ALDEGUND f Ancient GermanicGermanic name, derived from the elements
ald "old" and
gund "war". Saint Algegund (or Aldegundis) was a 7th-century Frankish abbess.
ALFHILD f Norwegian, SwedishFrom the Old Norse name
Alfhildr which was composed of the elements
alfr "elf" and
hildr "battle". In Norse legend Alfhild was a maiden who disguised herself as a warrior in order to avoid marriage to King Alf. Her life was perhaps based on that of a 9th-century Viking pirate.
ALFONSO m Spanish, ItalianSpanish and Italian form of a Visigothic Germanic name, probably meaning "noble and ready", from the element
adal "noble" combined with
funs "ready". Other theories claim the first element is
hadu or
hild (see
ILDEFONSO), both of which mean "battle". It is possible that two or more names merged into a single form. This was the name of six kings of Portugal and kings of several ancient regions of Spain.
ALMA (1) f English, Spanish, Italian, DutchThis name became popular after the Battle of Alma (1854), which took place near the River Alma in Crimea and ended in a victory for Britain and France. However, the name was in rare use before the battle; it was probably inspired by Latin
almus "nourishing". It also coincides with the Spanish word meaning "the soul".
ALWILDA f HistoryLatinized form of
ALFHILD. This was the name of a legendary female Scandinavian pirate, also called Awilda.
ARES m Greek MythologyPerhaps from either Greek
αρη (are) "bane, ruin" or
αρσην (arsen) "male". The name first appears as
a-re in Mycenaean Greek writing. Ares was the blood-thirsty god of war in Greek mythology, a son of
Zeus and
Hera.
BAHRAM m Persian, Persian MythologyModern Persian form of Avestan
Verethragna meaning "victory over resistance". This was the name of a Zoroastrian god (one of the Amesha Spenta) associated with victory and war. This name was borne by several Sassanid emperors. It is also the Persian name for the planet Mars.
BÅRD m NorwegianNorwegian form of the Old Norse name
Bárðr, which was derived from the elements
baðu "battle" and
friðr "peace".
BELLONA f Roman MythologyDerived from Latin
bellare meaning "to fight". This was the name of the Roman goddess of war, a companion of
Mars.
BLAIR m & f Scottish, EnglishFrom a Scottish surname which is derived from Gaelic
blár meaning "plain, field, battlefield".
BOŘIVOJ m CzechDerived from the Slavic elements
borti "battle" and
voji "soldier". This name was borne by a 9th-century duke of Bohemia.
BRÜNHILD f German, Germanic MythologyDerived from the Germanic elements
brun "armour, protection" and
hild "battle". It is cognate with the Old Norse name
Brynhildr (from the elements
bryn and
hildr). In Norse legend
Brynhildr was the queen of the Valkyries who was rescued by the hero
Sigurd. In the Germanic saga the 'Nibelungenlied' she was a queen of Iceland and the wife of
Günther. Both of these characters were probably inspired by the eventful life of the 6th-century Frankish queen Brunhilda (of Visigothic birth).
CADELL m WelshFrom Welsh
cad "battle" and a diminutive suffix.
CADFAEL m WelshMeans "battle prince" from Welsh
cad "battle" and
mael "prince".
CADOC m WelshDerived from Welsh
cad "battle". This was the name of a 6th-century Welsh saint who was martyred by the Saxons.
CADWGAN m WelshMeans "glory in battle" from Welsh
cad "battle" and
gwogawn "glory, honour". In the Mabinogion, a collection of tales from Welsh myth, this name is briefly mentioned as the son of Iddon.
CATHAL m IrishDerived from the Gaelic elements
cath "battle" and
val "rule". This was the name of a 7th-century Irish saint. It has sometimes been Anglicized as
Charles.
CATHÁN m IrishDerived from Gaelic
cath "battle" combined with a diminutive suffix.
CEALLACH m IrishIrish name of uncertain origin, traditionally said to mean "bright-headed". Alternatively it could be derived from Old Irish
ceallach "war, strife" or
ceall "church".
CHAD m EnglishFrom the Old English name
Ceadda which is of unknown meaning, possibly based on Welsh
cad "battle". This was the name of a 7th-century English saint. Borne primarily by Catholics, it was a rare name until the 1960s when it started to become more common amongst the general population. This is also the name of a country in Africa, though it originates from a different source.
EADWIG m Anglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
wig "war". This was the name of a Saxon king of England in the 10th century. The name fell out of use after the Norman conquest.
