Alberich

Gender Masculine
Usage Germanic [1], Germanic Mythology

Meaning & History

Derived from the Old German elements alb "elf" and rih "ruler, king". It was borne by two Lombard dukes of Spoleto in the 10th century. It was also the name of a 12th-century French saint who helped found the Cistercian Order.

Alberich is a sorcerer dwarf who guards the treasure of the Nibelungen in the medieval German epic the Nibelungenlied. The dwarf also appears in Ortnit as a helper to the hero.

Related Names

VariantAlberic(Germanic)
Other Languages & CulturesÆlfric(Anglo-Saxon) Aubrey(English) Alberico(Italian) Auberon, Oberon(Literature) Elric(Medieval English) Auberi(Medieval French) Albarīks(Old Germanic) Alfríkr(Old Norse)

Categories

defence, elven folk, elves, isograms, kings, leadership, mythology, power, Shining characters, strength

Sources & References

  1. Förstemann, Ernst. Altdeutsches Namenbuch. Bonn, 1900, page 71.
Entry updated December 7, 2022