Hiltrud

  • Origin: German
  • Meaning: “strength in battle.”
  • Gender: Female
  • Approximate Eng (HIL-trood; Germ (HIL-troot)

Hiltrud is a feminine Old High German name formed from hild, “battle,” and drud/þrūð, “strength.”

It was borne by two prominent eighth-century figures: Princess Hiltrud of the Franks, daughter of Charles Martel, who married Duke Odilo of Bavaria and later served as regent for their son Duke Tassilo III, and Saint Hiltrude of Liessies, a Frankish noblewoman venerated in northern France and Belgium.

The name remained in use throughout the medieval German-speaking world and saw a modest revival in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, though it is now rare and considered old-fashioned.

In Austria, the designated name-day is September 27th.

Traditional German diminutives and familiar forms include: Hilde, Hildi, Trude, Trudi, and Trudel.

Hiltrud has also occasionally been used in Scandinavian Countries.

Other forms include:

  • Hiltrude (Dutch, French, Italian)
  • Hiltruda (Catalan, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish)
  • Chiltrude (French)

Sources

Ot(h)mar, Ottmar, Ottomar, Audomar, Omer

  • Origin: Germanic
  • Meaning: “wealth, fortune; fame.”
  • Gender: Masculine

The root name is the Frankish Audomar, which is composed of the elements aud (wealth, fortune), and mari (fame).

It was borne by an 8th-century saint and monk, an abbot of St. Gall, Switzerland and a 7th-century Frankish saint, after whom the French commune of St-Omer was named.

The designated name-day is September 8th.

Other forms include:

  • Otmar (Alemmanish, Catalan, Czech, German, Polish, Romansh)
  • Eadmær (Anglo-Saxon)
  • Audomarus (Dutch, Late Latin)
  • Odomar (Dutch)
  • Edmar (English, Swedish)
  • Ottomar (Estonian, German, Scandinavian)
  • Audomar (French, Frankish, Polish)
  • Adémar, Adhémar (French)
  • Audomar (French, German)
  • Omer (French)
  • Ottmar (German)
  • Otmár (Hungarian)
  • Ómar (Icelandic)
  • Ademaro (Italian)
  • Ödhmar (Old Norse)
  • Onmé (Picard)
  • Ademar, Adhemar (Portuguese)
  • Ademir (Portuguese – Brazilian)
  • Omeru (Sicilian)
  • Otmaro (Spanish)

French feminine forms which had some use in the 19th-century are Amérine, Omère and Omérine

Sources

Drew, Drogo

Photo by Siddharth Surath on Pexels.com
  • Origin: Germanic
  • Meaning: debated
  • Gender: Masculine

Drew is the modern English form of the Anglo-Norman Dreu(x) which ultimately comes from the Frankish, Drogo, which is likely derived from the Proto-Germanic, *draugaz (illusion, mirage), which later transformed into the Saxon drog (ghost, illusion), compare to the Old Norse word draugr, a type of vampiric supernatural being in Old Norse folklore. The name was introduced into England by the Normans. It has also been linked with the Slavic dragan (dear, precious) but this etymology is less likely.

Dreu(x) was borne by a son of Charlemagne (8th-century CE). It was also borne by a 12th-century saint of Flanders, who has the distinction of being the patron saint of coffee.

It is the progenitor of the French surname Drieux.

Dreux is also the name of a commune in France, but this has a different etymology, possibly related to the Latin Drocus (unknown meaning).

In the 20th-century, Drew was often listed as an offshoot of Andrew in many baby name books. It also was occasionally bestowed on females.

Drew currently ranks in as the 512th most popular male name in the United States (2022), and the 840th most popular female name. As of 2021, it was the 790th most popular male name.

Notable bearers are Drew Carey and Dr. Drew Pinsky.

Drogo is the name of several Hobbits in the Tolkien universe and of the name of the Dothraki lord in the George R.R. Martin book, A Throne of Ice and Fire.

Usage/Forms

  • Drogon (Breton, French)
  • Drew, Drue (English)
  • Drogo (Frankish, German, Polish)
  • Dreu (French)
  • Dreux (French)
  • Druon (French)
  • Drogone (Italian)
  • Dreus (Late Latin)

Sources

Bode, Bodo

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  • Origin: German
  • Meaning: “lord, master.”
  • Gender: Masculine
  • Pronunciation: Eng: BOH-dee; Low Germ (BOH-deh); Germ, Eng: BOH-doh

Both names are derived from the Old Saxon bodo (lord). It has alternately been argued to be linked with the Old German, boto (messenger). It may have also been a hypochoristic form of any older Medieval Germanic name which had the bod- element.

