Old High German Origin Names

This is a list of names in which the origin is Old High German. Old High German was a West Germanic language spoken in southern Germany.
gender
usage
origin
Gervásio m Portuguese
Portuguese form of Gervasius.
Gervasio m Italian, Spanish
Italian and Spanish form of Gervasius.
Gervasius m Germanic (Latinized)
Possibly a Latinized form of a Germanic name with a first element deriving from ger "spear". The second element is uncertain, though some propose it to be Gaulish *wassos "servant". Alternatively the name could be related to the Greek word γεραιός (geraios) "old".... [more]
Gerwas m Germanic (Hypothetical)
Old German form (possibly) of Gervasius.
Gesine f German
Possibly from a Low German diminutive of Gertrud.
Gherardo m Italian (Archaic)
Italian variant of Gerardo.
Ghislain m French
French form of Gislenus, a Latinized form of the Germanic name Gislin, derived from the element gisal meaning "hostage" or "pledge". This was the name of a 7th-century saint and hermit who built a chapel near Mons, Belgium.
Ghislaine f French
Feminine form of Ghislain.
Giancarlo m Italian
Combination of Gianni and Carlo.
Gianluigi m Italian
Combination of Gianni and Luigi.
Gib m English
Medieval diminutive of Gilbert.
Gibson m English (Modern)
From an English surname meaning "son of Gib".
Giffard m English (Rare)
From the English and French surname Giffard. Walter Giffard was one of the Norman companions of William the Conqueror.
Gigi 2 m Italian
Diminutive of Luigi and other names containing gi.
Gijs m Dutch
Short form of Gijsbert.
Gijsbert m Dutch
Dutch form of Gisbert.
Gijsberta f Dutch
Dutch feminine form of Gisbert.
Gil 2 m English
Short form of Gilbert and other names beginning with Gil.
Gilbert m English, French, Dutch, Germanic
Means "bright pledge", derived from the Old German elements gisal "pledge, hostage" and beraht "bright". The Normans introduced this name to England, where it was common during the Middle Ages. It was borne by a 12th-century English saint, the founder of the religious order known as the Gilbertines.
Gilberte f French
French feminine form of Gilbert.
Gilberto m Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Gilbert.
Giltbert m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements gelt "payment, tribute, compensation" and beraht "bright".
Gina f Italian, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Short form of Georgina, Regina, Luigina and other names ending in gina. It can also be used as a diminutive of Virginia or Eugenia. It was popularized in the 1950s by Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida (1927-2023), whose birth name was Luigina.
Gino m Italian
Italian short form of names ending in gino.
Giraldo m Italian (Rare)
Italian form of Gerald.
Ģirts m Latvian
Latvian form of Gerard.
Gisa f German
German short form of Giselle.
Gisbert m German, Germanic
From a Germanic name in which the second element is beraht "bright". The first element is probably a shortened form of gisal "pledge, hostage" (making it a variant of Gilbert), though it could be related to Gaulish *gaisos "spear" (itself probably of Germanic origin).
Gisela f German, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese
German, Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese form of Giselle.
Giselbert m Germanic
Old German form of Gilbert.
Gisèle f French
French variant of Giselle.
Gisele f Portuguese
Portuguese (especially Brazil) form of Giselle. A famous bearer is Brazilian model Gisele Bündchen (1980-).
Gisella f Italian
Italian form of Giselle.
Giselle f French, English (Modern)
Derived from the Old German element gisal meaning "hostage, pledge" (Proto-Germanic *gīslaz). This name may have originally been a descriptive nickname for a child given as a pledge to a foreign court. This was the name of both a sister and daughter of Charlemagne. It was also borne by a daughter of the French king Charles III who married the Norman leader Rollo in the 10th century. Another notable bearer was the 11th-century Gisela of Swabia, wife of the Holy Roman emperor Conrad II.... [more]
Giselmund m Germanic
From the Old German elements gisal meaning "hostage, pledge" and munt meaning "protection".
Gisila f Germanic
Old German form of Giselle.
Gisilbert m Germanic
Old German form of Gilbert.
Gisilfrid m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements gisal "hostage" and fridu "peace".
Gislenus m Germanic (Latinized)
Latinized form of Gislin (see Ghislain).
