Germanic given name
A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a fa ...
s are traditionally
dithematic; that is, they are formed from two elements, by joining a
prefix
A prefix is an affix which is placed before the stem of a word. Adding it to the beginning of one word changes it into another word. For example, when the prefix ''un-'' is added to the word ''happy'', it creates the word ''unhappy''. Particula ...
and a
suffix
In linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns, adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs. Suffixes can carry ...
. For example,
King Æþelred's name was derived from ', for "noble", and ', for "counsel".
However, there are also names dating from an early time which seem to be monothematic, consisting only of a single element. These are sometimes explained as
hypocorism
A hypocorism ( or ; from Ancient Greek: (), from (), 'to call by pet names', sometimes also ''hypocoristic'') or pet name is a name used to show affection for a person. It may be a diminutive form of a person's name, such as ''Izzy'' for I ...
s, short forms of originally dithematic names, but in many cases the etymology of the supposed original name cannot be recovered.
The oldest known Germanic names date to the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Medit ...
period, such as those of ''
Arminius
Arminius ( 18/17 BC – 21 AD) was a chieftain of the Germanic Cherusci tribe who is best known for commanding an alliance of Germanic tribes at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 AD, in which three Roman legions under the command of ge ...
'' and his wife ''
Thusnelda
Thusnelda (; 10 BC – after AD 17) was a Germanic Cheruscan noblewoman who was captured by the Roman general Germanicus during his invasion of Germania. She was the wife of Arminius. Tacitus and Strabo cite her capture as evidence of both t ...
'' in the 1st century, and in greater frequency, especially
Gothic names, in the late Roman Empire, in the 4th to 5th centuries (the
Germanic Heroic Age).
A great variety of names are attested from the
medieval period
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
, falling into the rough categories of Scandinavian (
Old Norse
Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlemen ...
), Anglo-Saxon (
Old English
Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the mid-5th c ...
), continental (
Frankish,
Old High German
Old High German (OHG; german: Althochdeutsch (Ahd.)) is the earliest stage of the German language, conventionally covering the period from around 750 to 1050.
There is no standardised or supra-regional form of German at this period, and Old High ...
and
Low German
:
:
:
:
:
(70,000)
(30,000)
(8,000)
, familycolor = Indo-European
, fam2 = Germanic
, fam3 = West Germanic
, fam4 = North Sea Germanic
, ancestor = Old Saxon
, ancestor2 = Middl ...
), and
East Germanic (see
Gothic names[Gothic or pseudo-Gothic names also constitute most of the personal names in use in the Christian successor states of the ]Visigothic kingdom
The Visigothic Kingdom, officially the Kingdom of the Goths ( la, Regnum Gothorum), was a kingdom that occupied what is now southwestern France and the Iberian Peninsula from the 5th to the 8th centuries. One of the Germanic successor states to ...
in the Iberian peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula (),
**
* Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica''
**
**
* french: Péninsule Ibérique
* mwl, Península Eibérica
* eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...
during High Middle Ages; c.f. and ) forms.
By the
High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages, or High Medieval Period, was the period of European history that lasted from AD 1000 to 1300. The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and were followed by the Late Middle Ages, which ended around AD ...
, many of these names had undergone numerous sound changes and/or were abbreviated, so that their derivation is not always clear.
Of the large number of medieval Germanic names, a comparatively small set remains in common use today. In modern times, the most frequent name of Germanic origin in the English-speaking world has traditionally been
William
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Eng ...
(from an
Old High German
Old High German (OHG; german: Althochdeutsch (Ahd.)) is the earliest stage of the German language, conventionally covering the period from around 750 to 1050.
There is no standardised or supra-regional form of German at this period, and Old High ...
), followed by
Robert
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, ho ...
and
Charles
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was ...
(
Carl, after
Charlemagne
Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first E ...
).
Many native English (Anglo-Saxon) names fell into disuse in the later Middle Ages, but experienced a revival in the
Victorian era
In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardi ...
