Germanic Name Generator
Old Germanic Names from Goths, Franks, Saxons and Lombards
Tap a name to copy itPress Space for a new batch500 names in this generator
Generate authentic old Germanic names from the migration period and early Middle Ages: Gothic, Frankish, Lombard, Old High German and Anglo-Saxon names for men and women, the kind borne by kings, abbesses, warriors and saga heroes.
About germanic names
Old Germanic names are built from two meaningful elements, a system linguists call dithematic naming. Sigibert is sigu (victory) plus berht (bright); Hildegard is hild (battle) plus gard (enclosure); Theodoric is theud (people) plus ric (ruler). A few dozen elements recur in different combinations: adal (noble), ans (god), ger (spear), hari (army), hrod (fame), wolf, wald (rule), burg (protection), lind (gentle or shield), trud (strength), gund (war), swind (strong). Families often passed an element down, so a son of Chlodovech might be Chlodomer or Chlothar, and a daughter Chlothild.
Spelling shifts by people and century. Gothic and Vandal names from the 4th to 6th centuries look like Athanaric, Amalaswintha, Gelimer and Thrasamund. Frankish names under the Merovingians and Carolingians run to Childeric, Fredegund, Dagobert, Bertrada and Carloman. Lombard Italy gives Alboin, Theudelinda, Liutprand and Ratchis. Old High German charters record Ruodpert, Hiltibald and Irminswind, while Anglo-Saxon England has Aethelflaed, Ceolwulf and Eadgyth. By the 10th century many of these had settled into the German names still used today: Heinrich, Konrad, Gertrud, Hedwig. Single names were the rule; surnames did not exist, and a person was distinguished by a byname, a father's name or a place.
Tips for choosing a name
- Pick a people and period first: Gothic spellings (Athanaric, Amalasuintha) feel older and harsher than Carolingian Frankish ones (Bertrada, Carloman) or Anglo-Saxon ones (Aethelred, Eadgyth).
- Build families by repeating an element: if the father is Sigibert, a son named Sigismund and a daughter named Sigilind instantly read as his kin, exactly as real dynasties did.
- Use one name, not first-plus-surname; add 'of Metz', 'the Tall' or a patronymic like Godwinson only when you need to tell two people apart.
- Check the element meanings before you combine them; hild (battle), gund (war) and hari (army) were used for both sexes, while trud, swind, lind and burg were almost always feminine endings.
- For modern-sounding German characters, use the late forms (Heinrich, Konrad, Mathilde, Adelheid) rather than Merovingian ones, which most readers will not recognize as German at all.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a Germanic name?
Names from the Germanic-speaking peoples of late antiquity and the early Middle Ages: Goths, Vandals, Burgundians, Franks, Lombards, Alemanni, Bavarians, Saxons, Frisians, Anglo-Saxons and early Scandinavians. Most are two-element compounds such as Theodoric or Hildegard, though short forms like Otto, Emma and Odo also existed.
What do common Germanic name elements mean?
Adal is noble, ans is god, berht is bright, frid is peace, ger is spear, gund and hild are battle, hari is army, hrod is fame, ric is ruler, sigu is victory, theud is people, wald is rule, wolf is wolf, burg is protection, lind is gentle, trud is strength and swind is strong. Meanings combined loosely, so Hildegard is roughly 'battle enclosure' rather than a sentence.
Are Germanic names the same as Viking or Norse names?
They are close cousins. Old Norse names like Sigurd, Gudrun and Ragnhild use the same element system as continental names like Sigibert, Gundrada and Reginhild, but Norse spelling and sound changes make them feel distinct. Use this generator for Goths, Franks, Saxons and Germans, and a Norse generator for Scandinavia.
Can I use these names for fantasy characters or historical fiction?
Yes. These names are all historical or built from attested elements, so they suit historical novels, medieval and migration-period settings, and fantasy cultures modeled on early Germanic peoples. Some belong to famous rulers such as Clovis, Alaric or Alfred, so check before naming a character after a well-known king.