Gislin m Germanic
Old German form of Ghislain.
Gismund m Germanic
Germanic name, possibly a variant of Giselmund.
Gizella f Hungarian
Hungarian form of Giselle.
Gizi f Hungarian
Hungarian diminutive of Giselle.
Goda 1 m & f Germanic
Germanic name derived from the element guot meaning "good" or got meaning "god".
Godabert m Germanic
Old German name derived from the elements got "god" and beraht "bright". This was the name of a 7th-century king of the Lombards.
Goddard m English (Rare)
From an English and French surname that was derived from the Old German given name Godehard.
Godefrid m Germanic
Old German form of Godfrey.
Godefroy m French
French form of Godefrid (see Godfrey).
Godehard m Germanic
Old German name derived from the elements got "god" and hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy". This was the name of an 11th-century saint who was a bishop of Hildesheim.
Godelieve f Flemish
Dutch (Flemish) form of Godeliva.
Godeliva f Germanic (Latinized)
Feminine form of Goteleib. This was the name of an 11th-century Flemish saint who was murdered on her husband's orders.
Godescalc m Germanic
Old German form of Gottschalk.
Godfrey m English
From the Germanic name Godefrid, which meant "peace of god" from the Old German elements got "god" and fridu "peace". The Normans brought this name to England, where it became common during the Middle Ages. A notable bearer was Godfrey of Bouillon, an 11th-century leader of the First Crusade and the first ruler of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem.
Godfried m Dutch
Dutch cognate of Godefrid (see Godfrey).
Godofredo m Spanish, Portuguese (Rare)
Spanish and Portuguese form of Godfrey.
Godtfred m Norwegian
Norwegian form of Godfrey.
Goffredo m Italian
Italian form of Godfrey.
Golda f Yiddish
From Yiddish גאָלד (gold) meaning "gold". This is the name of Tevye's wife in the musical Fiddler on the Roof (1964). It was also borne by the Israeli prime minister Golda Meir (1898-1978).
Goldie 2 f Yiddish
Variant of Golda.
Gonçal m Catalan (Rare)
Catalan form of Gonzalo.
Gonçalo m Portuguese
Portuguese form of Gonzalo.
Gontran m French
French form of Guntram.
Gonzalo m Spanish
From the medieval name Gundisalvus, which was the Latin form of a Germanic (possibly Visigothic or Suebi) name composed of gunda "war" and maybe salba "salve, ointment", salo "dark, dusky" or sal "house, hall" (with the spelling perhaps influenced by Latin salvus "safe"). Saint Gonzalo was an 11th-century bishop of Mondoñedo in Galicia, Spain.
Goraidh m Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Godfrey.
Gosse m Medieval French
Old French form of Gozzo.
Goswin m Dutch (Archaic)
From the Germanic name Gautwin, derived from the elements *gautaz "Geat" (a North Germanic tribe) and wini "friend".
Goteleib m Germanic
Old German name derived from the elements got "god" and liob "dear, beloved". This is a German translation of Theophilus.
Gottfrid m Swedish
Swedish form of Godfrey.
Gottfried m German
German form of Godfrey. This name was borne by the 13th-century German poet Gottfried von Strassburg and the German philosopher and mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716), one of the inventors of calculus.
Gotthard m German
German form of Godehard.
Gotthilf m German (Rare)
Derived from German Gott "God" and hilf "help". This name was created in the 17th century.
Gotthold m German (Rare)
Derived from German Gott "God" and hold "gracious, graceful, loyal". This name was created in the 17th century.
Gottlob m German (Rare)
Derived from German Gott "God" and lob "praise". This name was created in the 17th century.
Gottschalk m German (Archaic)
Derived from the Old German elements got "god" and scalc "servant". Saint Gottschalk was a (perhaps spurious) 11th-century prince of the Wends who was martyred by his brother-in-law.
Gozzo m Germanic
Originally a diminutive of names beginning with the Old German element goz, which was from the name of the Germanic tribe the Geats (Proto-Germanic *gautaz).
Granville m English
From an English surname that was derived from a Norman place name Grainville.
Grayson m English (Modern)
From an English surname meaning "son of the steward", derived from Middle English greyve "steward". It became common towards the end of the 20th century because of its similarity to popular names like Jason, Mason and Graham.