; some of these are
Edward
Edward is an English language, English given name. It is derived from the Old English, Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements ''wikt:ead#Old English, ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and ''wikt:weard#Old English, weard'' "gua ...
,
Edwin,
Edmund
Edmund is a masculine given name or surname in the English language. The name is derived from the Old English elements ''ēad'', meaning "prosperity" or "riches", and ''mund'', meaning "protector".
Persons named Edmund include:
People Kings an ...
,
Edgar
Edgar is a commonly used English given name, from an Anglo-Saxon name ''Eadgar'' (composed of '' ead'' "rich, prosperous" and ''gar'' "spear").
Like most Anglo-Saxon names, it fell out of use by the later medieval period; it was, however, r ...
,
Alfred,
Oswald and
Harold for males; the female names
Mildred and
Winifred also continue to be used in present day, ''
Audrey'' continues the Anglo-Norman (French) form of the Anglo-Saxon , while the name ''
Godiva'' is a Latin form of . Some names, like
Howard
Howard is an English-language given name originating from Old French Huard (or Houard) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also proba ...
and
Ronald
Ronald is a masculine given name derived from the Old Norse ''Rögnvaldr'', Hanks; Hardcastle; Hodges (2006) p. 234; Hanks; Hodges (2003) § Ronald. or possibly from Old English '' Regenweald''. In some cases ''Ronald'' is an Anglicised form of ...
, are thought to originate from multiple Germanic languages, including Anglo-Saxon.
Dithematic names
Monothematic names
Some medieval Germanic names are attested in simplex form; these names originate as
hypocorism
A hypocorism ( or ; from Ancient Greek: (), from (), 'to call by pet names', sometimes also ''hypocoristic'') or pet name is a name used to show affection for a person. It may be a diminutive form of a person's name, such as ''Izzy'' for I ...
s of full dithematic names, but in some cases they entered common usage and were no longer perceived as such.
*Masculine: Aldo (whence English Aldous),
Adel, Anso/Anzo/Enzo, Folki/Folke/Fulco, Gero, Helmo/Elmo, Ise/Iso, Kuno, Lanzo, Manno, Odo/
Otto
Otto is a masculine German given name and a surname. It originates as an Old High German short form (variants ''Audo'', '' Odo'', '' Udo'') of Germanic names beginning in ''aud-'', an element meaning "wealth, prosperity".
The name is recorded ...
, Rocco,
Sten
The STEN (or Sten gun) is a family of British submachine guns chambered in 9×19mm which were used extensively by British and Commonwealth forces throughout World War II and the Korean War. They had a simple design and very low production cos ...
, Waldo, Warin, Wido, Wine, Wolf/Wulf
*Feminine:
Adele
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (, ; born 5 May 1988), professionally known by the mononym Adele, is an English singer and songwriter. After graduating in arts from the BRIT School in 2006, Adele signed a rec ...
, Alda,
Bertha,
Emma,
Hilda, Ida, Isa,
Linda, Oda
Some hypocorisms retain a remnant of their second element, but reduced so that it cannot be identified unambiguously any longer; Curt/Kurt may abbreviate either Conrad or Cunibert. Harry may abbreviate either Harold or Henry.
Other monothematic names originate as surnames (bynames) rather than hypocorisms of old dithematic names; e.g. Old English Æsc "ash tree",
Carl "free man" (
Charles
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was ...
),
Hengest "stallion", Raban "raven" (
Rabanus Maurus
Rabanus Maurus Magnentius ( 780 – 4 February 856), also known as Hrabanus or Rhabanus, was a Frankish Benedictine monk, theologian, poet, encyclopedist and military writer who became archbishop of Mainz in East Francia. He was the author of th ...
), Hagano/
Hagen
Hagen () is the 41st-largest city in Germany. The municipality is located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on the south eastern edge of the Ruhr area, 15 km south of Dortmund, where the rivers Lenne and Volme (met by ...
"enclosure",
Earnest "vigorous, resolute".
