85%RatingSave Gender Feminine Usage Germanic (Latinized) Meaning & HistoryExpand Links Possibly from the Old German elements heri "army" and leiba "remainder, remnant, legacy" (or the Old Norse cognates herr and leif, see Herleif). This was the name of the mother of William the Conqueror, who, according to tradition, was a commoner. Related NamesFamily Tree·Details Rootshari/heri/herr + laibu/leiba/leifOther Languages & CulturesArlet(Catalan) Arlette(French) Arleth(Spanish (Latin American)) Categories army, defence, family, history, Latinizations, mothers, nobility, uncertain etymology, women's history