Grenville m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Granville.
Grimaldo m Spanish (Rare), Italian (Rare)
Spanish and Italian form of Grimwald.
Grimwald m Germanic
From the Old German elements grimo "mask" and walt "power, authority".
Griselda f English, Spanish, Literature
Possibly derived from the Old German elements gris "grey" and hilt "battle". It is not attested as a Germanic name. This was the name of a patient wife in medieval folklore, adapted into tales by Boccaccio (in The Decameron) and Chaucer (in The Canterbury Tales).
Grizel f Scots
Scots form of Griselda.
Guálter m Portuguese
Portuguese form of Walter.
Gualterio m Spanish (Rare)
Spanish form of Walter.
Gualtiero m Italian
Italian form of Walter.
Guarin m Medieval French
Norman French form of Warin.
Guerino m Italian
Italian form of Warin.
Guglielmo m Italian
Italian form of William.
Gui m Portuguese
Short form of Guilherme.
Guido m Italian, German
Latinized form of Wido. Notable bearers include the music theorist Guido d'Arezzo (c. 991-1033), poet Guido Cavalcanti (c. 1250-1300), and Baroque painter Guido Reni (1575-1642).
Guifré m Catalan (Rare)
Catalan form of Vilifredus, a Latinized form of Willifrid (or perhaps a Visigothic cognate). This was the name of a 9th-century count of Barcelona.
Guilherme m Portuguese
Portuguese form of William.
Guillaume m French
French form of William.
Guillem m Catalan
Catalan form of William.
Guillerme m Galician
Galician form of William.
Guillermina f Spanish
Feminine form of Guillermo.
Guillermo m Spanish
Spanish form of William.
Guim m Catalan
Short form of Guillem.
Guiomar f & m Portuguese, Spanish, Arthurian Cycle
Possibly derived from the Germanic name Wigmar, which was formed of the elements wig "war, battle" and mari "famous". In the medieval Lancelot-Grail Cycle he plays a minor role as a cousin of Guinevere, who banishes him after he becomes a lover of Morgan le Fey. In modern Portugal and Spain it is a feminine name.
Gumarich m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements gomo meaning "man" and rih meaning "ruler, king".
Gunda f German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Germanic
Short form of names containing the Old German element gunda meaning "war" (Proto-Germanic *gunþī).
Gundhram m Germanic
Old German form of Guntram.
Gundisalvus m Germanic (Latinized)
Old German (Latinized) form of Gonzalo.
Gundula f German
Originally a diminutive of Gunda.
Gunta f Latvian
Meaning unknown, possibly from Gunda.
Günter m German
Variant of Gunther.
Gunter m German
Variant of Gunther.
Günther m German
Variant of Gunther. It was especially popular in Germany in the 1920s and 30s.
Gunther m German, Germanic Mythology
From the Old German name Gundahar, derived from the elements gunda "war" and heri "army" (making it a cognate of Gunnar). This was the name of a semi-legendary 5th-century Burgundian king. He appears in the medieval German saga the Nibelungenlied, which has him wooing the Icelandic queen Brunhild. He wins her hand in marriage with the help of the hero Siegfried. He ultimately betrays Siegfried, but Siegfried's widow Kriemhild (Gunther's sister) takes her revenge upon him.... [more]
Guntram m German
Means "war raven" from the Old German elements gunda "war" and hram "raven". This was the name of a 6th-century Frankish king, sometimes called Gontrand, who is considered a saint.
Guy 1 m English, French
Old French form of Wido. The Normans introduced it to England, where it was common until the time of Guy Fawkes (1570-1606), a revolutionary who attempted to blow up the British parliament. The name was revived in the 19th century, due in part to characters in the novels Guy Mannering (1815) by Walter Scott and The Heir of Redclyffe (1854) by C. M. Yonge.
Gvidas m Lithuanian
Lithuanian form of Wido.
Gwallter m Welsh
Welsh form of Walter.
Gwil m Welsh
Welsh short form of Gwilym.
Gwilherm m Breton
Breton form of William.
Gwilim m Welsh
Welsh variant of Gwilym.
Gwillym m Welsh
Welsh variant of Gwilym.
Gwilym m Welsh
Welsh form of William.