It was borne by a 7th-century Frankish saint, who was bishop of Toul, he founded what is now known as the Monastery of Bonmoutier.

Bodo reentered popular use in Germany in the 19th-century. In recent years, its low German form of Bode has entered the U.S. top 1000. It currently ranks in as the 960th most popular male name (2022).

Other forms include:

  • Bode (Dutch, English, Scandinavian)
  • Bodon (French)
  • Bodo (German, Scandinavian)
  • Botho (German)
  • Poto (Italian, archaic)

Sources

Darwin

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  • Origin: Anglo-Saxon or Frankish
  • Meaning: “dear friend; or “spear friend.”
  • Gender: masculine
  • Historical Use: England, Medieval France (see French forms)
  • Modern Usage: English-speaking countries, Spanish-Speaking Countries, Brazil, Philippines

Contrary to popular belief, this is not from a surname, rather, the surname is from the first name. It is a Germanic dithematic name, derived from the Anglo-Saxon Deorwine, composed of the elements deór (wild animal, beast, deer) and wine (friend). Deór had a connotation of brave, compare the modern English words of deer and dire, both of which derive from the same element. It may also derive from the Frankish elements, daroth (spear, lance, javelin) and wini (friend). It was in use in both Medieval France and Anglo-Saxon England. The surname is actually from a patronymic, denoting someone who had a father named Darwin.

A notable bearer is Charles Darwin, English naturalist and writer, best known as the originator of the theory of biological evolution by natural selection (1809-1882). It is also the name of a city in Australia, which is the capital of the Northern Territory.

Darwin has been in and out of the U.S. Top 1000 Most Popular Male Names since 1881, it peaked at #297 in 1983. As of 2022, it was the 986th most popular male name.

Modern feminine forms include Darva and Darwina.

Darwin and Darvin has also experienced recent popular usage in Latin America.

Other forms include

  • Deorwine (Anglo-Saxon)
  • Daroinus (Late Latin)
  • Daroin (Medieval French)
  • Darwin (Modern English)
  • Darvin (Modern English)
  • Dárvin (Modern Spanish)

Sources

Pippin, Pépin

The name is Germanic and of disputed meaning. It is most likely derived from a Germanic element bib- meaning “to tremble,” which formed an etymological basis for the Late Latin nickname, pippinus (little child). This same root is related to the modern French word, pépin, which means “seed” or “pulp” in French, but also a “glitch” in modern French slang.

This was a name that appeared among the Carolingian rulers of the Franks. It was most notably borne by King Pepin the Short (8th-century CE), father of Charlemagne, as well as Pepin of Landen, an ancestor, who was revered as a saint in Belgium (6th-century CE).

Pépin appeared in the French Top 500 between 1902-1945, peaking at #358 in 1942.

Its Dutch form of Pepijn (PEP-pine) currently appears in Netherlands’ Top 100, coming in as the 64th most popular male name in the Netherlands (2019).

Forms and usages in other languages are as follows:

  • Pepyn (Afrikaans, Frisian)
  • Pippin (Alemmanish, English, Estonian, German, Letzburgerish, Swedish)
  • Pepín (Aragonese)
  • Pipí (Catalan)
  • Pepin (Czech, English, Hungarian, Polish, Romanian, Slovak, Walloon)
  • Pipin (Danish, English, Finnish, German, Norwegian)
  • Pepijn, Pippijn (Dutch)
  • Pépin (French, Gaelic)
  • Pipino (Italian, Spanish)
  • Pêpenê (Kurdish)
  • Pippinus (Late Latin)
  • Pepinas, Pipinas (Lithuanian)
  • Pepino (Portuguese)

Sources

Richilde, Richelle

Richilde, Countess of Hainault

The Germanic name, Richilde, is most often heard under the guise of the Mid-century sounding Richelle in the Anglophone world.

Richilde was borne by the 2nd wife of Charles the Bald (9th-century CE) who was inturn deemed consort and Empress of the Franks, and it was also borne by the 11th-century Richilde of Hainault, consort of Flanders.

