Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Reynard m. Proto-Germanic *ragin 'counsel, might' + Old Saxon hard, Old High German hart 'strong, hard'.

The character of Reynard the Fox was an important one in the medieval literary cycles of France, Germany, the Low Countries, and England, thus contributing to the enduring popularity of the name. The name was so closely associated with foxes that the Middle French form ultimately ended up replacing the native word for 'fox' in French.

Austria
Latin
927 Reginhart (nom) UrkStyria 17; 928 Reginhart (nom) ibid. 18; 931 Reginhart (nom) ibid. 20; 1074x1087 Regenhart (nom) ibid. 77, Reinhardus (nom) ibid. 77; c1075 Reginhart (nom) ibid. 78; c1120 Reginhart (nom) ibid. 105
Brabant
Latin
1312 Reynardi (gen) JeanIII p. 37
Czech Republic
Middle High German
1389 Reynhart (nom) Rössler1 118
England
Dutch
1584 Reynardt AuFr Neelen
Walloon
1590/1 Renard RWC p. 15; 1591 Renard ibid. p. 17
France
Latin
519 Ragnardo (nom) CartYonne1 I; c823 Ragenardus (nom) irminon-vol2 5, Palatiolum, Rainardus (nom) ibid. 61b, CE; 969 Rainardus (nom) CartSavII 4; 980 Raynardi (gen) NotSLdN p. 247; c1030 Rainardus (nom) StVdM-II 714; c1040 Rainardus (nom) ibid. 724; 1070 Rainardi (gen) ibid. 740; 1079x1101 Rainardus (nom) CartStPC IX; 1101x1129 Rainardus (nom) ibid. XVI; 1107 Rainardus (nom) ibid. XVII; 1115x1149 Rainardus (gen) ibid. X; a1116 Rainardi (gen) ibid. XX, Rainardo (dat) ibid. XX; 1123 Rainardus (nom) CartYonne1 CXXXIV; 1124 Rainardo (abl) ibid. CXXXVII; 1126 Rainardus (nom) CartStPC IV; 1135 Rainardus (nom) clairvaux-12thc 7; 1147 Rainardus (nom) ibid. 16; 1162 Rainardus (nom) ibid. 39; 1163–64 Reiniardus (nom) ibid. 110; 1164 Reinardus (nom) ibid. 121; 1179 Renardus (nom) ibid. 181; 1273 Renardi (gen) NDParisII 2-XLIII; 1274 Renart (nom) ibid. 2-LV
Old French
1293 Renart (obl) HistHdVParis p. 119; 1296 Renart paris1296 p. 29; 1298 Renard (obl) HistHdVParis p. 141; 1313 Renart Paris1313 p. 164
Germany
Latin
802 Reginhardo (abl) FRA-XXXL 7, Reginhart (nom) ibid. 7; 925 Reginhardo (abl) UrkStyria 14, Reginhart (nom) ibid. 14; 1142 Reinhart (nom) mairhofer I; 1145 Regenhardus (nom) ibid. LXI[XXI]; 1147 Regenhart (nom) ibid. XXVI; 1149 Regenhardus (nom) ibid. XXXV; 1151 Regenhardus (nom) ibid. XXXVI; 1174 Reinardus (nom) quix-vol1 32; 1208 Reinardus (nom) quix-vol2 124; 1237 Reinhardo (abl) hennes-vol1 98, Reinhardus (nom) ibid. 98; 1253 Reynhardi (gen) ibid. 147; 1281 Reinhardus (nom) ibid. 279
1259 Reineke (nom) CDL-1.1.1 XXXI
Early New High German
1360 Reinhart (nom) UrkHess-3 995
Italy
Latin
1237 Reinhardo (dat) TirNot1 587
Italian
1513x1521 Renardo LeoX p. 26
The Netherlands
Latin
793 Reginhardi (gen) OrkGZ no. 14
Slovenia
Latin
1261 Reinhardi (gen) FRA-XXXL 208, Reinhardo (dat) ibid. 208
Spain
Latin
1012 Renardus (nom) CDCB-XV MMCLXXI; 1019 Reinardus (nom) ibid. MMCLXXIV; 1020 Rainard (nom) ibid. MMCLXXV
Cite as: S.L. Uckelman. "Reynard". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2023, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2023/1/name/Reynard.