Hadewidis f Germanic (Latinized)
Germanic name derived from the elements hadu meaning "battle, combat" and wit meaning "wide".
Hadewig f Germanic
Old German form of Hedwig.
Hadewych f Dutch (Rare)
Dutch variant of Hedwig.
Hadubert m Germanic
Old German name derived from the elements hadu "battle" and beraht "bright".
Hagano m Germanic, Germanic Mythology
Old German form of Hagen.
Hagen m German, Germanic Mythology
Derived from the Old German element hag meaning "enclosure" (Proto-Germanic *hagô). In the medieval German saga the Nibelungenlied he is the cunning half-brother of Gunther. He killed the hero Siegfried by luring him onto a hunting expedition and then stabbing him with a javelin in his one vulnerable spot.
Hailwic f Germanic
Old German variant of Heilwig.
Haimo m Germanic
Short form of Germanic names beginning with Old Frankish haim or Old High German heim meaning "home" (Proto-Germanic *haimaz).
Hal m English
Medieval diminutive of Harry. In Shakespeare's two historical plays about Henry IV, Prince Hal is the name of the future King Henry V.
Halle 2 f English (Modern)
In the case of American actress Halle Berry (1966-), it is from the name of a department store in Cleveland where she was born (the store was founded by brothers bearing the German surname Halle, a cognate of Hall).
Hallie f English
Diminutive of Harriet.
Hammond m English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from either the Norman given name Hamo or the Old Norse given name Hámundr.
Hamnet m English (Archaic)
Diminutive of Hamo. This was the name of a son of Shakespeare who died in childhood. His death may have provided the inspiration for his father's play Hamlet.
Hamo m Medieval English
Norman form of Haimo. The Normans brought this name to Britain.
Hank m English
Originally a short form of Hankin, which was a medieval diminutive of John. Since the 17th century in the United States this name has also been used as a diminutive of Henry, probably under the influence of the Dutch diminutive Henk. A famous bearer is the American former baseball player Hank Aaron (1934-2021).
Hans-Günter m German
Combination of Hans and Günter.
Hans-Günther m German
Combination of Hans and Günther.
Harald m Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, German
Scandinavian and German cognate of Harold, from the Old Norse elements herr and valdr and the Old German elements heri and walt. This was the name of several kings of Norway and Denmark.
Haralds m Latvian
Latvian form of Harold.
Hardman m Germanic
Old German form of Hartmann.
Hardmod m Germanic
Old German form of Hartmut.
Hardwic m Germanic
Old German variant of Hartwig.
Hardwin m Germanic
Old German form of Hartwin.
Hardy 2 m German
Diminutive of names containing the Old German element hart meaning "hard, firm, brave, hardy".
Haribert m Germanic
Old German form of Herbert.
Hariman m Germanic
Old German form of Herman.
Hariwald m Germanic
Old German form of Harold.
Hariwini m Germanic
Old German form of Erwin.
Harm m Dutch
Dutch short form of Herman.
Harmon m English
From a surname that was derived from the given name Herman.
Harri m Finnish, Estonian, Welsh
Finnish, Estonian and Welsh form of Harry.
Harriet f English
English form of Henriette, and thus a feminine form of Harry. It was first used in the 17th century, becoming very common in the English-speaking world by the 18th century. Famous bearers include the Americans Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896), the author of Uncle Tom's Cabin, and the abolitionist Harriet Tubman (1820-1913).
Harriett f English
Variant of Harriet.
Harris m English
From an English surname that was derived from the given name Harry.
Harrison m English
From an English surname that meant "son of Harry". This was the surname of two American presidents, William Henry Harrison (1773-1841) and his grandson Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901). As a given name it reached a low point in America in 1977 before it was revived by the career of actor Harrison Ford (1942-), who starred in such movies as Star Wars in 1977 and Indiana Jones in 1984.
Harry m English
Medieval English form of Henry. In modern times it is used as a diminutive of both Henry and names beginning with Har. Famous bearers include the American president Harry S. Truman (1884-1972), who was named after his uncle Harrison, and the British royal Prince Harry (1984-), who is actually named Henry. It is also the name of the boy wizard in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series of books, first released in 1997.
Hartmann m German (Rare)
Means "brave man", derived from the Old German element hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy" combined with man.