The 13th-century Richeza of Poland is recorded as Richilde in some history texts, but it seems Richeza has a separate etymology.

Richilde is composed of the Old Germanic elements, ric (rich) & hiltja (battle). It was particularly common in Norman England; the earliest incarnation of it’s more modern sounding Richelle is recorded in 13th-century England as Richell.

In modern French, richelle is also the word for neapolitan wheat and is also a French surname which may likely be a matrynomic based on the aforementioned Richilde.

Richelle appeared in the U.S. Top 1000 between 1963 and 1991, most likely influenced by the popularity of the name Michelle, and peaked at #603 in 1972.

L’Insee, the French statistical office, has recorded 8 Richelles born in France since 1991, but these statistics only go so far as back as 1900. In any event, the Richelle form is recorded in several medieval French records.

The name is borne by American fantasy author, Richelle Mead (b.1976).

Other forms include:

  • Rikilda (Anglo-Norman)
  • Richell (Anglo-Norman, Medieval French)
  • Ricolda (Anglo-Norman)
  • Richolda (Anglo-Norman)
  • Riquilda (Catalan, Portuguese, Spanish)
  • Richelle (Dutch, English, French)
  • Richilde (Dutch, English, French, German, Italian)
  • Richeut (French: archaic)
  • Richelda (Italian)
  • Richildes, Richildis (Late Latin)
  • Rikilla (Late Latin)

Sources

Clotilde

Gender: Feminine
Origin: French
Meaning: “famous in battle.”
(klo-TEELD)

The name is derived from the Frankish name Chlotichilda, which is composed of the elements, hlud meaning “famous” and hild meaning “battle.”

The name was borne by a Frankish queen and saint who is known for converting her husband and the Franks to Christianity.

As of 2010, Clotilde was the 430th most popular female name in France.

Other forms of the name include:

  • Klotildis (Dutch/Frisian)
  • Clotilde (English/French/Italian/Portuguese/Spanish)
  • Clothilde (French)
  • Chlothilde/Klothilde (German)
  • Chrodechild (German: archaic)
  • Klotild (Hungarian)
  • Chrodigildis/Clotildis (Late Latin)
  • Klotylda (Polish)
  • Clotilda (Swedish)

In France, the designated name-day is June 4.

Sources

  1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clotilde
  2. http://www.behindthename.com/php/related.php?name=clotilde

Ada(h)

Ada is sweet, vintagy and classy, with her two syllable Victoriana quality, ending and beginning in a vowel, Ada(h) may just be the next Ava. The Finns have already beaten us, as she is currently the 3rd most popular female name in Finland, (Aada, 2011).

In English, she is usually pronounced like (AY-duh), but in the rest of the world, she is (AH-dah).

Her origins are various; in the form of Adah, she can be traced to the Hebrew Bible, being a relative of the modern Hebrew unisex name, Adi, meaning (jewel), in ancient Hebrew her meaning is more around the lines of “a piece of jewelry; adornment or; ornament.”

In the Bible, Adah appears twice as the name of a wife of Lemech and again as the name of the wife Esau.

Ada without the H is usually traced to the Germanic element, adal, meaning, “noble,” making her a relative of Adela, Adelaide and Adeline. Among royalty and nobility alike, she was a popular choice across Medieval Europe, being borne by St. Ada, a 7th-century Abbess; Ada of Atholl (d.1264); Ada, Countess of Holland, (1188-1223) and; Ada de Warenne, mother of two Scottish kings and the wife of Henry of Scotland, (1120-1178).

In more contemporary times, Ada is usually associated with Ada Lovelace (née Augusta Ada Byron 1815-1852), the daughter of Lord Byron and a renowned Mathematician, she is often credited by modern scientists as being the first Computer Engineer.

The name could also be of Turkic or Greek origins, but its meaning is lost. It was borne by a female governor of Caria (377-326 B.C.E.) a loyal ally of Alexander the Great.

