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ArchivesInteresting Germanic names from the Merovingian dynasty.
I'm interested in Germanic names, and I recently found names from the Merovingian dynasty (they were Franks) that I find interesting, but can't find the meaning of. Perhaps some of you can? I would be most grateful! :)
The most important names for me (the ones I am most interested in) are in bold. All names are male, unless otherwise specified (female names will be put in red). :)
Amalasuintha
Antenor
Antharius
Ardabast
Argotta
Athanagild
Athildus
Audefleda
Bartherus
Cassander (perhaps this is Greek with the same roots like Cassandra?)
Charibert (2nd part of name from Germanic 'bert')
Cherebert (2nd part of name from Germanic 'bert')
Childebert (2nd part of name from Germanic 'bert')
Childeric (2nd part of name supposedly from Germanic 'rich')
Chilperic (2nd part of name supposedly from Germanic 'rich')
Chindaswind
Chlodion
Chlodmir (2nd part of name supposedly from Germanic 'mar')
Chlodomir / Chlodomer (2nd part of name from Germanic 'mar')
Chlodoswintha
Clodius
Clothar / Chlotaire
Ervik (perhaps this is a form of Erik?)
Eutharic
Farabert (the 2nd part is from Germanic 'bert')
Francus
Fruela
Genebald (I recognise the 2nd part as Germanic 'bald')
Haragund (I recognise the 2nd part as Germanic 'gund')
Herimerus
Hermenegild (I recognise the 1st part as Germanic 'ermen')
Hermesinda
Ingunda
Leovigild
Liubigotona
Marcomir (perhaps this is a Slavic name, and should be Markomar in Germanic?)
Matasuntha
Merodachus
Nicanor
Odomir
Ostogotho
Ratherius
Recaswind
Reccared
Recilona
Rekiberga
Richemer / Richimir (supposedly from Germanic 'ric' and 'mar')
Sigeric (supposedly from Germanic 'sieg' and 'rich')
Suavegotha
Sunno / Huano
Swinthila
Theudebert (I guess it's Theobert, from Greek 'theos' and Germanic 'bert')
Theuderic (I suppose this is actually Theodoric, which is a form of Dietrich?)
Theodofred (supposedly from Greek 'theos' and Germanic 'frid')
Theodomir (supposedly from Greek 'theos' and Germanic 'mar')
Thiudigotho
Waifar
The most important names for me (the ones I am most interested in) are in bold. All names are male, unless otherwise specified (female names will be put in red). :)
Antenor
Antharius
Ardabast
Argotta
Athanagild
Athildus
Audefleda
Bartherus
Cassander (perhaps this is Greek with the same roots like Cassandra?)
Charibert (2nd part of name from Germanic 'bert')
Cherebert (2nd part of name from Germanic 'bert')
Childebert (2nd part of name from Germanic 'bert')
Childeric (2nd part of name supposedly from Germanic 'rich')
Chilperic (2nd part of name supposedly from Germanic 'rich')
Chindaswind
Chlodion
Chlodmir (2nd part of name supposedly from Germanic 'mar')
Chlodomir / Chlodomer (2nd part of name from Germanic 'mar')
Chlodoswintha
Clodius
Clothar / Chlotaire
Ervik (perhaps this is a form of Erik?)
Eutharic
Farabert (the 2nd part is from Germanic 'bert')
Francus
Fruela
Genebald (I recognise the 2nd part as Germanic 'bald')
Haragund (I recognise the 2nd part as Germanic 'gund')
Herimerus
Hermenegild (I recognise the 1st part as Germanic 'ermen')
Hermesinda
Ingunda
Leovigild
Liubigotona
Marcomir (perhaps this is a Slavic name, and should be Markomar in Germanic?)
