáry (1831–1883), Hungarian general
• László Szőgyény-Marich, Sr. (1806–1893), Hungarian politician
• László Szőgyény-Marich, Jr. (1841–1916), Austro-Hungarian diplomat; son of László Szőgyény-Marich, Sr.
• László Teleki (1811–1861), Hungarian politician and writer
• László Tőkés (b. 1952), Romanian Vice President of the European Parliament

Music

• László Lajtha (1892–1963), composer
• László Simon (1948–2009), Hungarian pianist
• Laszlo Gardony (b. 1956) Hungarian-American pianist, composer
• László Benkő (1943-2020) Hungarian keyboardist for the band Omega

Film

• Leslie Howard (actor) (1893–1943), British-Hungarian actor born László Steiner
• László Kalmár (director) (1900–1980), a Hungarian film director
• László Kovács (cinematographer) (1933–2007), Hungarian-American cinematographer of Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces and Frances
• Peter Lorre (1904–1964), Hungarian-born Hollywood actor born László Löwenstein
• László Nemes (1977), Hungarian film director
• László Szirtes (1904–1959), Hungarian film producer

Sports

• Laszlo Bellak (1911–2006), Hungarian/American world champion table tennis player
• László Bölöni (b. 1953), Romanian-born Hungarian former footballer and coach
• László Cseh (b. 1985), Hungarian swimmer
• László Kubala (1927–2002), Hungarian footballer
• László Kuncz (1957–2020), Hungarian water polo player
• László Papp (1926–2003), Hungarian boxer, the first boxer in Olympic history to win three successive gold medals
• László Szabados (1911–1992), Hungarian swimmer
• László Szollás (1907–1980), Hungarian world champion pairs skater

Other

• László Almásy (1895–1951), Hungarian aristocrat, motorist, aviator, and explorer; basis for the protagonist of the film The English Patient
• László Bárczay (1936–2016), Hungarian chess Grandmaster
• Laszlo Berkowits (1928–2020), Hungarian-born American Reform rabbi
• László Bíró (1899–1985), Hungarian-Argentine inventor of the ballpoint pen
• László Hudec (1893–1958), Hungarian-Slovak architect
• László Krasznahorkai (b. 1954), Hungarian novelist and screenwriter
• László Listi (1628–1662), Hungarian poet executed in Vienna for counterfeiting coins
• László Moholy-Nagy (1895–1946), Hungarian painter of the Bauhaus school
• László Szabó (chess player) (1917–1998), Hungarian Grandmaster
• Laszlo Toth (born 1938), Hungarian-Australian geologist and art vandal
• Les Murray (1945-2017), born László Ürge, Hungarian-Australian football broadcaster

Fictional characters

• Lazlo (character), in the 2005–08 Cartoon Network series Camp Lazlo
• Lazlo, the protagonist in the Japanese novelization of Suikoden IV
• Laszlo, a human-pig hybrid in the two-part Doctor Who story that begins with Daleks in Manhattan
• Laszlo (The Butcher), the final boss of the Fortress Campaign in the video game
• Laszlo Carreidas, a character in the Tintin comic Flight 714 to Sydney
• Lazlo Hollyfeld, in the 1985 film Real Genius
• Lazlo Gogolak, the villain in the 2004 comedy film The Whole Ten Yards
• Laszlo W. Kovic, a CIA agent in the video game Battlefield 4
• Lazlo Zand, in the Robotech universe
• Lazlo Curious, a character who lives in the Strangetown neighborhood in The Sims 2
• Lazlo, a character in Salvation (TV series)
• Lazlo Valentin, the alter ego of DC Comics supervillain Professor Pyg
• Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, titular character of the novel The Alienist and its TV adaptation
• Lazlo Strange, the protagonist in Laini Taylor's book Strange the Dreamer
• Laszlo Cravensworth, a vampire from the sitcom What We Do in the Shadows
• Laszlo, a character in the video game Half-Life 2
• Dr. Laszlo Jamf, a character in the novel Gravity's Rainbow

Surname

Science and mathematics

• Alexander Laszlo (1964), American systems scientist
• Ernő László (1897–1973), Hungarian-born American dermatologist and cosmetic businessman
• Ervin László (b. 1932), Hungarian philosopher of science, systems theorist, and integral theorist
• Yves Laszlo, French mathematician working in the École Polytechnique

Music

• Alexander László (1895–1870), Hungarian-American pianist, musical composer, arranger and inventor
• Ferenc László (1937–2010), Romanian musicologist and flautist
• Ken Laszlo, Italian pop singer
• Viktor Lazlo (born 1960), stage name of Belgian singer Sonia Dronier

Film

• Andrew Laszlo (1926–2011) Hungarian-American cinematographer
• Ernest Laszlo (1898–1984), Hungarian-American cinematographer and Academy Award winner
• Hana Laszlo (b. 1953) Israeli actress and comedian who won the Best Actress Award at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival

Sports

• Csaba László (footballer born 1964), Hungarian football player and manager
• Csaba László (footballer born 1967), Hungarian football player
• László Szollás (1907–1980), world champion and Olympic medalist pair skater.

Other

• Miklós László (1903–1973), Hungarian-American playwright
• Paul László, (1900–1993), architect
• Philip de László (1869–1937), Hungarian painter known for portraits of royalty and aristocrats
• Lucy de László (1870–1950), Irish wife of Philip de László
• Tony László (b. 1960), journalist

Fictional characters

• Carl Lazlo, Esq., an idealistic lawyer in the 1980 movie Where the Buffalo Roam
• Victor Laszlo, in the 1942 film Casablanca (film), played by Paul Henreid

See also

• Albert-László Barabási, Hungarian-Romanian scientist
• Ladislaus (disambiguation)
• Lazlow Jones, American talk show host and game developer, known for his work on the Grand Theft Auto series
• Laszlo Toth, a pen name for comedian and humorist Don Novello

Notes and References

1. Book: Dictionary of American Family Names . Oxford University Press . 2003 . 400 . 9780195081374 .
2. Web site: Közigazgatási és Elektronikus Közszolgáltatások Központi Hivatala . 2024-06-14 . nyilvantarto.hu.