The onomastics of the Gothic language (Gothic personal names) are an important source not only for the history of the Goths themselves, but for Germanic onomastics in general and the linguistic and cultural history of the Germanic Heroic Age of c. the 3rd to 6th centuries. Gothic names can be found in Roman records as far back as the 4th century AD. After the Muslim invasion of Hispania and the fall of the Visigothic kingdom in the early 8th century, the Gothic tradition was largely interrupted, although Gothic or pseudo-Gothic names continued to be given in the Kingdom of Asturias in the 9th and 10th centuries.
(Not to be confused with names inspired by the modern-day Goth subculture.)
History The names of the Goths themselves have been traced to their 3rd century settlement in Scythia. The names Tervingi and Greuthungi have been interpreted as meaning "forest-dwellers" and "steppe-dwellers", respectively. Later on, the terms Ostrogothi and Visigothi have also been understood to mean "Eastern Goths" and "Western Goths", although all four etymologies are not without detractors.Arne Søby Christensen, Heidi Flegal (trans.), Cassiodorus, Jordanes and the History of the Goths: Studies in a Migration Myth 205f.
Jordanes gives partly mythological genealogies leading up to historical 4th to 5th century rulers: Amali dynasty: Gapt, Hulmu, Augis, Amal, Athal, Achiulf, Oduulf, Ansila, Ediulf, Vultuulf, Ermanaric Vultuulf, Valaravans, Vinithariust Vandalarius, Theodemir, Valamir, Vidimer.
Another important source of early Gothic names are the accounts (hagiography) surrounding the persecution of Gothic Christians in the second half of the 4th century. Many of the Gothic saints mentioned in these sources bear resemblance to Syrian, Cappadocian and Phrygian names, following in the baptismal tradition of that time.
Even though the Muslim invasion of Hispania (715 AD) and subsequent fall of the Visigothic kingdom in the early 8th century caused most Gothic naming traditions to be lost, a type of Gothic or pseudo-GothicH Reichert, "Sprache und Namen der Wandalen in Afrika" in: Albrecht Greule, Matthias Springer (eds.), Namen des Frühmittelalters als sprachliche Zeugnisse und als Geschichtsquellen, 50f. naming tradition continued in the Kingdom of Asturias, which by that time had become the central driving force behind the Christian reconquest of Andalusia. Thus, Alfonso I of Asturias was originally given the Gothic name *Adafuns or Adalfuns, becoming one of the most popular names in the medieval Iberian kingdoms.
In France, where remnants of the old Visigothic Kingdom still remained (Gothic March),Gothic names continued to be common up until the 12th century.Wolfram (1990:p. 233)
List of names Gothic names of the 4th to 6th centuries include: Recorded NameGothic Form(reconstructed forms indicated by *)EtymologyLifetimeIdentity/SourceAriaricus fl. 330s Balthi Therving king Aoricus fl. 340s Therving kingAt(h)alaricus *Aþalareiks aþal(a) "noble" + reiks "ruler" d. 534 King of the OstrogothsAthanaricus *Aþanareiks aþni "year" + reiks "ruler" fl. 369, d. 381 Therving kingErmanaricus *Airmanareiks Ermana "all men" + reiks "ruler" cf. Arminius, Herman, Manrique Amali king of the Greuthungi Odotheus/Alatheus *Audaþius or *Alaþius auda- "wealth", or ala- "all"(?) plus þius "servant" fl. 380s King of the Greuthungi Alaricus *Alareiks ala "all"(?)the element ala- may be polygenetic + reiks fl. 395–410 Visigothic kingFritigernus *Friþugairns friþus "peace" + gairns "desiring" fl. 370s Therving leaderFriþareikeis *Friþareiks friþa "peace" + reiks "ruler" (i.e. Frederick) d. 370s Martyrrecorded in the Gothic calendar fragmentWingourichos, Jungericus *Wingureiks fl. 370s Therving officialGainas fl. 390s Gothic Magister militumGeberic fl. 4th century Gothic kingSigericus sigu "victory" + reiks "ruler" d. 415 Amali king of the VisigothsNanduin fl. 500s Gothic saioNidada fl. 3rd or 4th century Gothic leader, ancestor of GebericAt(h)aulphus *Aþaulf or *Ataulf aþa(l) "noble" or ata "father" + ulf "wolf" r. 410–415 Balthi king of the Visigoths Theodericus *Þiudareiks þiuda "people" + reiks "ruler" (see Theodoric) r. 418–451 Balthi king of the Visigoths Triwila fl. 520s Saio of Theodoric and praepositus cubiculiRagnaris *RaginariþSchönfeld (1911), p. 184. ragina (cf. Vandalic Raginari ) and riþ, both meaning "counsel" d. 555 A Hunnic leader allied with the OstrogothsSunifredus 𐍃𐌿𐌽𐌾𐌰𐌹𐍆𐍂𐌹𐌸𐌰𐍃sunjaifriþas c. 550 (Naples Deed)c. 700 (Visigothic Nobleman) Visigothic NoblemanWulfila *Wulfila wulfs "wolf" + -ila (diminutive suffix) c. 311-383 Bishop
See also Name of the Goths List of Visigothic queens Amali dynasty Balthi dynasty
References
Herwig Wolfram, Die Goten: von den Anfängen bis zur Mitte des sechsten Jahrhunderts : Entwurf einer historischen Ethnographie, part I. "Die Namen", pp. 30–46. Richard Loewe, "Gotische Namen in hagiographischen Texten", BGDSL 47 (1923), 407–433. Moritz Schönfeld, Wörterbuch der altgermanischen personen- und völkernamen (1911).
External links Gothic names (infernaldreams.com) Gothic and Suevic Names in Galicia (NW Spain) before 1200 (celtiberia.net)