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Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Rudolf m. Old Saxon hrōth, Old High German hruod 'fame' + Old High German wolf, Gothic wulf 'wolf'.

The name of an 11th C king of Arles, a 13th C king of Germany, a 13th C duke of Austria, a 14th C king of Bohemia and Poland, a 14th C duke of Austria, and a 16th C Holy Roman emperor.

The name is sometimes confused with forms of Ralph, of similar etymology.

Estonia
Middle Low German
1425 Roleff BbRT p. 350; 1428 Roleff ibid. p. 352
France
Latin
993x1000 Rodulfo (abl) St-Bernard-Romans no. 89; 993x1032 Rodulfo (abl) ibid. no. 82; 1015 Rodulfi (gen) NTDip-vol4 p. 225, Rotdulfi (gen) ibid. p. 225; 1029x1033 Rodulfi (gen) CartStPC XII, Rodulfus (nom) ibid. XII; 1031 Rodulfo (abl) St-Bernard-Romans no. 107; 1107 Rodulfo (abl) CartStPC XVII; 1115 Rodulfus (nom) CartNDJosaphat VI; 1135 Rodulfus (nom) clairvaux-12thc 7; 1142 Rodulfus (nom) ibid. 9, Rodulphus (nom) ibid. 9; 1147 Rodulfus (nom) ibid. 15; 1164 Rodulfus (nom) ibid. 122; 1378 Rodulpho (dat) hanquetvol1 1461
Germany
Latin
966 Rudolfi (gen) quix-vol1 14; 1100 Rodulphus (nom) ibid. 78; 1130 Rudolphus (nom) ibid. 63; 1138 Rudolfus (nom) ibid. 28; 1147 Rodulfo (dat) ibid. 29; 1153 Rudolphus (nom) ibid. 30; 1168 Rudulpho (abl) ibid. 65; 1174 Rodolphus (nom) ibid. 33; 1180 Rodolphus (nom) ibid. 35, Rodulphus (nom) ibid. 34; 1185 Rodolpho (abl) ibid. 37, Rodulphus (nom) ibid. 36; 1210 Rudolfus (nom) hennes-vol1 10; 1214 Rudolfus (nom) ibid. 15; 1217 Rudolphum (acc) quix-vol1 71; 1219 Rudolfus (nom) hennes-vol1 41; 1220 Rudolffus (nom) ibid. 44, Rudolfus (nom) ibid. 45, Rudulfus (nom) ibid. 44; 1221 Rudolfus (nom) ibid. 61; 1225 Rudolfus (nom) ibid. 68; 1234 Rudolfus (nom) ibid. 91; 1401 Rudolfo (dat) HD1401 no. 196
Early New High German
1497 Rudolff Nurn1497 398
Italy
Latin
1327 Rodulphi (gen) Friuli-14thC no. 448
Switzerland
Latin
14thCx1478 Rodulphus (nom) Ob-SPVn (117)
Preview. DO NOT cite as: S.L. Uckelman. "Rudolf". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2015, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2015/1/name/Rudolf.