EOFORHILD f Anglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
eofor "boar" and
hild "battle". This name was rarely used after the Norman conquest.
ERIS f Greek MythologyMeans "strife" in Greek. In Greek mythology Eris was the goddess of discord. She was the sister and companion of
Ares.
GARRETT m EnglishFrom an English surname which was derived from the given name
GERALD or
GERARD. A famous bearer of the surname was Pat Garrett (1850-1908), the sheriff who shot Billy the Kid.
GERARD m English, Dutch, Catalan, PolishDerived from the Germanic element
ger meaning "spear" combined with
hard meaning "brave, hardy". The Normans introduced this name to Britain. It was initially much more common than the similar name
Gerald, with which it was often confused, but it is now less common.
GORDON m Scottish, EnglishFrom a Scottish surname which was originally derived from a place name in Berwickshire meaning "spacious fort". It was originally used in honour of Charles George Gordon (1833-1885), a British general who died defending the city of Khartoum in Sudan.
GRISELDA f English, Scottish, Spanish, LiteraturePossibly derived from the Germanic elements
gris "grey" and
hild "battle". It is not attested as a Germanic name. This was the name of a patient wife in medieval tales by Boccaccio and Chaucer.
GUNBORG f SwedishFrom the Old Norse name
Gunnbjörg, derived from the elements
gunnr "war" and
björg "help, save, rescue".
GÜNTHER m German, Germanic MythologyFrom the Germanic name
Gundahar, derived from the elements
gund "war" and
hari "army, warrior". This was the name of a semi-legendary 5th-century Burgundian king. He appears in the Germanic saga the 'Nibelungenlied', which has him wooing the Icelandic queen
Brünhild. He wins her hand in marriage with the help of the hero
Siegfried. He ultimately betrays Siegfried, but Siegfried's widow
Kriemhild (Günther's sister) takes her revenge upon him.
GUNTRAM m GermanMeans "war raven" from the Germanic elements
gund "war" and
hramn "raven". This was the name of a 6th-century Frankish king.
HAROLD m EnglishFrom the Old English name
Hereweald, derived from the elements
here "army" and
weald "power, leader, ruler". The Old Norse cognate
Haraldr was also common among Scandinavian settlers in England. This was the name of five kings of Norway and three kings of Denmark. It was also borne by two kings of England, both of whom were from mixed Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon backgrounds, including Harold II who lost the Battle of Hastings (and was killed in it), which led to the Norman conquest. After the conquest the name died out, but it was eventually revived in the 19th century.
HARVEY m EnglishFrom the Breton given name
Haerviu, which meant "battle worthy", from
haer "battle" and
viu "worthy". This was the name of a 6th-century Breton hermit who is the patron saint of the blind. Settlers from Brittany introduced it to England after the Norman conquest. During the later Middle Ages it became rare, but it was revived in the 19th century.
HILDRED f & m EnglishPossibly from the Old English masculine name
Hildræd, which was composed of the elements
hild "battle" and
ræd "counsel". This name was revived in the late 19th century, probably because of its similarity to the popular names
Hilda and
Mildred.
HILTRUD f GermanMeans "strength in battle", derived from the Germanic elements
hild "battle" and
thrud "strength".
ISHTAR f Semitic MythologyMeaning unknown. Ishtar was an Akkadian, Assyrian and Babylonian goddess who presided over love, war and fertility. She was cognate with the Canaanite and Phoenician
Ashtoreth, and she was also identified with the Sumerian goddess
Inanna.
ISOLDE f English (Rare), German, Arthurian RomanceThe origins of this name are uncertain, though some Celtic roots have been suggested. It is possible that the name is ultimately Germanic, perhaps from a hypothetic name like
Ishild, composed of the elements
is "ice, iron" and
hild "battle".
... [more] IVOR m Irish, Scottish, Welsh, English (British)From the Old Norse name
Ívarr, which was derived from the elements
yr "yew, bow" and
arr "warrior". During the Middle Ages it was brought to Britain by Scandinavian settlers and invaders, and it was adopted in Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
KRIEMHILD f German (Rare), Germanic MythologyDerived from the Germanic elements
grim "mask" and
hild "battle". Kriemhild was a beautiful heroine in the Germanic saga the 'Nibelungenlied', where she is the sister of
Günther and the wife of
Siegfried. After her husband is killed by
Hagen with the consent of Günther, Kriemhild tragically exacts her revenge.
