Robert

The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic *Hrōþi- "fame" and *berhta- "bright" (Hrōþiberhtaz).[1] Compare Old Dutch Robrecht and Old High German Hrodebert (a compound of Hruod (Old Norse: Hróðr) "fame, glory, honour, praise, renown" and berht "bright, light, shining"). It is the second most frequently used given name of ancient Germanic origin.[2][3] It is also in use as a surname. Another commonly used form of the name is Rupert.

After becoming widely used in Continental Europe it entered England in its Old French form Robert, where an Old English cognate form (Hrēodbēorht, Hrodberht, Hrēodbēorð, Hrœdbœrð, Hrœdberð, Hrōðberχtŕ) had existed before the Norman Conquest. The feminine version is Roberta. The Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish form is Roberto.

Robert is also a common name in many Germanic languages, including English, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish, Scots, Danish, and Icelandic. It can be used as a French, Polish, Irish, Finnish, Romanian, and Estonian name as well.

The name Robert almost exactly shares its meaning with the name Waldemar / Volodymyr / Vladimir.

Bert, Bertie, Berto, Bertus (also short for Albert or Herbert) Beto, Betinho (Portuguese) Bo, Bob, Bobbie, Bobby Beau Chrodobert, Chrodobrecht (Frankish) Dobbie, Dobby Boris (Bulgarian) (possibly not etymologically connected, but linked together through nickname "Bob") Hob, Hopkin (Medieval English) Hopcyn (Welsh) Hrodberaht, Hrodebert, Hrodpreht (Old High German) Rab, Rabbie (Scots) Raibeart (Scottish Gaelic) Rhobert (Welsh) Roibeárd, Riobárd (Irish) Rob, Robb, Robbie, Robby (also short for Robin) Rod Robbe (Dutch, Frisian and Low German short form) Roban Robban (Swedish) Robbert (Dutch) Robbi, Hrobbi, Hrobjartur, Bjartur, Art (Icelandic) Robercik or Robuś (Polish, "Little Robert") Robere (Old French) Ροβῆρος, Rovēros (Greek) Róbert (Hungarian, Icelandic, Slovak) Robertas (Lithuanian) Roberto (Italian, Portuguese, Spanish) Robertino (Italian, "Little Robert") Robertinho (Portuguese, "Little Robert") Роберт (Robert), Роман (Roman) (Russian) Ροβέρτος, Rovértos (Greek) Raivo (Estonian) Roberts (Latvian) Raivis (Latvian form of the Estonian variant) Robertson (English given name) Robertus (Latin) Robetus (Medieval misspelling?) Robi (Croatian, Hungarian, Romanian, Serbian) Röbi (Swiss German)

Robin (Medieval diminutive in English, Dutch, Swedish) Robo Robrecht (Old Dutch) Rochbert Rodbeard, Rodbeart Rodbert, Rodebert, Rotbert, Roteberht, Rotebert (Germanic) Rodbertus, Rodepertus (Latin) Rodebrecht (Old German) Röpke (Low German diminutive form) Rotbryht (Old English) Rothbert Roopertti, Pertti, Roope (Finnish) Robertukka, Roopertukka, Tuukka (Finnish nicknames) Ropars, Ropartz, Roparzh (Breton) Ruben, Rupen, Roupen (Armenian) Reuben (Hebrew) Rutbert, Rubert, Ruby (Old Dutch) Rudebet, Rudbert, Rudbert, Rudpert, Rudbrecht, Rudprecht Rupert (Dutch, English, German, Polish) Ruperto (Spanish) Rupertus, Rvpertvs (Latin) Rutpert, Ruppert, Rupprecht, Ruprecht (Upper German) Trebor (reversal)

Feminine forms: Bobbi, Bobbie Robbi, Robbie Roberta Robertina, Robertine Robina Robyn, Robynne Ruprette, Rupretta (archaic French)

Surnames: Robert, Roberts, Robertson, Roberson, Robinson, Robero, Romero, Bertson, Bertke, Robertsen, Robertov, Robright

The name Robert was a royal name in France, Germany, Scotland and England during the medieval period, and was the name of several kings, dukes, and other rulers and noblemen. It was one of the most popular male names in medieval Europe, likely due to its frequent usage amongst royalty and nobility. To this day, Robert remains one of the most frequently given male names.

Robert was in the top 10 most given boys' names in the United States for 47 years, from 1925 to 1972.[4] While some names become less frequently used due to negative associations, Robert is still widely used despite its connection to many negatively evaluated historical figures.

In Italy during the Second World War, the form of the name, Roberto, briefly acquired a new meaning derived from, and referring to the Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis.[5]

The name's second component, *berhta-, is the original root for the modern English word "bright".[6]

The names first element, *Hrōþi, can also be found in names:

Other names also meaning "fame", "glory", "praise", "honour":

The names second element, *Berhta, can also be found on names:

Other names also meaning "bright", "shining", "light":