Gender: Masculine
Origin: German
Meaning: “peace of God.”
(GOTT-freet); (GOD-free).
Both names are derived from the Germanic Godafrid meaning “peace of God.” The Normans introduced the name into England where it became quite common during the Middle Ages. Possibly due to its lack of nickname options other than God, which would have been considered somewhat sacrilegious in Protestant England, the name went out of favor. The name remained common in German speaking countries till the beginning of the 20th century, where now it is considered rather old fashioned. The name was borne by Godfrey of Bouillon, a 10th-century leader of the First Crusades and ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Its German counterpart was borne by Gottfried von Strassburg a medieval German poet and Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz a German mathematician who was credited for inventing the subject of Calculus. The designated name day is July 9 in Austria.
Godfrey is the name of the owner of the bakery down the street! (Must not think about coconut cake.) It was also the name of the local indie music club near my high school, so I have warm (and sweet) feelings about Godfrey.
But, unrepentant nicknamer that I am, I couldn't stop myself from shortening Godfrey to God. And that's not a good choice! Gottfried just seems too much to bestow on an American child in 2009.