Hartmut m German, Germanic
Means "brave mind", derived from the Old German elements hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy" and muot "mind, spirit". This is the kidnapper of Gudrun in the medieval German epic Kudrun.
Hartwig m German, Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy" and wig "battle".
Hartwin m German (Rare), Germanic
Means "brave friend" from the Old German elements hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy" and wini "friend".
Hattie f English
Diminutive of Harriet.
Hatty f English
Diminutive of Harriet.
Hauke m Frisian, German
Frisian short form of Old German given names containing the element hugu meaning "mind, thought, spirit".
Hawise f Medieval English
English form of a medieval French name appearing in various spellings such as Haueis or Haouys, which were derived from Hadewidis. The name was borne by a number of Norman and Anglo-Norman noblewomen from the 11th to 13th centuries.
Hedda f Norwegian, Swedish
Diminutive of Hedvig. This is the name of the heroine of the play Hedda Gabler (1890) by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen.
Hédi 1 f Hungarian
Hungarian diminutive of Hedvig.
Hedvig f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Hungarian
Scandinavian, Finnish and Hungarian form of Hedwig.
Hedviga f Slovak
Slovak form of Hedwig.
Hedvika f Czech, Slovene
Czech and Slovene form of Hedwig.
Hedwig f German, Dutch
From the Old German name Hadewig, derived from the Old German elements hadu "battle, combat" and wig "war". This was the name of a 13th-century German saint, the wife of the Polish duke Henry the Bearded. It was subsequently borne by a 14th-century Polish queen (usually known by her Polish name Jadwiga) who is now also regarded as a saint.
Hedy f German, Dutch
Diminutive of Hedwig.
Heida f German
German diminutive of Adelheid.
Heide f German
German diminutive of Adelheid. It also coincides with the German word meaning "heath".
Heidemarie f German
Combination of Heide and Marie.
Heidi f German, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, English
German diminutive of Adelheid. This is the name of the title character in the children's novel Heidi (1880) by the Swiss author Johanna Spyri. The name began to be used in the English-speaking world shortly after the 1937 release of the movie adaptation, which starred Shirley Temple.
Heidrich m Germanic
Derived from the Old German element (possibly) heida "heath, heather" combined with rih "ruler, king".
Heike f & m Low German, German
Low German diminutive of Henrike or Henrik.
Heiki m Estonian
Estonian form of Heinrich (see Henry).
Heikki m Finnish
Finnish form of Heinrich (see Henry).
Heiko m Low German, German, Frisian
Low German and Frisian diminutive of Henrik.
Heilfrid m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements heil "healthy, whole" and fridu "peace".
Heilwig f German (Rare), Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements heil "healthy, whole" and wig "war".
Heimirich m Germanic
Old German form of Henry.
Hein 1 m Dutch
Short form of Hendrik.
Heiner m German
Diminutive of Heinrich.
Heino m German, Finnish, Estonian
German form of Haimo (see Hamo).
Heinrich m German, Germanic
German form of Henry. This was the name of several German kings.
Heinrike f German (Rare)
Feminine form of Heinrich.
Heintje f & m Dutch
Feminine and masculine diminutive of Hendrik.
Heinz m German
Diminutive of Heinrich.
Helfried m German
Modern German form of Heilfrid, also a variant of Helmfried.
Helma f German, Dutch
Short form of Wilhelmina.
Helmfrid m Germanic
Old German form of Helmfried.
Helmfried m German (Rare)
Derived from the Old German elements helm "helmet" and fridu "peace".
Helmi f Finnish, Swedish
Diminutive of Vilhelmiina or Vilhelmina. It also means "pearl" in Finnish.
Helmine f German
Short form of Wilhelmine.
Helmo m Germanic
Short form of Germanic names that began with the element helm meaning "helmet, protection" (Proto-Germanic *helmaz).
Helmold m Germanic
Old German name derived from the elements helm "helmet" and walt "power, authority".
Helmut m German, Germanic
Derived from the Old German element helm "helmet" (or perhaps heil "healthy, whole") combined with muot "mind, spirit".
Helmuth m German
Variant of Helmut.
Heloísa f Portuguese
Portuguese form of Eloise.
Héloïse f French
French form of Eloise.
