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
Villum m Danish
Danish variant of Vilhelm.
Vilmos m Hungarian
Hungarian form of William.
Vitold m Russian, Ukrainian
Russian and Ukrainian form of Witold.
Viveca f Swedish
Swedish form of Vibeke.
Viveka f Swedish
Swedish form of Vibeke.
Volker m German
Derived from the Old German element folk "people" combined with heri "army".
Volkhard m German (Rare)
Derived from the Old German elements folk "people" and hart "hard, brave".
Volkmar m German
Derived from the Old German element folk "people" combined with mari "famous".
Wace m Old Norman
Norman form of Wazo. This name was borne by a 12th-century Norman poet from the island of Jersey.
Walahfrid m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements walah "foreigner, Celt, Roman" and fridu "peace".
Walaric m Germanic
Old German form of Valéry.
Walburga f German
Means "power of the fortress" from Old German walt meaning "power, authority" and burg meaning "fortress" (or perhaps from Old English cognates, though as an Old English name it is unattested). This was the name of an 8th-century Anglo-Saxon saint who did missionary work in Germany.
Walchelin m Old Norman
Norman form of Vauquelin.
Waldebert m Germanic
Germanic name composed of the elements walt "power, authority" and beraht "bright". This was the name of a 7th-century Frankish saint from Luxeuil (called Valbert or Gaubert in French).
Waldeburg f Germanic
Old German form of Walburga.
Waldek m Polish
Polish diminutive of Waldemar.
Waldemar m German, Polish, Germanic
From the Old German elements walt "power, authority" and mari "famous", also used as a translation of the Slavic cognate Vladimir.
Waldhar m Germanic
Old German form of Walter.
Waldo 2 m Germanic
Originally a short form of Germanic names containing the Old Frankish element wald or Old High German element walt meaning "power, authority" (Proto-Germanic *waldaz). This was the name of an 8th-century abbot of Reichenau. It was also borne by the 12th-century French merchant Peter Waldo, who founded the religious order of the Waldensians.
Waldomar m Germanic
Old German variant of Waldemar.
Walhberht m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements walah "foreigner, Celt, Roman" and beraht "bright".
Walherich m Germanic
Old German form of Valéry.
Wally m English
Diminutive of Walter or Wallace.
Walpurga f German
Variant of Walburga.
Walt m English
Short form of Walter. A famous bearer was the American animator and filmmaker Walt Disney (1901-1966).
Wálter m Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese variant form of Walter, more common in South America than Europe. It is often written without the diacritic.
Walter m English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Italian, Germanic
From the Germanic name Waltheri meaning "power of the army", from the elements walt "power, authority" and heri "army". In medieval German tales (notably Waltharius by Ekkehard of Saint Gall) Walter of Aquitaine is a heroic king of the Visigoths. The name was also borne by an 11th-century French saint, Walter of Pontoise. The Normans brought it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate Wealdhere.... [more]
Walther m German, Germanic
German variant of Walter. This name was borne by the 13th-century German poet Walther von der Vogelweide.
Waltheri m Germanic
Old German form of Walter.
Waltraud f German
From the Old German elements walt "power, authority" and drud "strength". This name was borne by a 7th-century Frankish saint who founded a convent near Mons, Belgium.
Waltraut f German
Variant of Waltraud.
Wandal m Germanic
Old German form of Wendel.
Wandalin m Germanic
Old German form of Wendelin.
Waramunt m Germanic
Old German form of Veremund.
Warin m Germanic
Old German name derived from the element war meaning "aware, cautious" (Proto-Germanic *waraz, and the related verbs *warjaną "to ward off" and *warnōną "to ward off").
Warinheri m Germanic
Old German form of Werner.
Warner m English
From a Norman surname that was derived from the given name Werner.
Wat m English
Medieval short form of Walter.
Watse m Frisian
Possibly a Frisian diminutive of Walter.
Watson m English
From an English surname meaning "son of Wat". A famous fictional bearer of the surname was Dr. Watson, the assistant to Sherlock Holmes in Arthur Conan Doyle's mystery stories beginning in 1887.
Wazo m Germanic
Originally a short form of names beginning with Old Frankish waddi or Old High German wetti meaning "pledge" (Proto-Germanic *wadją), or alternatively war meaning "aware, cautious" (Proto-Germanic *waraz).
