Gothic Names - Behind the Name

Alaric 𐌰𐌻𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐍃 m Gothic (Anglicized)
From the Gothic name *Alareiks meaning "ruler of all", derived from the element alls "all" combined with reiks "ruler, king". This was the name of a king of the Visigoths who sacked Rome in the 5th century.

Alodia f Gothic (Latinized)
Possibly from a Visigothic name, maybe from Gothic elements such as alls "all" or aljis "other" combined with auds "riches, wealth". Saint Alodia was a 9th-century Spanish martyr with her sister Nunilo.

Alphonsus 𐌰𐌸𐌰𐌻𐍆𐌿𐌽𐍃 m Gothic (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Gothic name *Aþalfuns (see Alfonso). This name was borne by Saint Alphonsus Liguori, an 18th-century Italian bishop who is regarded as a Doctor of the Church.

Amalaberga 𐌰𐌼𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰 f Gothic (Latinized)
From the Gothic name *Amalabairga, derived from the Gothic element amals meaning "unceasing, vigorous, brave", also referring to the royal dynasty of the Amali, combined with bairgo meaning "help, protection". This name was borne by a daughter of Theodemir, king of the Ostrogoths in the 5th century.

Amalric 𐌰𐌼𐌰𐌻𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐍃 m Gothic (Anglicized)
From the Visigothic name *Amalareiks, derived from the Gothic element amals meaning "unceasing, vigorous, brave", also referring to the royal dynasty of the Amali, combined with reiks meaning "ruler, king". This was the name of a 6th-century king of the Visigoths, as well as two 12th-century rulers of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem.

Athanagild 𐌰𐌸𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌲𐌹𐌻𐌳 m Gothic (Anglicized)
From the Gothic name *Aþanagild, derived from the elements aþn meaning "year" combined with gild meaning "payment, tribute, compensation". Athanagild was a 6th-century king of Visigothic Spain.

Athanaric 𐌰𐌸𐌰𐌽𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐍃 m Gothic (Anglicized)
From the Gothic name *Aþanareiks, derived from the element aþn meaning "year" combined with reiks meaning "ruler, king". Athanaric was a 4th-century ruler of the Visigoths.

Athaulf 𐌰𐌸𐌰𐍅𐌿𐌻𐍆𐍃 m Gothic (Modernized)
Contemporary spelling of the Gothic name *Aþawulfs, derived from the elements aþals "nobility" and wulfs "wolf" (making it a cognate of Adolf). Alternatively, the first element could be atta "father". This was the name of a 5th-century king of the Visigoths.

Euric 𐌰𐌹𐍅𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐍃 m Gothic (Anglicized)
From the Gothic name *Aiwareiks, derived from aiws "eternity, age" and reiks "ruler, king". This was the name of a 5th-century king of the Visigoths.

Galswintha 𐌲𐌰𐌹𐌻𐌴𐍃𐍅𐌹𐌽𐌸𐌰 f Gothic (Anglicized)
From the Gothic name *Gaileswinþa, derived from the element gails "happy" or gails "spear" combined with swinþs "strong". Galswintha was a daughter of the 6th-century Visigothic king Athanagild. She was murdered soon after she married Chilperic I, the Frankish king of Neustria.

Odoacer 𐌰𐌿𐌳𐌰𐍅𐌰𐌺𐍂𐍃 m Gothic (Latinized)
From the Gothic name *Audawakrs meaning "wealthy and vigilant", derived from the elements auds "wealth" and wakrs "vigilant". Odoacer, sometimes called Odovacar, was a 5th-century Gothic leader who overthrew the last Western Roman emperor and became the first barbarian king of Italy.

Theodemir 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌼𐌴𐍂𐍃 m Gothic (Anglicized)
From the Gothic name *Þiudamers, derived from the elements þiuda "people" and mers "famous". This was the name of a 5th-century king of the Ostrogoths, the father of Theodoric the Great. It was also borne by a 6th-century king of the Suebi in Galicia. There was also a saint by this name, a 9th-century Benedictine monk who was martyred at Córdoba.

Theodoric 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐍃 m Gothic (Anglicized)
From the Gothic name *Þiudareiks meaning "ruler of the people", derived from the elements þiuda "people" and reiks "ruler, king". It was notably borne by Theodoric the Great, a 6th-century king of the Ostrogoths who eventually became the ruler of Italy. By Theodoric's time the Ostrogoths were partially Romanized and his name was regularly recorded as Theodoricus. This was also the name of two earlier (5th century) Visigothic kings.

Wulfila 𐍅𐌿𐌻𐍆𐌹𐌻𐌰 m Gothic (Hypothetical)
Means "little wolf", from a diminutive of the Gothic element wulfs. This was the name of a 4th-century Gothic bishop and missionary. He translated the New Testament into Gothic.