Helvi f Finnish
Finnish vernacular form of Hedvig.
Henderson m English
From a Scottish surname meaning "son of Henry".
Hendrick m Dutch (Archaic)
Dutch variant of Hendrik.
Hendricus m Dutch
Variant of Henricus.
Hendrik m Dutch, German, Estonian
Dutch and Estonian cognate of Heinrich (see Henry).
Hendrika f Dutch
Feminine form of Hendrik.
Hendrikje f Dutch
Feminine form of Hendrik.
Hendrikus m Dutch
Variant of Henricus.
Hendrina f Dutch
Feminine form of Hendrik.
Hendrix m English (Modern)
From a Dutch surname that was derived from the given name Hendrik. A famous bearer of the surname was the American rock musician Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970).
Hendry m Scots
Scots form of Henry.
Henk m Dutch
Dutch short form of Hendrik.
Henna f Finnish
Finnish feminine form of Heinrich (see Henry).
Hennie m & f Dutch
Dutch diminutive and feminine form of Hendrik.
Henny f & m Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
Diminutive of Henriette, Hendrika and other names containing hen. In Dutch it can also be masculine as a diminutive of Hendrik.
Henri m French, Finnish
French form of Heinrich (see Henry). A notable bearer was the French artist Henri Matisse (1869-1954).
Henrich m Slovak
Slovak form of Heinrich (see Henry).
Henricus m Germanic (Latinized), Dutch
Latinized form of Heinrich. As a Dutch name, it is used on birth certificates though a vernacular form such as Hendrik is typically used in daily life.
Henrietta f English, Hungarian, Finnish, Swedish
Latinate form of Henriette. It was introduced to England by Henriette Marie, the wife of the 17th-century English king Charles I. The name Henriette was also Anglicized as Harriet, a form that was initially more popular.
Henriëtte f Dutch
Dutch form of Henriette.
Henriette f French, German, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian
French feminine diminutive of Henri.
Henriikka f Finnish
Finnish feminine form of Heinrich (see Henry).
Henrik m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Low German, German, Hungarian, Slovene, Croatian, Armenian
Form of Heinrich (see Henry) in several languages. A famous bearer was the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906).
Henrika f Lithuanian, Swedish (Rare)
Lithuanian and Swedish feminine form of Henrik.
Henrikas m Lithuanian
Lithuanian form of Heinrich (see Henry).
Henrike f German
German feminine form of Heinrich (see Henry).
Henrikki m Finnish
Finnish form of Heinrich (see Henry).
Henrique m Portuguese
Portuguese form of Heinrich (see Henry). This was the name of a 15th-century Portuguese naval explorer (known as Henry the Navigator in English).
Henry m English
From the Germanic name Heimirich meaning "home ruler", composed of the elements heim "home" and rih "ruler". It was later commonly spelled Heinrich, with the spelling altered due to the influence of other Germanic names like Haganrich, in which the first element is hag "enclosure".... [more]
Henryk m Polish
Polish form of Heinrich (see Henry).
Henryka f Polish
Polish feminine form of Heinrich (see Henry).
Herb m English
Short form of Herbert.
Herbert m English, German, Dutch, Czech, Swedish, French
Derived from the Old German elements heri "army" and beraht "bright". It was borne by two Merovingian Frankish kings, usually called Charibert. The Normans introduced this name to England, where it replaced an Old English cognate Herebeorht. In the course of the Middle Ages it became rare, but it was revived in the 19th century.... [more]
Herberto m Spanish (Rare), Portuguese (Rare)
Spanish and Portuguese form of Herbert.
Herbie m English
Diminutive of Herbert.
Heribert m German
German form of Herbert.
Heriberto m Spanish, Portuguese (Rare)
Spanish and Portuguese form of Herbert.
Herkus m Lithuanian
Short form of Henrikas.
Herleva f Germanic (Latinized)
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.
Heřman m Czech
Czech form of Herman.
Herman m English, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Slovene, Germanic
Means "army man", derived from the Old German elements heri "army" and man "person, man". It was introduced to England by the Normans, died out, and was revived in the English-speaking world in the 19th century. It was borne by an 18th-century Russian missionary to Alaska who is venerated as a saint in the Orthodox Church, though in his case the name is an alternate transcription of German. Another famous bearer was the American writer Herman Melville (1819-1891), the author of Moby-Dick.