Wenche f Norwegian
Norwegian variant of Wenke. A famous bearer is the Norwegian singer Wenche Myhre (1947-), known as Wencke in some countries so as to avoid pronunciation confusion.
Wendel m & f Dutch (Rare), German (Rare), Portuguese (Brazilian)
Old short form of Germanic names beginning with the element wentil meaning "a Vandal". The Vandals were a Germanic tribe who invaded Spain and North Africa in the 5th century. Their tribal name, which may mean "wanderer", has often been confused with that of the Wends, a Slavic people living between the Elbe and the Oder.... [more]
Wendelin m German, Germanic
Old diminutive of Germanic names beginning with the element wentil (see Wendel). Saint Wendelin was a 6th-century hermit of Trier in Germany.
Wendell m English
From a German and Dutch surname that was derived from the given name Wendel. In America this name has been given in honour of the poet Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. (1809-1894) and his son the Supreme Court justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. (1841-1935). The elder's middle name came from his mother's maiden name (which had been brought to America by a Dutch ancestor in the form Wendel, with the extra l added later).
Wenilo m Germanic
Originally a short form of Germanic names beginning with Old Frankish wani or Old High German wan meaning "hope, expectation".
Wenke f Low German
Low German diminutive of Germanic names containing the element wini meaning "friend".
Werdheri m Germanic
Old German form of Werther.
Werner m German, Dutch
From an Old German name derived from the element warin, related to war meaning "aware, cautious", combined with heri meaning "army". This was the name of a 13th-century boy from Oberwesel, Germany who was formerly regarded as a saint. He is no longer recognized as such by the Church. Another famous bearer was the German physicist Werner Heisenberg (1901-1976).
Wernher m German, Germanic
Variant of Werner. A famous bearer was the German-American rocket engineer Wernher von Braun (1912-1977).
Werther m German (Rare)
Derived from the Old German elements werd "worthy" and heri "army". Goethe used this name in his novel The Sorrows of Young Werther (1774).
Wessel m Frisian, Dutch
Old Frisian diminutive of Werner.
Wetzel m German (Rare)
Diminutive of Werner.
Wibke f German
Feminine form of Wiebe.
Wibo m Frisian
Variant of Wiebe.
Widald m Germanic
Old German name composed of the elements witu "wood" and walt "power, authority".
Wide m Frisian
Frisian form of Wido.
Wido m Germanic
Originally a short form of names beginning with the Old Frankish or Old Saxon element widu, Old High German witu, meaning "wood" (Proto-Germanic *widuz). This was the name of two 11th-century saints, one from Belgium and one from northern Italy, both commonly called Guido or Guy. From early times this name has been confused with the Latin name Vitus.
Widogast m Germanic
Old German name composed of the elements witu "wood" and gast "guest, stranger".
Widukind m Germanic
Old Saxon name composed of the elements widu "wood" and kind "child". This was the name of an 8th-century Saxon leader who fought against the Franks, in the end unsuccessfully.
Wiebe m Frisian, Dutch
Originally a Frisian short form of Wigberht (and other names starting with the Old German element wig meaning "war" and a second element beginning with b).
Wiebke f Frisian, German
Feminine form of Wiebe.
Wigberht m Anglo-Saxon, Germanic
Derived from the Old English elements wig "battle" and beorht "bright". This is also a continental Germanic equivalent, derived from the Old German elements wig and beraht. The name was borne by an 8th-century English saint who did missionary work in Frisia and Germany.
Wigbert m German
German form of Wigberht.
Wigbrand m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements wig "war" and brant "fire, torch, sword".
Wigburg f Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements wig "war" and burg "fortress".
Wighard m Germanic
Old German name composed of the elements wig "battle" and hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy", a cognate of Wigheard.
Wigmar m Germanic
Old German form (possibly) of Guiomar.
Wil m & f English, Dutch
Short form of William and other names beginning with Wil.
Wilbert m Dutch
Means "bright will", derived from the Old German elements willo "will, desire" and beraht "bright".
Wilfried m German
German cognate of Wilfred.
Wilhelm m German, Polish, Germanic
German cognate of William. This was the name of two German emperors. It was also the middle name of several philosophers from Germany: Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831), Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900), and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716), who was also a notable mathematician. Another famous bearer was the physicist Wilhelm Röntgen (1845-1923).