Matasuntha
Merodachus
Nicanor
Odomir
Ostogotho
Ratherius
Recaswind
Reccared
Recilona
Rekiberga
Richemer / Richimir (supposedly from Germanic 'ric' and 'mar')
Sigeric (supposedly from Germanic 'sieg' and 'rich')
Suavegotha
Sunno / Huano
Swinthila
Theudebert (I guess it's Theobert, from Greek 'theos' and Germanic 'bert')
Theuderic (I suppose this is actually Theodoric, which is a form of Dietrich?)
Theodofred (supposedly from Greek 'theos' and Germanic 'frid')
Theodomir (supposedly from Greek 'theos' and Germanic 'mar')
Thiudigotho
Waifar
This message was edited 5/10/2005, 10:51 AM
1
Replies
Here are some more (some just educated guesses)
("XYZ" Germanic root; > closest form I could find; ??? I'm not sure at all)
CHARIBERT = Herbert
CHEREBERT = Herbert
CHILDEBERT = Hildbert
CHILDERIC = Hildrich
CHILPERIC = Hilfrich
GENEBALD „gen“ > probably from „gagin“ (against) + „bald“ (bold)
HERIMERUS „heri“ (army) + „mari“ (famous) / „mari“ (sea) ???
LIUBIGOTONA „liob“ (dear, beloved) + Goth ???
MARCOMIR „marha“ (horse) / „marco“ (boundary) + mari“ (famous) / „mari“ (sea) ???
RECASWIND > Recesvinth? (5. cent.) – „ricja“ (rule) + „svintha“ (strong)
REKIBERGA > Ricberga (8. cent.) –„ricja“ (rule) + „berga“ (rescue)
SUAVEGOTHA „swaba“ (Swabian, name of a Germanic tribe, Svebes? „of the own people“?) + „Goth“ ???
This is mostly taken from:
Ernst Förstemann: Altdeutsche Personennamen (1906)
Henning Kaufmann: Altdeutsche Personennamen, Ergänzungsband* (1968)
(* supplement)
("XYZ" Germanic root; > closest form I could find; ??? I'm not sure at all)
CHARIBERT = Herbert
CHEREBERT = Herbert
CHILDEBERT = Hildbert
CHILDERIC = Hildrich
CHILPERIC = Hilfrich
GENEBALD „gen“ > probably from „gagin“ (against) + „bald“ (bold)
HERIMERUS „heri“ (army) + „mari“ (famous) / „mari“ (sea) ???
LIUBIGOTONA „liob“ (dear, beloved) + Goth ???
MARCOMIR „marha“ (horse) / „marco“ (boundary) + mari“ (famous) / „mari“ (sea) ???
RECASWIND > Recesvinth? (5. cent.) – „ricja“ (rule) + „svintha“ (strong)
REKIBERGA > Ricberga (8. cent.) –„ricja“ (rule) + „berga“ (rescue)
SUAVEGOTHA „swaba“ (Swabian, name of a Germanic tribe, Svebes? „of the own people“?) + „Goth“ ???
This is mostly taken from:
Ernst Förstemann: Altdeutsche Personennamen (1906)
Henning Kaufmann: Altdeutsche Personennamen, Ergänzungsband* (1968)
(* supplement)
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I just found information which leads me to this: could Marcomir be a Gaulish* name? I found out that the Gaulish word for horse was 'marka', and that they also had a word 'maru', which meant 'great.' These elements combined, it should be 'Markamaru', which meant 'great horse.'
But Marcomir could be a Germanic name after all - from 'marco' (boundary) and 'mari' (famous), as you said.
Btw, you apparently named 'marha' (horse) as a Germanic element, while the Germanic equivalent of horse actually should be 'hros'. Or did your book also list it as a Gaulish word?
* Gaulish is an extinct Celtic language (it was spoken in Gaul) of which very few records and names survive.
But Marcomir could be a Germanic name after all - from 'marco' (boundary) and 'mari' (famous), as you said.
Btw, you apparently named 'marha' (horse) as a Germanic element, while the Germanic equivalent of horse actually should be 'hros'. Or did your book also list it as a Gaulish word?