In the United States, Ada was quite popular around the turn of the 19th-century. The highest she ranked in U.S. naming history was in 1880, coming in as the 33rd most popular female name. By 1985, she completely fell off the charts and reappeared in the top 1000 in 2005. As of 2010, she currently ranks in as the 552nd most popular female name in the United States, (2010). Her rankings in other countries are as follows:

  • # 3 (Aada, Finland, 2011)
  • # 72 (Ada, Norway, 2010)

Other forms of the name include:

  • Ada (Dutch/Estonian/Faroese/Finnish/French/Frisian/German/Greek/Hungarian/Icelandic/Italian/Latvian/Lithuanian/Polish/Plattdeutsch/Scandinavian/Slovene)
  • Aada (Estonian/Finnish)
  • Ade (Estonian)
  • Aata (Finnish)
  • Aatukka (Finnish)
  • Ata (Finnish)
  • Adina (Italian)
  • Ádá (Sami)
  • Adica (Slovene)

Frederick

Gender: Masculine
Origin: German
Meaning: “peaceful ruler.”
Eng (FRED-eh-rick; FRED-rick)

The name is composed of the Germanic elements, frid (peace) and rich (ruler). The name has been popular in the Germanic world since the 10th century. It was borne by three dukes of Austria, including Frederick the Fair (1289-1330), the first king of Austria. It was extremely popular among minor German royalty and was eventually borne by Frederick II, King of Prussia, also known as Frederick the Great (1712-1786)

Among Danish Royalty, it has been tradition to alternate naming the eldest son either Christian or Frederick each generation. Frederick, so far, has been borne by nine Danish kings and is currently borne by the Danish Crown Prince (b.1968).

In the Middle Ages, it was borne by three Holy Roman Emperors, including the illustrious Crusader, Frederick I Barberossa (the Red Beard).

The name was introduced into England by the Normans, but became popular in the 18th-century when the German Hanovers inherited the British Throne, which has issued at least one Frederick thus far: Frederick, Prince of Wales (1707–1751), eldest son of King George II of England.

As of 2010, its Danish form of Frederik was the 7th most popular male name in Denmark. His rankings in other countries are as follows:

  • # 11 (Federico, Italy, 2010)
  • # 16 (Federico, Argentina, 2009)
  • # 35 (Fredrik, Norway, 2010)
  • # 95 (England/Wales, 2010)
  • # 393 (Frederik, Netherlands, 2010)
  • # 496 (United States, 2010)

Other forms of the name include:

  • Ferry (Alsatian)
  • Frederig (Breton)
  • Frederic (Catalan)
  • Bedřich (Czech)
  • Frederick (English)
  • Fríðrikur (Faroese)
  • Fredrik (Finnish/Scandinavian)
  • Frédéric (French)
  • Freark (Frisian)
  • Fridric (Frisian)
  • Frerich (German)
  • Friedrich (German)
  • Frigyes (Hungarian)
  • Friðrik (Icelandic)
  • Feardorcha (Irish)
  • Federico (Italian/Spanish)
  • Federigo (Italian)
  • Fredo (Italian)
  • Fricis (Latvian)
  • Frīdrihs (Latvian)
  • Frydrichas (Lithuanian)
  • Friduric (Old High German)
  • Friðrikr (Old Norse)
  • Freerk (Plattdeustch)
  • Fryderyk (Polish)
  • Frédéri (Poitvin)
  • Frederico (Portuguese)
  • Frederi (Provançal)
  • Fadri (Romansch)
  • Frideric (Romansch)
  • Riet (Romansch)
  • Riget (Romansch)
  • Friderik (Slovene)
Common diminutives include:
  • Bedřišek (Czech)
  • Béďa (Czech)
  • Béďánek (Czech)
  • Bédísek (Czech)
  • Fedder (Danish)
  • Fred (English/Scandinavian)
  • Freddy (English/Scandinavian)
  • Frits (Faroese)
  • Fiete (Frisian)
  • Fiddy (German)
  • Freidi (German)
  • Freidl (German)
  • Fre(r)k (German)
  • Fritz (German)
Its feminine form of Federica is currently the 21st most popular female name in Italy, (2009), while Frederikke is currently the 38th most popular female name in Denmark, (2010) and Frédérique is the 150th most popular female name in the Netherlands, (2010).
Other feminine forms include:
  • Bedřiška (Czech)
  • Frederikke (Danish/Norwegian)
  • Frédérique (Dutch/French)
  • Frederica (English/Portuguese)
  • Friðrika (Faroese/Icelandic)
  • Fredrika (Finnish/Swedish)
  • Friederike (German)
  • Federica (Italian)
  • Fryderyka (Polish)
  • Fadrica (Romansch)
  • Fadrina (Romansch)