Hermann m German
German form of Herman. A famous bearer was the German author Hermann Hesse (1877-1962).
Hermanni m Finnish
Finnish form of Herman.
Hermanus m Dutch, Germanic (Latinized)
Latinized form of Herman. As a Dutch name, it is used on birth certificates, with the form Herman typically used in daily life.
Hermína f Czech, Slovak
Czech and Slovak form of Hermine.
Hermina f Dutch, Slovene, Hungarian, Croatian
Dutch, Slovene, Hungarian and Croatian form of Hermine.
Hermine f German, French
German feminine form of Herman.
Herry m Medieval English
Medieval English form of Henry. Unlike Harry, this form is no longer used.
Hersh m Yiddish
Alternate transcription of Yiddish הירש (see Hirsh).
Hershel m American, Yiddish
Yiddish diminutive of Hirsh. As a non-Jewish American name (somewhat common around the end of the 19th century), it was likely inspired by the German surname Herschel, borne for instance by the British-German astronomer William Herschel (1738-1822).
Heta f Finnish
Finnish vernacular form of Hedvig.
Hettie f English
Diminutive of Henrietta or Hester.
Hidde m Frisian
Originally a short form of names beginning with the Old German element hilt meaning "battle".
Hilda f English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Spanish, Hungarian, Anglo-Saxon (Latinized), Germanic
Originally a short form of names containing the Old Frankish element hildi, Old High German hilt, Old English hild meaning "battle" (Proto-Germanic *hildiz). The short form was used for both Old English and continental Germanic names. Saint Hilda (or Hild) of Whitby was a 7th-century English saint and abbess. The name became rare in England during the later Middle Ages, but was revived in the 19th century.
Hilde f German, Dutch, Norwegian
German, Dutch and Norwegian variant of Hilda.
Hildebert m German (Rare)
Means "bright battle" from the Old German elements hilt "battle" and beraht "bright". This name was borne by four early Frankish kings, usually called Childebert.
Hildebrand m German (Archaic), Germanic
Means "battle sword", derived from the Old German element hilt "battle" combined with brant "fire, torch, sword". This was the name of the hero of an 8th-century poem written in Old High German.
Hildegard f German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements hilt "battle" and gart "enclosure, yard". This was the name of the second wife of Charlemagne (8th century). Also, Saint Hildegard was a 12th-century mystic from Bingen in Germany who was famous for her writings and poetry and also for her prophetic visions.
Hildegarda f Czech
Czech form of Hildegard.
Hildegund f German, Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements hilt "battle" and gunda "battle, war". This was the name of a 12th-century German saint.
Hilderic m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements hilt "battle" and rih "ruler, king". Hilderic was a 6th-century king of the Vandals. This name was also borne by three early Merovingian Frankish kings, though their name is usually spelled as Childeric.
Hildiberht m Germanic
Old German form of Hildebert.
Hildimar m Germanic
Old German form of Hilmar.
Hilditrut f Germanic
Old German form of Hiltrud.
Hilla f Finnish
Short form of names beginning with Hil. It also means "cloudberry" in Finnish.
Hillevi f Swedish, Finnish
Swedish and Finnish form of Heilwig.
Hilma f Finnish, Swedish
Possibly a variant of Helma or a feminine form of Hilmar.
Hilmar m German, Icelandic, Norwegian, Danish
From the Old German name Hildimar, derived from the elements hilt "battle" and mari "famous".
Hilperic m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements helfa "help" and rih "ruler, king". This name was borne by two Burgundian kings and two Frankish kings (usually called Chilperic).
Hiltraud f German
Variant of Hiltrud.
Hiltrud f German
Means "strength in battle", derived from the Old German elements hilt "battle" and drud "strength".
Hinnerk m Low German
Low German form of Heinrich.
Hinrich m Low German
Low German form of Heinrich.
Hinrik m Icelandic
Icelandic form of Heinrich (see Henry).
Hirsh m Yiddish
Means "deer" in Yiddish, from Old High German hiruz. This was a vernacular form of the Hebrew name Tzvi. The deer is particularly associated with the tribe of Naphtali (see Genesis 49:21).