Name of legend, Arthur was immortalized in the Middle Ages thanks to the famous knights of the round table of Chrétien de Troyes. Its origin would be Celtic and it would mean "bear". Common in the Middle Ages, it disappeared during the Renaissance, to become a great classic since the 1980s. Festival on November 15.
Origin and etymology of the first name Arthur
The first name Arthur would be the modern French form of a Breton name, Arzhur, of uncertain etymology, derived from the word of Celtic origin arzh {arth in Old Breton), which means "bear". The bear was considered by the Celts as the king of animals and was for a long time a royal emblem among the Celts. Latinized in Artorius, Arzhur was declined in Artus, Arthur and in the feminine in Arthurine.
King Arthur of the Knights of the Round Table may be inspired by a 5th-century Britto-Roman officer who led the resistance of the Celts of Britain against Saxon invaders.
Saint Arthur, monk of Glastonbury (England) in the 16th century, refused to recognize Henry VIII as spiritual leader of the Church and was executed by order of the king.
Use and popularity of the first name Arthur
Worn in the Middle Ages by several kings and dukes of Brittany, the first name Arthur became common from the 12th century. medieval ages. Rediscovered by the romantics, it was often used to name fictional characters. Abandoned after the middle of the 20th century, it has been appreciated again since the 1980s, as has its modern version, Artus. This first name has been worn by many personalities of the arts and letters:the authors Arthur Rimbaud Arthur Conan Doyle and Arthur Miller, the Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini and the composer Arthur Honegger...
To go further
- 2000 first names and their history, by Omer Englebert. Albin Michel, 2015.
- The Book of My First Name - Arthur. First, 2017.