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 Word stem, 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'' ...
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
hypocorisms, 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 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'' in the 1st century, and in greater frequency, especially
Gothic names
The Onomastics of the Gothic language (Gothic personal names) are an important source not only for the history of the Goths themselves, but for Germanic onomastics in general and the linguistic and cultural history of the Germanic Heroic Age of c ...
, in the late Roman Empire, in the 4th to 5th centuries (the
Germanic Heroic Age
The Germanic (or "German") Heroic Age, so called in analogy to the Heroic Age of Greek mythology, is the period of early historic or quasi-historic events reflected in Germanic heroic poetry.
Periodisation
The period corresponds to the Germani ...
).
A great variety of names are attested from the
medieval period, falling into the rough categories of Scandinavian (
Old Norse), 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 settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
), continental (
Frankish,
Old High German 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 = Middle L ...
), and
East Germanic (see
Gothic names
The Onomastics of the Gothic language (Gothic personal names) are an important source not only for the history of the Goths themselves, but for Germanic onomastics in general and the linguistic and cultural history of the Germanic Heroic Age of c ...
[Gothic or pseudo-Gothic names also constitute most of the personal names in use in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic kingdom in the Iberian peninsula during High Middle Ages; c.f. and ]) forms.
By the
High Middle Ages, 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 (from an
Old High German ), followed by
Robert and
Charles
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*k ...
(
Carl Carl may refer to:
*Carl, Georgia, city in USA
*Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
* Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name
*Carl², a TV series
* "Carl", an episode of te ...
, after
Charlemagne).
Many native English (Anglo-Saxon) names fell into disuse in the later Middle Ages, but experienced a revival in the
Victorian era; some of these are
Edward
Edward is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”.
History
The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-Sa ...
,
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 and ...
,
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, rev ...
,
Alfred
Alfred may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*''Alfred J. Kwak'', Dutch-German-Japanese anime television series
* ''Alfred'' (Arne opera), a 1740 masque by Thomas Arne
* ''Alfred'' (Dvořák), an 1870 opera by Antonín Dvořák
*"Alfred (Interlu ...
,
Oswald and
Harold for males; the female names
Mildred and
Winifred Winifred is a feminine given name, an anglicization of Welsh ''Gwenffrewi'', from ''gwen'', "fair", and ''ffrew'', "stillness". It may refer to:
People
* Saint Winifred
* Winifred Atwell (1914–1983), a pianist who enjoyed great popularity in Bri ...
also continue to be used in present day, ''
Audrey
Audrey () is an English feminine given name. It is the Anglo-Norman form of the Anglo-Saxon name ''Æðelþryð'', composed of the elements '' æðel'' "noble" and ''þryð'' "strength". The Anglo-Norman form of the name was applied to Saint Aud ...
'' continues the Anglo-Norman (French) form of the Anglo-Saxon , while the name ''
Godiva
Lady Godiva (; died between 1066 and 1086), in Old English , was a late Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who is relatively well documented as the wife of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, and a patron of various churches and monasteries. Today, she is mainly reme ...
'' 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 probabl ...
and
Ronald
Ronald is a masculine given name derived from the Old Norse ''Rögnvaldr'',#H2, Hanks; Hardcastle; Hodges (2006) p. 234; #H1, Hanks; Hodges (2003) § Ronald. or possibly from Old English ''Regenweald''. In some cases ''Ronald'' is an Anglicised ...
, 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
hypocorisms 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 fro ...
, Rocco,
Sten, Waldo, Warin, Wido, Wine, Wolf/Wulf
*Feminine:
Adele, Alda,
Bertha,
Emma
Emma may refer to:
* Emma (given name)
Film
* Emma (1932 film), ''Emma'' (1932 film), a comedy-drama film by Clarence Brown
* Emma (1996 theatrical film), ''Emma'' (1996 theatrical film), a film starring Gwyneth Paltrow
* Emma (1996 TV film), '' ...
,
Hilda
Hilda is one of several female given names derived from the name ''Hild'', formed from Old Norse , meaning 'battle'. Hild, a Nordic-German Bellona, was a Valkyrie who conveyed fallen warriors to Valhalla. Warfare was often called Hild's Game. Th ...
, 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 Carl may refer to:
*Carl, Georgia, city in USA
*Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
* Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name
*Carl², a TV series
* "Carl", an episode of te ...
"free man" (
Charles
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*k ...
),
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 the ...
), Hagano/
Hagen
Hagen () is the Largest cities in Germany, 41st-largest List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Germany. The municipality is located in the States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on the south eastern edge of the R ...
"enclosure",
Earnest "vigorous, resolute".
Uncertain etymology
*
Gustav
Gustav, Gustaf or Gustave may refer to:
*Gustav (name), a male given name of Old Swedish origin
Art, entertainment, and media
*Primeval (film), ''Primeval'' (film), a 2007 American horror film
*Gustav (film series), ''Gustav'' (film series), a Hu ...
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
Geats"; it may also originate as an adaptation of the Slavic name ''Gostislav''.
*Old English Pǣga (unknown meaning)
*
Pepin
*
Morcar
*
Zotto
*
Cleph
*
Pemmo Pemmo (or Penno) was the Duke of Friuli for twenty-six years, from about 705 to his death. He was the son of Billo of Belluno.
Pemmo came to the duchy at a time when a recent civil war had ravaged the land. Pemmo raised all the children of the many ...
See also
*
Dutch name
*
German name
*
German family name etymology
Personal names in German-speaking Europe consist of one or several given names (''Vorname'', plural ''Vornamen'') and a surname (''Nachname, Familienname'').
The ''Vorname'' is usually gender-specific. A name is usually cited in the " Western or ...
*
Scandinavian family name etymology
Heritable family names were generally adopted rather late within Scandinavia. Nobility were the first to take names that would be passed on from one generation to the next. Later, clergy, artisans and merchants in cities took heritable names. Fami ...
*
Germanic placename etymology
**
German placename etymology
Placenames in the German language area can be classified by the language from which they originate, and by era.
German names from prehistoric and medieval times
Suffixes
* '' -ach'' ("river"). Examples: Echternach, Salzach.
* ''-au'' (from ...
**
List of generic forms in British place names
*
List of names of Odin
*
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 early and ...
*
Germanic names in Italy
Germanic names in Italy started to proliferate after the fall of the Roman Empire due to the Barbarian Invasions of 4th-6th centuries. Stephen Wilson, ''The Means Of Naming: A Social and Cultural History of Naming in Western Europe'', Chapter 5 "G ...
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,