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The German vocabulary word "eitel" nowadays means "conceited", but also "mere". In the Middle Ages it was used in the sense of "pure", and this is the original meaning of the name. Later (beginning at the end of the 14th century) it was used together with another forename, now meaning "only". So Eitelfritz would mean that the bearer of this name had only one given name (Fritz).

(This is taken from; Rosa und Volker Kohlheim, Das große Vornamenlexikon, Mannheim 2003)

• Eitel? (Male, Germanic) - Anthony  Mar 26 2005, 8:57:23 PM
  • Re: Eitel? (Male, Germanic) - Miss Claire  Mar 29 2005, 7:45:07 AM
    • Re: Eitel? (Male, Germanic) - Andy ;—)  Mar 29 2005, 8:21:16 AM
  • Re: Eitel? (Male, Germanic) - Andy ;—)  Mar 26 2005, 10:19:34 PM
    • Re: Eitel? (Male, Germanic) - Anneza  Mar 30 2005, 12:08:30 AM