Brunhilde (given name)

Brunhilde is a German feminine given name, derived from a combination of the Germanic word elements brun, or armor, and hild, or battle. The Valkyrie Brunhild is a heroine of Germanic heroic legend.[2]

Brunhilde
GenderFemale
Origin
Word/nameGermanic
Meaning"battle armor"
Other names
Related namesBrunhild, Brünhild, Brunehilde, Brunhilda, Brunhilde, Brunilda, Brünnhilde, Brynhild, Brynhilda, Brynhildr, and Brynhildur[1]

Variants in regular use include the Albanian, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish Brunilda and Brunilde; the Norwegian Brynhild; and the Icelandic Brynhildur.

Brunhilde was in regular use for girls in Germany from the late 19th century through the 1960s, a time period when romantic German nationalism was in vogue and the names of idealized heroines such as Brunhild from Germanic heroic legend became more popular.[3] Brünhild was also a character in Richard Wagner's four-part opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen, which became popular world-wide in the late 1800s.

Brunhilde

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Brunhilda

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Brunilda

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  • Brunilda Ruiz (1936–2019), Puerto Rican ballet dancer, teacher, and choreographer

Brunilde

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  • Brunilde Bianchi (born 1964), Italian ice dancing coach, choreographer, and former competitor
  • Brunilde Ridgway (1929–2024), Italian-born American archaeologist and specialist in ancient Greek sculpture

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Mike Campbell. "Meaning, origin and history of the name Brünhild". Behind the Name. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  2. ^ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. p. 314. ISBN 0-19-861060-2.
  3. ^ Laversuch, I.M. (December 2010), "Margarete and Sulamith under the Swastika: Girls' Names in Nazi Germany", Names: A Journal of Onomastics, 58 (4): 219–30