This page is historical. Follow this link for the current version.
Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Arnold m. Old High German, Old Saxon arn 'eagle' + Old High German walt 'power'.

The name of an 11th C saint, the patron of brewers.

In early texts, the name was often confused with Arnulf, and may have in fact developed as a back-formation from that name through confusion with other similar names ending in -vald or -wald.

Brabant
Latin
1312 Arnoddus (nom) JeanIII p. 10, Arnoldi (gen) ibid. p. 8, Arnoldo (abl) ibid. p. 26, Arnoldus (nom) ibid. p. 2
1312 Arnekinus (nom) JeanIII p. 9, Nout (gen) ibid. p. 15
England
Latin
1189 Arnoldus (nom) GASurv p. 132, Ernaldi (gen) ibid. p. 95, Ernaldo (dat) ibid. p. 95, Ernaldus (nom) ibid. p. 95, Ernoldus (nom) ibid. p. 126
Estonia
Middle Low German
1364 Arnold BbRT p. 334; 1379x1383 Arnold ibid. p. 336; 1385 Arnoldus ibid. p. 338; 1436 Arnd ibid. p. 358; 1442 Arnt ibid. p. 364; 1443 Arend ibid. p. 365; 1444 Arnt ibid. p. 365
1364 Arnd BbRT p. 334; 1376 Arnd ibid. p. 335; 1378 Arnd ibid. p. 335; 1379 Arnd ibid. p. 336; 1384 Arnd ibid. p. 338; 1392 Arnd ibid. p. 340; 1396 Arnd ibid. p. 341; 1397 Arnd ibid. p. 340; 1398 Arnd ibid. p. 342; 1399 Arnd ibid. p. 342; 1404 Arnd ibid. p. 344; 1407 Arnd ibid. p. 344; 1414 Arnd ibid. p. 347; 1416 Arnd ibid. p. 347; 1418 Arnd ibid. p. 348; 1421 Arnd ibid. p. 349; 1428 Arnd ibid. p. 352, Arnt ibid. p. 352; 1429 Arent ibid. p. 353; 1432 Arnd ibid. p. 356
France
Latin
565 Ernoldi (gen) DCEL-2 Add. II; 1038 Arnaldus (nom) StVdM-II 721; 1045 Arnaldo (abl) ibid. 691; 1047 Arnaudi (gen) CartNDSaintes I; 1047x1061 Arnaldus (nom) ibid. XX, Ernaldus (nom) ibid. XX, Hernaldus (nom) ibid. XX; 1058 Arnaldus (nom) StVdM-II 694; 1060 Arnaldus (nom) ibid. 730; 1067 Arnaldus (nom) CartNDSaintes XII; 1073 Arnaldus (nom) StVdM-II 708; 1079x1081 Arnaudus (nom) CartNDSaintes XXI; 1082x87 Arnaudus (nom) St-Bernard-Romans no. 120; 1083 Arnaldi (gen) ibid. no. 119; 1093 Ernaldi (gen) CartStPC VI; 1094 Arnaldus (nom) StVdM-II 686; 1101x1120 Ernaldus (nom) CartStPC XXIV; 1101x1129 Arnaldo (abl) ibid. XXVIII, Ernaldus (nom) ibid. XXII; 1107 Ernaldus (nom) ibid. V; 1115x1149 Ernaldus (nom) ibid. X; a1116 Ernaldus (nom) ibid. XX; 1123 Arnaldus (nom) CartNDJosaphat XII; 1143x1146 Ernaldus (nom) clairvaux-12thc 12; 1147 Arnaudo (abl) CartNDSaintes XXV, Ernoldus (nom) CartNDdOurscamp XCVII; 1148 Arnaudi (gen) CartNDSaintes XXIV; 1158 Arnaudus (nom) StVdM-II 702; 1166 Ernaldus (nom) CartNDdOurscamp XCI; 1180 Arnaldus (nom) ibid. CVI, Ernaldo (abl) RotScaNor p. 19, Ernaldus (nom) ibid. p. 19; 1190 Arnaldus (nom) CartNDdOurscamp CV; 1274 Arnaldi (gen) RegToul-13thC p. 46, Arnaldus (nom) ibid. p. 31; 1275 Ernaudi (gen) CartNDdOurscamp XLIV; 1283x1286 Arnaldi (gen) GasReg-A p. 227, Ernaldi (gen) ibid. p. 227; 1287 Arnaldus (nom) ibid. p. 74; 1301 Arnaldi (gen) MemPic-vol17 p. 226, Arnoldus (nom) ibid. p. 217, Enardi (gen) ibid. p. 225, Ernaudi (gen) ibid. p. 202; 1310/11 Arnaldus (nom) GasReg-A p. 100; 1310 Arnaldus (nom) ibid. p. 217, Ernaldus (nom) ibid. p. 217, Ernaud (nom) ibid. p. 217; 1310–11 Arnaldus (nom) ibid. p. 236; 1378 Arnaldi (gen) hanquetvol1 159, Arnaldo (dat) ibid. 1159, Arnaldus (nom) ibid. 288, Arnoldo (dat) ibid. 55, Arnoldus (nom) ibid. 290
