German Given Names 1200-1250
Articles > Names

German Given Names 1200-1250

by Talan Gwynek (Brian Scott)
scott@math.csuohio.edu

These lists are compiled from Roland Mulch, Arnsburger Personennamen: Untersuchungen zum Namenmaterial aus Arnsburger Urkunden vom 13. - 16. Jahrhundert (Darmstadt & Marburg: Hessischen Historischen Kommission Darmstadt and the Historischen Kommission für Hessen, 1974.) Mulch divided his data into 50-year periods; this article presents lists of names found before 1200 and in the period 1200-1250.

Mulch used one notation that we may have interpretted incorrectly. In two names, he used parentheses to indicate variant forms of the name: the feminine name Lu(c)gardis and the masculine Gerbod(th)o. We have assumed that Mulch meant that the first name was spelled with c or g, and that the second name was spelled with d or th.

Mulch's data are derived from Latin sources, so all the names appear in Latin forms. The great majority of names in this sample are derived from the Gothic name stock. At this time, Latin-derived names were clearly only beginning to influence naming patterns in Arnsburg. But of course it was standard throughout Europe in this period for names to be recorded in Latinized forms.

It is unlikely that the Latin forms were used in daily life, so it is worthwhile to offer some suggestions on recovering the vernacular forms of names listed here. We can only make informed guesses at the actual form of the name in regular use. In Germanic feminine names, -is is a Latin ending; dropping it will produce a plausible vernacular form (e.g. Methild from Methildis). Other names are best used in one of the forms recorded here. In masculine names ending -us, dropping the ending will produce a reasonable vernacular form (e.g., Hermann from Hermannus). The second element -ricus most often represents -rich (e.g. Heinrich from Heinricus).


Before 1200

Men's Names: Cuno (1), Heinricus (1)
Women's Names: Liukardis (1), Luitgarde (2), Walpvrga (1)


1200-1250

The following lists are sorted by name frequency, with variants of the same name counted together. A second pair of lists is available, sorted alphabetically.

Men's Names
Heinricus 22 Wecelo 5
Hermannus 18 Everwinus 4
Cunradus 17 Fridericus 4
Wilhelmus 16 Gerhardus 4
Wernerus 11 Guntramus 4
Hartmannus 9 Harpernus 4
Wikerus 9 Meffridus 4
Didericus 8 Sifridus 4
Wigandus 7 Theodericus 4
Ditmarus, Dimarus 6 Eberhardus 3
Hartmudus 6 Gernandus 3
Meingotus, Mengotus 6 Johannes 3
Fridebertus, Fridebraht    5 Ludewicus 3
Rudegerus 5 Ortwinus 3

The following names occurred twice in the data:

Anshelmus Eginolf/Einolfus Godscalcus Ripertus Withekindus
Arnoldus Emelricus Heidolfus Rudolfus  
Baldemarus Gerbodo/Gerbotho Jofridus Sibragtus/Sibratus  
Burkardus Gerlacus Nidungus Sigenandus  
Dammo Giso Ortolfus Vlricus  

The following names occurred once in the data:

Albertus Eckardus Gunzelinus Ludoldus Rubertus
Bernardus Embrico Gotwinus Lvfridus Ruthardus
Berhdoldus Emercho Hapertus Luitfridus Sibertus
Berwelfus Emicho Helfricus Marquardus Siboldus
Ciprianus Endemannus Hertwicus Meinfridus Swikerus
Cristianus Ermenoldus Hetzkinus Nibelungus Stephan
Cuno Gelfradus Hildebrandus Otto Widradus
Daniel Gerbertus Hupertus Petrus Wintherus
Deigenhardus Giselberdus Hugo Philippus Wortwinus
Ditwinus Godesmannus Ivvanus Reinboldus  
Dudo Gunterus Lentfridus Roricus  

Women's Names
Gertrudis 6
Elisabeth 5
Lugardis, Lucardis       5
Chunegundis 4
Adelheidis, Aleidis 3
Methildis 3
Cristina 2
Guda 2
Hedewigis 2
Heidindrudis 2

The following names occurred once in the data:

Agnes Binhildis Gerhild Judda Sophia
Alberadis Constantia Hildeburgis Judith  
Berta Evfemia Yrmengardis Reinhedis