Wilhelmina f Dutch, German (Rare), English
Dutch and German feminine form of Wilhelm. This name was borne by a queen of the Netherlands (1880-1962).
Wilhelmine f German
German feminine form of Wilhelm.
Wilhelmus m Dutch
Latinized form of Wilhelm. This is also the official Dutch form of the name, used on birth certificates but not commonly in daily life.
Wilkie m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a diminutive of the given name William.
Wilkin m Medieval English
Medieval diminutive of William.
Wilky m Medieval English
Medieval diminutive of William.
Will m English
Short form of William and other names beginning with Will. A famous bearer is American actor Will Smith (1968-), whose full name is Willard.
Willa f English
Feminine form of William.
Willard m English
From an English surname that was derived from the Old German given name Willihard (or the Old English cognate Wilheard).
Willehad m Germanic
Old German or Old English name derived from the elements willo "will, desire" and hadu "battle, combat". This was the name of an 8th-century Northumbrian saint active in Frisia and Saxony.
Willehelm m Germanic
Old German form of William.
Willem m Dutch
Dutch form of William. Willem the Silent, Prince of Orange, was the leader of the Dutch revolt against Spain that brought about the independence of the Netherlands. He is considered the founder of the Dutch royal family. In English he is commonly called William of Orange.
Willemijn f Dutch
Feminine form of Willem.
Willemina f Dutch
Feminine form of Willem.
Willi m German
Diminutive of Wilhelm.
William m English
From the Germanic name Willehelm meaning "will helmet", composed of the elements willo "will, desire" and helm "helmet, protection". An early saint by this name was the 8th-century William of Gellone, a cousin of Charlemagne who became a monk. The name was common among the Normans, and it became extremely popular in England after William the Conqueror was recognized as the first Norman king of England in the 11th century. From then until the modern era it has been among the most common of English names (with John, Thomas and Robert).... [more]
Williamina f Scottish
Feminine form of William. A famous bearer of this name was Williamina Fleming (1857-1911), a Scottish astronomer.
Willibald m German, Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements willo "will, desire" and bald "bold, brave". Saint Willibald was an 8th-century bishop of Eichstätt, Bavaria.
Willibert m Germanic
Old German form of Wilbert.
Willidrud f Germanic
Old German form of Wiltrud.
Willie m & f English
Masculine or feminine diminutive of William. Notable bearers include the retired American baseball player Willie Mays (1931-) and the musician Willie Nelson (1933-).
Willifrid m Germanic
From the Old German elements willo "will, desire" and fridu "peace" (a cognate of Wilfred).
Willihard m Germanic
Old German name derived from the elements willo "will, desire" and hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy".
Willimar m Germanic
Old German name derived from the elements willo "will, desire" and mari "famous". It is a cognate of Wilmǣr.
Williric m Germanic
Old German name derived from the elements willo "will, desire" and rih "ruler, king".
Willis m English
From an English surname that was derived from Will, a diminutive of William.
Willy m & f English, German, Dutch
Diminutive of William, Wilhelm or Willem. It is both masculine and feminine in Dutch.
Wilma f German, Dutch, English, Swedish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Spanish (Latin American)
Short form of Wilhelmina. German settlers introduced it to America in the 19th century.
Wilmot m & f Medieval English
Medieval diminutive and feminine form of William.
Wilson m English, Spanish (Latin American), Portuguese
From an English surname meaning "son of William". The surname was borne by Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924), the American president during World War I.
Wiltrud f German
Derived from the Old German elements willo "will, desire" and drud "strength". This name was borne by a 10th-century German saint from Bergen.
Wim m Dutch
Dutch short form of Willem.
Wina f Germanic
Germanic name derived from the element wini meaning "friend" (Proto-Germanic *weniz).
Winfried m German
German form of Winfred.
Winifrid m Germanic
Old German cognate of Winfrið.
Wiremu m Maori
Maori form of William.
Witek m Polish
Diminutive of Witold or Wit.
Witołd m Polish (Archaic)
Polish variant of Witold.
Witold m Polish
Polish form of Vytautas. Alternatively it could be derived from the Old German name Widald.