* Gaulish is an extinct Celtic language (it was spoken in Gaul) of which very few records and names survive.
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Various horses
Yes, "marha" can well be a Germanic element, living on in the English word "mare" and the German "Mähre" (nowadays a word for an old, bad horse; up to the 16th cent. it just meant "mare", later "horse" in general, and towards the end of the 17th cent. took the above meaning) and "Marschall". It is likely to be of Indoeuropean origin, but also may be loan word from Celtic.
(This is taken from: dtv Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Deutschen, München 1993)
Yes, "marha" can well be a Germanic element, living on in the English word "mare" and the German "Mähre" (nowadays a word for an old, bad horse; up to the 16th cent. it just meant "mare", later "horse" in general, and towards the end of the 17th cent. took the above meaning) and "Marschall". It is likely to be of Indoeuropean origin, but also may be loan word from Celtic.
(This is taken from: dtv Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Deutschen, München 1993)
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The question is: Can you read German? Latin would do, too: Förstemann gives many Latin translations of the Germanic name elements. But the most interesting part is the lists of names he gives, including century and source. Together with the supplement mentioned, Förstemann still is the standard work on old German names.
Another book is: Wilfried Seibicke: Historisches Deutsches Vornamenbuch I-IV, 2000 ff. (This includes foreign names as well as long as they appear in Germany)
A book to buy (if you know German) would be: Rosa und Volker Kohlheim, Das große Vornamenlexikon, Mannheim 2003
The rest you may be able to get hold of in a good library
Andy ;—)
Another book is: Wilfried Seibicke: Historisches Deutsches Vornamenbuch I-IV, 2000 ff. (This includes foreign names as well as long as they appear in Germany)
A book to buy (if you know German) would be: Rosa und Volker Kohlheim, Das große Vornamenlexikon, Mannheim 2003
The rest you may be able to get hold of in a good library
Andy ;—)
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I can definitely read German; I live 5 minutes from the Dutch-German border, after all. Not to mention my grandfather is German and that I have had German at school. ;) So that won't be a problem at all. :)
But thank you for your tip! :) I'll also try a few antiquarian bookshops to see if I could possibly buy the books that I otherwise would only have found in a library. :)
But thank you for your tip! :) I'll also try a few antiquarian bookshops to see if I could possibly buy the books that I otherwise would only have found in a library. :)
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Sorry, I couldn't guess this from your name (if Lucille is your name). I tried to buy Förstemann and Kaufmann second hand, but they were beyond my means. So I got them from a library and copied them (1200 pages all together). But it was worth the effort!
The Duden Lexicon costs less than 10,- Euro!
Andy ;—)
The Duden Lexicon costs less than 10,- Euro!