All 500 germanic names
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- Sigibert
- Hildegard
- Theudebald
- Alaric
- Brunhild
- Chlodovech
- Gundobad
- Adalheid
- Ricimer
- Walburga
- Hariulf
- Gisela
- Odoacer
- Radegund
- Ansgar
- Liutgard
- Wulfila
- Amalaswintha
- Childeric
- Fredegund
- Dagobert
- Bertrada
- Arnulf
- Irmingard
- Godomar
- Theudelinda
- Eberhard
- Hrotsvitha
- Audoin
- Rosamund
- Pippin
- Swanahild
- Meginhard
- Gerberga
- Athanaric
- Wisigard
- Ermanaric
- Ingund
- Theodoric
- Chlothild
- Gunther
- Kriemhild
- Hagen
- Ute
- Dietrich
- Herlind
- Hrothgar
- Wealhtheow
- Beowulf
- Hygd
- Unferth
- Freawaru
- Wiglaf
- Hildeburh
- Clovis
- Basina
- Merovech
- Audofleda
- Alboin
- Gundeberga
- Grimoald
- Ansa
- Desiderius
- Ermengard
- Liutprand
- Guntrud
- Agilulf
- Rothari
- Widukind
- Geva
- Tassilo
- Liutperga
- Ratchis
- Tassia
- Aistulf
- Ranigunda
- Carloman
- Hiltrud
- Fastrada
- Lothar
- Ludwig
- Oda
- Konrad
- Kunigunde
- Heinrich
- Mathilde
- Otto
- Adelheid
- Bruno
- Hadwig
- Gero
- Frideruna
- Hermann
- Ekkehard
- Uta
- Leopold
- Richenza
- Welf
- Irmentrud
- Gebhard
- Willa
- Burchard
- Reginlind
- Rudolf
- Bertha
- Gottfried
- Hedwig
- Siegfried
- Sieglinde
- Wolfram
- Gudrun
- Reinmar
- Mechthild
- Hartmann
- Gertrud
- Eilhart
- Herzeloyde
- Gottschalk
- Wiltrud
- Walther
- Wendelgard
- Anshelm
- Reginswind
- Adalbero
- Hemma
- Folkmar
- Thietburga
- Hunfrid
- Waldrada
- Wolfgang
- Engeltrud
- Ruodpert
- Berthild
- Notker
- Alpaida
- Ratpert
- Rotrud
- Tuotilo
- Gundrada
- Hartmut
- Heilwig
- Ortwin
- Regintrud
- Gernot
- Swanhild
- Giselher
- Gotelind
- Dankwart
- Volker
- Helche
- Rüdiger
- Herrat
- Eckewart
- Dietlinde
- Hildebrand
- Gerlind
- Hadubrand
- Gailswintha
- Heribrand
- Goiswintha
- Ildico
- Ospirin
- Radagaisus
- Ereleuva
- Fritigern
- Gaatha
- Gainas
- Sunigilda
- Sarus
- Sigisvult
- Athaulf
- Wallia
- Theudigotho
- Euric
- Ragnahilda
- Gesalec
- Ostrogotho
- Amalaric
- Theudis
- Hrodhild
- Athanagild
- Liuvigild
- Hermenegild
- Baddo
- Reccared
- Chlodoswintha
- Sisebut
- Chindaswinth
- Reciberga
- Recceswinth
- Egilona
- Wamba
- Liubigotona
- Erwig
- Cixilo
- Roderic
- Gelimer
- Genseric
- Huneric
- Hilderic
- Thrasamund
- Amalafrida
- Gunthamund
- Hildimund
- Gundioc
- Chilperic
- Caretena
- Gundomar
- Sigismund
- Ostrogotha
- Godegisel
- Guntheuc
- Ingomer
- Chararic
- Chlodomer
- Theuderic
- Suavegotha
- Theudechild
- Berthefled
- Ingoberga
- Merofled
- Audovera
- Galswintha
- Rigunth
- Bilichild
- Clotaire
- Chunsina
- Aregund
- Haldetrude
- Nanthild
- Bathild
- Himnechild
- Grimbald
- Begga
- Ansegisel
- Plectrude
- Chalpaida
- Theudoald
- Swanachild
- Himiltrude
- Gerswinda
- Madelgard
- Adallinda
- Theodrada
- Ruodhaid
- Hruodland
- Eggihard
- Wala
- Adalhard
- Einhard