Wob m Frisian (Archaic)
Frisian diminutive of Germanic names beginning with the element walt meaning "power, authority".
Wobbe m Frisian
Originally a Frisian short form of Waldebert (and other names starting with the Old German element walt meaning "power, authority" and a second element beginning with b).
Wolf m German, Jewish, English (Rare), Germanic
Short form of Wolfgang, Wolfram and other names containing the Old German element wolf meaning "wolf" (Proto-Germanic *wulfaz). It can also be simply from the German or English word. As a Jewish name it can be considered a vernacular form of Zeev.
Wolfdietrich m Literature, German (Rare)
Compound of Wolf and Dietrich. Wolfdietrich is the title hero of a 13th-century Middle High German epic poem. By some traditions he is the grandfather of the more famous hero Dietrich von Bern.
Wolfgang m German, Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements wolf meaning "wolf" and gang meaning "path, way". Saint Wolfgang was a 10th-century bishop of Regensburg. Two other famous bearers of this name were Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) and German novelist and poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832).
Wolfhard m German
Derived from the Old German element wolf meaning "wolf" combined with hart meaning "hard, firm, brave, hardy".
Wolfram m German
Derived from the Old German element wolf meaning "wolf" combined with hram meaning "raven". Saint Wolfram (or Wulfram) was a 7th-century archbishop of Sens. This name was also borne by the 13th-century German poet Wolfram von Eschenbach, the author of Parzival.
Wöllem m Limburgish
Limburgish form of William.
Wolter m Dutch
Dutch variant form of Walter.
Wout m Dutch
Short form of Wouter.
Wouter m Dutch
Dutch form of Walter.
Wubbe m Frisian
Variant of Wobbe.
Wulf m German
Variant of Wolf.
Wulfgang m Germanic
Old German form of Wolfgang.
Wulfhard m Germanic
Old German form of Wolfhard.
Wulfhram m Germanic
Old German form of Wolfram.
Wulfram m Germanic
Old German form of Wolfram.
Wullem m Limburgish
Limburgish form of William.
Wum m Limburgish
Short form of Wullem.
Xiomara f Spanish
Possibly a Spanish form of Guiomar.
Yseult f French (Rare)
French form of Iseult.
Yseut f Arthurian Cycle
Old French form of Iseult, appearing in the 12th-century Norman French poem Tristan by Béroul.
Ysolt f Arthurian Cycle
Old French form of Iseult, appearing in the 12th-century Old French poem Tristan by Thomas of Britain.
Yveline f French
Feminine diminutive of Yves.
Yvelise f French
Feminine form of Yves (or an elaboration using Élise). It was (first?) borne by the title character in the Italian novel Yvelise (1923) by Guido da Verona. It later appeared in the photonovel Yvelise devant l'amour published in the French magazine Nous Deux in 1950.
Yves m French
Medieval French form of Ivo 1. This was the name of two French saints: an 11th-century bishop of Chartres and a 13th-century parish priest and lawyer, also known as Ivo of Kermartin, the patron saint of Brittany.
Yveta f Czech
Czech form of Yvette.
Yvette f French, English
French feminine form of Yves.
Yvo m Dutch
Variant of Ivo 1.
Yvon m French
Medieval diminutive of Yves.
Yvona f Czech
Czech form of Yvonne.
Yvonne f French, English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
French feminine form of Yvon. It has been regularly used in the English-speaking world since the late 19th century.
Zelda 2 f English
Short form of Griselda. This is the name of a princess in the Legend of Zelda video games, debuting in 1986 and called ゼルダ (Zeruda) in Japanese. According to creator Shigeru Miyamoto she was named after the American socialite Zelda Fitzgerald (1900-1948).
Zélie f French
Short form of Azélie. This is another name of Saint Marie-Azélie Guérin (1831-1877).
Zelma f English
Variant of Selma 1.
Žiga m Slovene
Slovene form of Sigmund.
Zigmārs m Latvian
Latvian form of Siegmar.
Žigmund m Slovak
Slovak form of Sigmund.
Zikmund m Czech
Czech form of Sigmund.
Zsigmond m Hungarian
Hungarian form of Sigmund.
Zygfryd m Polish
Polish form of Siegfried.
Zygmunt m Polish
Polish form of Sigmund.