Old French
1301 Ernous (nom) MemPic-vol17 p. 239; 1313 Ernaut Paris1313 p. 4, Ernoult ibid. p. 55
Middle French
1418 Arnoult HGParis p. 374; 1421 Arnoult favier; 1423 Arnould ibid. 283
Germany
Latin
822x875 Arnald (nom) TradCorb §216; 1103 Arnoldum (acc) quix-vol1 79; 1112 Arnoldi (gen) ibid. 26; 1138 Arnoldus (nom) ibid. 28; 1142 Arnoldi (gen) mairhofer I, Arnoldus (nom) ibid. X, Arnolt (nom) ibid. I; 1145 Arnolt (nom) ibid. XIX; 1147 Arnoldus (nom) ibid. XXII, quix-vol1 29; 1165 Arnoldo (abl) ibid. 93; 1174 Arnoldus (nom) ibid. 32; 1180 Arnoldo (abl) ibid. 34, Arnoldus (nom) ibid. 34; 1192 Arnoldus (nom) ibid. 40; 1194 Arnoldus (nom) ibid. 54; 1197 Arnoldus (nom) hennes-vol1 2; 1217 Arnoldus (nom) quix-vol1 71; 1218 Arnoldus (nom) hennes-vol1 35; 1219 Arnoldi (nom) quix-vol1 73, Arnoldum (acc) hennes-vol1 41, Arnoldus (nom) ibid. 40; 1222 Arnoldus (nom) ibid. 62; 1230 Arnoldus (nom) ibid. p. 91; 1247 Arnoldi (gen) ibid. 123; 1254 Arnoldus (nom) ibid. 152; 1256 Arnoldi (gen) ibid. 160, Arnoldus (nom) ibid. 159; 1401 Arnoldi (gen) HD1401 no. 368, Arnoldo (dat) ibid. no. 43
Latvia
Latin
a1286 Arnoldus (nom) RigSB 2; 1286 Arnoldus (nom) ibid. 4; 1287 Arnoldus (nom) ibid. 505; 1288 Arnoldo (dat) ibid. 333, Arnoldus (nom) ibid. 516; 1289 Arnoldus (nom) ibid. 11; 1291 Arnoldus (dat) ibid. 35; 1292 Arnoldus (nom) ibid. 37; 1293 Arnoldus (nom) ibid. 41; 1294 Arnoldo (dat) ibid. 168, Arnoldus (nom) ibid. 45; 1295 Arnoldus (nom) ibid. 56; 1297 Arnoldus (nom) ibid. 79; 1299 Arnoldo (dat) ibid. 276, Arnoldus (nom) ibid. 85; 1300 Arnoldo (dat) ibid. 412; 1303 Arnoldus (nom) ibid. 373; 1307 Arnoldus (nom) ibid. 112; 1321 Arnoldo (dat) ibid. 295; 1328 Arnoldus (nom) ibid. 116
Middle Low German
1523 Arendt Arbusow p. 99
The Netherlands
Dutch
1560 Arent MagMiddelburg-1560; 1561 Arent ibid.; 1562 Arent ibid.; 1563 Arent ibid.; 1564 Arent ibid.; 1565 Arent ibid.; 1566 Arent ibid.; 1567 Arent ibid.; 1569 Arent ibid.; 1573 Arent ibid.; 1574 Arent ibid., Arents (gen) ibid.; 1575 Arent ibid.; 1576 Arent ibid.; 1577 Aernout ibid., Arent ibid.; 1578 Aernout ibid., Arent ibid.; 1579 Aernout ibid., Arent ibid.; 1580 Arent ibid.; 1581 Arent ibid.; 1582 Arent ibid.; 1583 Arent ibid.; 1584 Arent ibid.; 1585 Arent ibid.; 1586 Arent ibid.; 1587 Arent ibid.; 1588 Arent ibid.; 1589 Arent ibid.; 1590 Arent ibid.; 1591 Arent ibid.; 1592 Arent ibid.
Poland
Latin
1228 Arnoldus (nom) hennes-vol1 p. 81
Spain
Latin
1487 Arnaldi (gen) carbonell p. 11, Arnaldus (nom) ibid. p. 10
Catalan
1510 Arnal valencia1510 4050, Arnau ibid. 3171
Spanish
1495 Arnaut montalvo
Sweden
Latin
1383 Arnoldus (nom) SRA-vol2 no. 1948
Old Swedish
1383 Arend SRA-vol2 no. 1946
Cite as: G. Grim, R. Le Get, J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Arnold". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2015, no. 2. http://dmnes.org/2015/2/name/Arnold.