Andy ;—)
1
Many of these are easy for me:
Amalsuintha - Variant of Amalswintha, composed of Germanic amal "work"/"labour" and swinþ "strength"
Audefleda - Composed of Germanic adal "noble" and Old English flæd "beauty". Mixing elemental origins was not uncommon, especially after a conquering when new names and elements would've been introduced to the native populace
Cassander - Definitely a masculine form of Cassandra. Cassandra's mythological story was popular in the Middle Ages, and consequently the name was one of the few Greek names used in this era; nevertheless, Cassandra and Cassander were still quite rare. Cassander was probably the vernacular form of Cassandra, even for girls
Chlodmir / Chlodomir / Chlodomer - From Germanic hlud "fame" and meri "famous" (or marah "horse", but this is highly unlikely), or from Slavic mir "peace" (unlikely, but see note above about mixing elemental origins)
Chlodoswintha - From Germanic hlud "fame" and swinþ "strength"
Clothar / Chlotaire - Variant of Lothair / Lothar
Farabert - From Germanic fara "journey" and beracht/beraht "bright" (or Old English beorht "bright")
Francus - Latinisation of Frank
Haragund - From Germanic heri "army" (or Old English here "army") or Old English hara "hare" (more unlikely) combined with Germanic gund "war"
Hermenegild - Form of Hermenegildo
Ingunda - Combination of Ing, the name of a Norse/Germanic fertility god (meaning "he who is foremost"), and Germanic gund "war"
Leovigild - Possibly from Old English leof "dear"/"beloved"/"agreeable" and Germanic gild "sacrifice"
Odomir - From Germanic od "wealth"/"riches"/"fortune" and meri "famous". The second element could also come from Slavic mir "peace"
Amalsuintha - Variant of Amalswintha, composed of Germanic amal "work"/"labour" and swinþ "strength"
Audefleda - Composed of Germanic adal "noble" and Old English flæd "beauty". Mixing elemental origins was not uncommon, especially after a conquering when new names and elements would've been introduced to the native populace
Cassander - Definitely a masculine form of Cassandra. Cassandra's mythological story was popular in the Middle Ages, and consequently the name was one of the few Greek names used in this era; nevertheless, Cassandra and Cassander were still quite rare. Cassander was probably the vernacular form of Cassandra, even for girls
Chlodmir / Chlodomir / Chlodomer - From Germanic hlud "fame" and meri "famous" (or marah "horse", but this is highly unlikely), or from Slavic mir "peace" (unlikely, but see note above about mixing elemental origins)
Chlodoswintha - From Germanic hlud "fame" and swinþ "strength"
Clothar / Chlotaire - Variant of Lothair / Lothar
Farabert - From Germanic fara "journey" and beracht/beraht "bright" (or Old English beorht "bright")
Francus - Latinisation of Frank
Haragund - From Germanic heri "army" (or Old English here "army") or Old English hara "hare" (more unlikely) combined with Germanic gund "war"
Hermenegild - Form of Hermenegildo
Ingunda - Combination of Ing, the name of a Norse/Germanic fertility god (meaning "he who is foremost"), and Germanic gund "war"
Leovigild - Possibly from Old English leof "dear"/"beloved"/"agreeable" and Germanic gild "sacrifice"
Odomir - From Germanic od "wealth"/"riches"/"fortune" and meri "famous". The second element could also come from Slavic mir "peace"
This message was edited 5/10/2005, 3:00 PM
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Lol! You're welcome!
Actually, it was just time-consuming; it wasn't hard at all.
I keep a list of name elements (constantly expanding!), currently consisting of Old English, Germanic, and Welsh. So all I had to do was look up the Old English and Germanic elements on that list. I also had to look up mir's Slavic meaning in BtN.
Miranda
"...his fingers trailing over your belly, your thighs quacking..." — From a The Lord of the Rings crapfic
Proud adopter of 15 punctuation marks.
Actually, it was just time-consuming; it wasn't hard at all.
I keep a list of name elements (constantly expanding!), currently consisting of Old English, Germanic, and Welsh. So all I had to do was look up the Old English and Germanic elements on that list. I also had to look up mir's Slavic meaning in BtN.
"...his fingers trailing over your belly, your thighs quacking..." — From a The Lord of the Rings crapfic
Proud adopter of 15 punctuation marks.
1
Chlodoswintha
Chlodoswintha:
Probably two-element name, with the Germanic/Old High German words:
hlut = loud, famous
swinth = strong
Maybe every name here that starts with "Chlod-" has 'hlut' as its first element. See e.g. this article about Ludwig/Chlodwig:
http://german.about.com/library/weekly/aa111300a.htm
Rene
Chlodoswintha:
Probably two-element name, with the Germanic/Old High German words:
hlut = loud, famous
swinth = strong
Maybe every name here that starts with "Chlod-" has 'hlut' as its first element. See e.g. this article about Ludwig/Chlodwig:
http://german.about.com/library/weekly/aa111300a.htm
Rene
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Thank you for the information! :)
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