KUNEGUNDA f Polish (Rare)Polish form of
KUNIGUNDE. The 13th-century Saint Kunegunda was the daughter of Bela IV, king of Hungary. She married Boleslaus V of Poland, but after his death refused to assume power and instead became a nun.
KUNIGUNDE f German (Rare)Derived from the Germanic element
kuni "clan, family" combined with
gund "war". Saint Kunigunde was the wife of the Holy Roman emperor Henry II.
LOUIS m French, English, DutchFrench form of
Ludovicus, the Latinized form of
LUDWIG. This was the name of 18 kings of France, starting with Louis I the son of
Charlemagne. Others include Louis IX (Saint Louis) who led two crusades and Louis XIV (called the Sun King) who was the ruler of France during the height of its power, the builder of the Palace of Versailles, and the longest reigning monarch in the history of Europe. It was also borne by kings of Germany (as
Ludwig), Hungary (as
Lajos), and other places.
... [more] LUDWIG m GermanFrom the Germanic name
Chlodovech, which was composed of the elements
hlud "famous" and
wig "war, battle". This was the name of three Merovingian kings of the Franks (though their names are usually spelled in the Latinized form
Clovis) as well as several Carolingian kings and Holy Roman emperors (names often spelled in the French form
Louis). Other famous bearers include the German composer Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) and the Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951), who contributed to logic and the philosophy of language.
MARS m Roman MythologyPossibly related to Latin
mas "male" (genitive
maris). In Roman mythology Mars was the god of war, often equated with the Greek god
Ares. This is also the name of the fourth planet in the solar system.
MATILDA f English, Swedish, FinnishFrom the Germanic name
Mahthildis meaning "strength in battle", from the elements
maht "might, strength" and
hild "battle". Saint Matilda was the wife of the 10th-century German king Henry I the Fowler. The name was common in many branches of European royalty in the Middle Ages. It was brought to England by the Normans, being borne by the wife of William the Conqueror himself. Another notable royal by this name was a 12th-century daughter of Henry I of England, known as the Empress Matilda because of her first marriage to the Holy Roman emperor Henry V. She later invaded England, laying the foundations for the reign of her son Henry II.
... [more] OLVE m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Olvir, possibly derived from
ala "all" or
alu "defense, protection, luck" combined with
vér "holy man" or "warrior".
PTOLEMY m HistoryFrom the Greek name
Πτολεμαιος (Ptolemaios), derived from Greek
πολεμηιος (polemeios) meaning "aggressive, warlike". Ptolemy was the name of several Greco-Egyptian rulers of Egypt, all descendants of Ptolemy I, one of the generals of Alexander the Great. This was also the name of a Greek astronomer.
SKANDA m HinduismMeans "hopping, spurting, spilling" in Sanskrit. In Hindu belief this is the name of the god of war, also known as
Kartikeya or
Murugan. He is worshipped especially by the Tamils in southern India.
TAKEHIKO m JapaneseFrom Japanese
武 (take) meaning "military, martial" or
竹 (take) meaning "bamboo" combined with
彦 (hiko) meaning "boy, prince". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
THOR m Norse Mythology, Norwegian, Danish, SwedishFrom the Old Norse
Þórr meaning "thunder", ultimately from the early Germanic *
Þunraz. Thor was the Norse god of strength, thunder, war and storms, the son of
Odin. He was armed with a hammer called Mjolnir, and wore an enchanted belt that doubled his strength.
TYR m Norse MythologyNorse form of the name of the Germanic god
Tiwaz, related to Indo-European
dyeus (see
ZEUS). In Norse mythology Tyr was the god of war and justice, the son of the god
Odin. He carried a spear in his left hand, since his right hand was bitten off by the wolf Fenrir. At the time of the end of the world, the Ragnarok, Tyr will slay and be slain by the giant hound Garm.
VAHAGN m Armenian Mythology, ArmenianFrom Avestan
Verethragna meaning "breaking of defense, victory". In Armenian mythology this was the name of the heroic god of war.
WALTER m English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Italian, Ancient GermanicFrom a Germanic name meaning "ruler of the army", composed of the elements
wald "rule" and
hari "army". The Normans brought it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate
Wealdhere. A famous bearer of the name was Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832), a Scottish novelist who wrote 'Ivanhoe' and other notable works.
WYSTAN m English (Rare)From the Old English name
Wigstan, composed of the elements
wig "battle" and
stan "stone". This was the name of a 9th-century Anglo-Saxon saint. It became rare after the Norman conquest, and in modern times it is chiefly known as the first name of the British poet W. H. Auden (1907-1973).