Common
Germanic name
Type of given name
Germanic name
Germanic given names are traditionally dithematic; that is, they are formed from two elements (stems), by joining a prefix and a suffix. For example, King Æþelred's name was derived from æþele, meaning "noble", and ræd, meaning "counsel". The individual elements in dithematic names do not necessarily have any semantic relationship to each other and the combination does not usually carry a compound meaning. Dithematic names are found in a variety of Indo-European languages and are often derived from formulaic epithets of heroic praise. Another suggestion is that they reflected wishes for newborns. There are also names dating from an early time which seem to be monothematic, consisting only of a single element. These are sometimes explained as hypocorisms, short forms of originally dithematic names, but in many cases the etymology of the supposed original name cannot be recovered. The oldest known Germanic names date to the Roman Empire period, such as those of Arminius and his wife Thusnelda...
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