The name ultimately comes from Greek Νεῖλος (Neílos), the ancient Greek name of the River Nile.
In Ancient Egyptian, the river was called jtr-w (Iteru, “Great River”). The Greek form Neílos may reflect a Semitic root n-h-r, meaning “river,” which is also the source of Hebrew nahar and related words.
In Greek mythology, Neilos was personified as the river-god of the Nile, one of the Potamoi (river deities).
The Latinized form Nilus became a well-known monastic name and is borne by several Christian saints, including St. Nilus the Syrian, a disciple of St. John Chrysostom, and St. Nilus of Sinai.
Nil is the Slavic form used for males. In Turkey, the same name arose independently as a female given name of the same etymology.
In Italian, it may also be used as a short form ofDanilo.
An Italian feminine form is Nila.
Nile is an English name that was often used in reference to the surname. It may make an interesting modern adaptation for parents looking for a cool but modern saints name.
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.
Pacificus is a Late Latin name derived from pax, meaning “peace,” or “peaceful” more specifically.
It’s Italian form of Pacifico was borne by a follower of Saint Francis of Assisi and an 18th-century Italian saint. The designated name-day for the latter is September 24th.
Its feminine form of Pacifica has been in use in Italy since at least the 16th-century.
Its French form of Pacifique is a unisex name and experienced some usage in France at the turn of the 20th-century. It appeared in the French Top 1000 Most Popular Male Names between 1901-1909, peaking at #446 in 1909. Today, the name is an obsolete gem.
Today, Pacific, with the nickname Pace, may make an unusual place and nature name for a boy. Though rare, it is the legit English translation of this name.
S.L. Uckelman. “Pacifica”. In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2023, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2023/1/name/Pacifica.
The name is derived from the Greek genitive λέοντος (leontos), meaning, “belonging to a lion; lion-like.”
It was borne by an 8th-century Byzantine emperor and several saints.
The designated name-day is January 13th.
An early English form is perhaps, Leontes, which appears in Shakespeare’s play, The Winter’s Tale (1610).
Léonce is its unisex French form. It appeared in the French Top 1000 Male Names between 1900-1969, and peaked at #95 in 1909. It simultaneously appeared in the French Top 1000 Female Names between 1900-1940 and peaked at #187 in 1915.
Léonce also appeared in the U.S. Top 1000 Male Names between 1887-1895, peaking at #819 in 1887.
Another possible female off-shoot is Léontine – popular in France from the late 19th to early 20th centuries, it is pronounced [le.ɔ̃.tin]. It is debated whether it is a direct feminine form of Leontius or related to a Latin source meaning, “from Lentini.” A future entry will be written completely dedicated to Léontine.
S.L. Uckelman. “Leontius”. In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2023, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2023/1/name/Leontius
The name is derived from the Roman gens name, Mamilius. Its meaning is uncertain. It may relate to the Latin mamilla meaning, “breast; nip; tit” or to mar, meaning “the shining one, splendid one.” It has also been linked with the Celtic mam (strength) and hil (seed).
The most notable bearer is Saint Mamilian of Palermo (San Mamiliano), a 5th-century bishop and martyr venerated in Sicily. The designated name-day is September 15, which on the island of Giglio, there is a yearly festival held in the saint’s honor.
The name is composed of the Germanic elements naudiz (need, necessity) and burg (fortress, protection).
It was borne by a medieval Austrian saint. She was known for her devotion to the poor and performance of miracles. Legend has it that her master demanded she stay and scythe the wheat instead of attending mass. She threw the scythe in the air, and it remained suspended. This is the reason why she is depicted with a scythe.
The name is mainly used in Austria and Southern German but is now unusual.
Another spelling is Nothburga. An obscure French form is Notburge.
German diminutives include: Burgi, Burgel, Nota and Notti.
The designated name-days are January 26th and September 13th.
The name is from the classical Greek, related toApollo. It was borne by several early Christian saints. The most notable being St. Apollinaris of Ravenna, a Syrian Christian missionary to Ravenna who was martyred there and thereafter became the city’s patron saint.
The French form Apollinaire is linked to the Franco-Polish poet, Guillaume Apollinaire. He lived from 1880 to 1918. He was born Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki.
Apolinary was common in Poland during the late 19th-century and early 20th-centuries, it is now obsolete. Diminutives include: Apolinek, Apollinek, Apolin, Apollin, Polin, Polinary, Polinarek, Polinaruś, Poli, and Polik.
In Italy, Apollinare was mainly used in the Romagna region due to it being the name of their patrion saint, but it has since fallen out of use.
Apollinaire sporadically appeared in the French Top 1000 between 1900 and 1926 and peaked at #403 in 1923. In 2024, 5 babies were given this name.
Neither its masculine form nor its feminine form had much usage in the English-speaking world. It was mostly used in families of Greek or Eastern European background during the late 19th-century.
Designated name-days include July 20th, July 23rd, and September 12th
A traditional feminine diminutive form in Russian is Polina. Polish diminutives include: Apollinka, Apollina, Apolinka, Apolla, Apola, Pola, Polka, Polcia, Polina, and Polinka. Modern Greek diminutives include: Nαρία (Naría), Πόλλα (Pólla), or Λίνα (Lina). Potential English short forms would include: Apple, Pollie, Polly, and Narey, or Narie.
The name is composed of the German elements, ger (spear), and frid (peace).
It was the name of a 9th-century saint and bishop of Münster.
The designated name-day in Austria is September 12.
Another form is Gerfrid.
Sources
S.L. Uckelman. “Gerfrid”. In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2023, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2023/1/name/Gerfrid.
Theodard is a Germanic male name which is composed of the elements, diota (people, tribe) and hart (brave, hard, hardy).
The name was borne by St. Theodard of Maastricht, a 7th-century bishop who was robbed and murdered in Speyer, Germany while on his way to save his church from the confiscation of King Childeric, II. His feast-day is September 10.
Another saint with this name is St. Theodard of Narbonne, a 9th-century archbishop.
Diethard is also the name of a municipality in Germany.
Other forms include:
Tjaart (Afrikaans)
Teodard (Catalan, Polish)
Tjeerd (Dutch, Frisian)
Dodart (English)
Audard, Odard (French)
Théodard (French)
Dieuwert (Frisian)
Tjaard (Frisian)
Dethard, Diethard (German)
Dietwart, Thiethard (Old German)
Teodardo (Italian, Portuguese, Spanish)
Feminine forms include, Theodara (Old German), Théodare (French), Audarde (French), and Odarde.