- Angilbert
- Alcuin
- Theodulf
- Hrabanus
- Walahfrid
- Otfrid
- Ermenrich
- Notker Balbulus
- Iso
- Waldo
- Hatto
- Hadamar
- Eigil
- Sturm
- Lull
- Willibald
- Winfrith
- Leoba
- Wunibald
- Thekla
- Willibrord
- Suitbert
- Liudger
- Altfrid
- Gerfrid
- Meinwerk
- Hathumar
- Badurad
- Thietmar
- Berthold
- Thankmar
- Liudolf
- Hathui
- Ludolf
- Eckbert the One-Eyed
- Wichmann
- Amalung
- Bernhard
- Hildiward
- Thiadric
- Athelstan
- Ethelred
- Aelfgifu
- Alfred
- Ealhswith
- Edmund
- Eadgyth
- Offa
- Cynethryth
- Penda
- Cynewise
- Oswald
- Oswiu
- Eanflaed
- Ecgfrith
- Aethelthryth
- Cuthbert
- Hild of Whitby
- Caedmon
- Bede
- Aethelflaed
- Byrhtnoth
- Aelfhere
- Wulfstan
- Aelfric
- Eadric Streona
- Godwin
- Gytha
- Leofric
- Godgifu
- Harold Godwinson
- Edith Swanneck
- Hereward
- Aelfwynn
- Wulfric Spot
- Siward
- Uhtred
- Aldred
- Beornred
- Ceolwulf
- Eadburh
- Aethelbald
- Aethelwulf
- Osburh
- Aethelbert
- Ecgberht
- Raedburh
- Ine of Wessex
- Aethelburg
- Caedwalla
- Centwine
- Cenwalh
- Seaxburh
- Sigeberht
- Anna of East Anglia
- Raedwald
- Hengist
- Horsa
- Aelle
- Cissa
- Cerdic
- Cynric
- Ceawlin
- Ceol
- Wulfhere
- Ermenilda
- Werburgh
- Mildrith
- Mildburh
- Domne Eafe
- Eormenred
- Eanswith
- Eadbald
- Ymme
- Earconbert
- Hlothhere
- Wihtred
- Cynegils
- Cwichelm
- Eadwig
- Edgar the Peaceful
- Aelfthryth
- Wulfthryth
- Aethelwold
- Dunstan
- Sigeric
- Byrhtferth
- Leofwine
- Aelfgar
- Ealdgyth
- Morcar
- Waltheof
- Eadnoth
- Ansfrid
- Hunwald
- Reginbald
- Heimo
- Wigo
- Richolf
- Wido
- Theobald
- Sicco
- Adalbert
- Eberwin
- Ruothard
- Folcwin
- Landfrid
- Waltfrid
- Erkanbald
- Meginfrid
- Hiltibald
- Isanbard
- Sigihard
- Wolfhard
- Engilbert
- Amalbert
- Radbod
- Aldgisl
- Poppo
- Theudesinda
- Gerold
- Erbio
- Rihwin
- Hunold
- Waifar
- Chrodegang
- Drogo
- Hugobert
- Irmina
- Theodard
- Lambert
- Landrada
- Hubert
- Floribert
- Grimald
- Gertrude of Nivelles
- Itta
- Wulfoald
- Vulfolaude
- Ebroin
- Leudesius
- Erchinoald
- Ansfled
- Waratton
- Berchar
- Berthar
- Gerinus
- Berthefried
- Ursio
- Rauching
- Guntram Boso
- Mummolus
- Leudast
- Leudegisel
- Ageric
- Chramnesind
- Sichar
- Austregisel
- Eberulf
- Magnachar
- Wiliachar
- Bodegisel
- Bobolen
- Waddo
- Chuppa
- Gundulf
- Ragnemod
- Wandregisel
- Audoen
- Romaric
- Arnulf of Metz
- Doda
- Walchisus
- Grimo
- Adalgisel
- Ansoald
- Theudefrid
- Fulrad
- Hruodolf
- Landbert
- Heriger
- Gisalbert
- Machelm
- Isanhard
- Waltrud
- Adalwin
- Thietgaud
- Wichbert
- Helmwig
- Reginbert
- Radolf
- Gotabert
- Hroderich
- Aldarich
- Albwin
- Adalgund
- Gundahar
- Irminfrid
- Adalperga
- Theudebert
- Gisulf
- Wacho
- Perctarit
- Cunincpert
- Ansprand
- Hildeprand
- Cyneburh
- Eadwulf
- Oswine
- Aelfwine
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