Uncertain etymology
*
Gustav has been interpreted by e.g. Elof Hellquist (1864 - 1939) Swedish linguist specialist in North Germanic languages as ''gauta-stabaz'' (gauta-stabaR) "staff of the
Geat
The Geats ( ; ang, gēatas ; non, gautar ; sv, götar ), sometimes called ''Goths'', were a large North Germanic tribe who inhabited ("land of the Geats") in modern southern Sweden from antiquity until the late Middle Ages. They are one of th ...
s"; it may also originate as an adaptation of the Slavic name ''Gostislav''.
*Old English Pǣga (unknown meaning)
*
Pepin
*
Morcar
*
Zotto
*
Cleph
Cleph (also ''Clef'', ''Clepho'', or ''Kleph'') was king of the Lombards from 572 to 574.
He succeeded Alboin, to whom he was not related by blood. He was a violent and terrifying figure to the Romans and Byzantines struggling to maintain cont ...
*
Pemmo
See also
*
Dutch name
Dutch names consist of one or more given names and a surname. The given name is usually gender-specific.
Dutch given names
A Dutch child's birth and given name(s) must be officially registered by the parents within 3 days after birth. It is not ...
*
German name
*
German family name etymology
*
Scandinavian family name etymology
*
Germanic placename etymology
**
German placename etymology
**
List of generic forms in British place names
*
List of names of Odin
Odin ( Old Norse Óðinn) is a widely attested god in Germanic mythology. The god is referred to by numerous names and kenningar, particularly in the Old Norse record.
List
In Old English, Odin was known as ; in Old Saxon, as ; and in O ...
*
Slavic names
Given names originating from the Slavic languages are most common in Slavic countries.
The main types of Slavic names:
* Two-basic names, often ending in mir/měr (''Ostromir/měr'', ''Tihomir/měr'', '' Němir/měr''), *voldъ (''Vsevolod'', ...
*
Germanic personal names in Galicia
Germanic names, inherited from the Suevi (who settled in Gallaecia: modern Galicia and northern Portugal in 409 AD), Visigoths, Vandals, Franks and other Germanic peoples, were often the most common Galician- Portuguese names during the ear ...
*
Germanic names in Italy
References
*
*Olof von Feilitzen, ''The Pre-conquest Personal Names of Domesday Book'' (1937).
*E. Förstemann, ''Altdeutsches Namenbuch'' (1856
online facsimile
*
*Lena Peterson, ''Nordiskt runnamnslexikon''
4th ed. (2002) 5th ed. (2007).
* P. R. Kitson, (2002). How Anglo-Saxon personal names work. Nomina, 24, 93.
* F. C. Robinson, (1968). The significance of names in old English literature.
Anglia, 86, 14–58.
*Justus Georg Schottel, ''De nominibus veterum Germanorum'', in: ''Ausführliche Arbeit Von der Teutschen Haubt-Sprache'', Zilliger (1663), book 5, chapter 2, pp. 1029–109
*Franz Stark, ''Die Kosenamen der Germanen: eine Studie: mit drei Excursen: 1. Über Zunamen; 2. Über den Ursprung der zusammengesetzten Namen; 3. Über besondere friesische Namensformen und Verkürzungen'', 1868.
*Friedrich Wilhelm Viehbeck, ''Die Namen der Alten teutschen: als Bilder ihres sittlichen und bürgerlichen Lebens'' (1818
online facsimile
* H. B. Woolf, (1939). The old Germanic principles of name-giving. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
* H. C. Wyld, (1910). Old Scandinavian personal names in England. Modern Language Review, 5, 289–296.
* Charlotte Mary Yonge, ''History of Christian names'', vol. 2, Parker and Bourn, 1863.
*
External links
Germanic names(behindthename.com)
Ancient Germanic names(behindthename.com)
Gothic and Suevic Names in Galicia (NW Spain) before 1200(celtiberia.net)
Nordic Names: Name Elements(nordicnames.de)
(kurufin.ru, in Russian)
{{Names in world cultures
Germanic names,