Baldwin

Gender Masculine

Usage English, Ancient Germanic [1]

Pronounced Pron. BAWLD-win(English)

[key·IPA]

Meaning & History

Means "bold friend", derived from the Germanic elements bald "bold, brave" and win "friend". In the Middle Ages this was a popular name in Flanders and among the Normans, who brought it to Britain. It was borne by one of the leaders of the First Crusade, an 11th-century nobleman from Flanders. After the crusaders conquered Jerusalem, he was crowned as the king of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

Related Names

VariantBaldovin(Ancient Germanic)

DiminutiveBaldo(Ancient Germanic)

Other Languages & CulturesBoudewijn, Boele(Dutch) Baudouin(French) Baldo, Baldovino(Italian) Balduíno(Portuguese) Baldo, Balduino(Spanish)

Surname DescendantBaldwin(English)

Popularity

People think this name is

classic mature formal upper class strong refined strange serious nerdy

Categories

American Horror Story characters, brave, currently out of the US top 1000, friendship, kings, nobility, Ogre Battle characters, surnames

Sources & References

Förstemann, Ernst. Altdeutsches Namenbuch. Bonn, 1900, page 242.

Entry updated February 4, 2020