Norman

Originally rendered as Norðman in Olde English, Norman is an Old Germanic epithet referring first to Scandinavian settlers in pre-10th century England and then later to the Vikings who overtook and settled in Normandy, France. “Norðman” essentially means “North man” signifying the direction from where these people came (i.e., the Scandinavian countries in present day Northern Europe – Denmark, Norway and Sweden). The byname Norðman was also somewhat interchangeable with a “Norwegian” specifically (Norway is the northernmost nation in Scandinavia). The Normans were first identified as an ethnic group after the Viking chieftain Rollo was granted permission to settle in Nuestria in the early 10th century which was then a region of the West Francia kingdom. The Frankish King Charles III allowed Rollo and his fellow invading “North men” to take the land in a peace treaty in exchange for becoming the king’s vassal and aiding the rest of West Francia against further Viking raids. This land would eventually become known as the Duchy of Normandy and Rollo is considered the principality's founder and first ruler. He and the other Norsemen intermixed with the region's native Franks and ultimately became known as the Norman-French. These Northmen would ultimately adopt the Frankish religion (Christianity rather than their native paganism) and the language of the Franks (the Italic language of French rather than their own native Germanic Old Norse language). Rollo was notably the great-great-great-grandfather of William the Conqueror (the dude who conquered all of England in 1066). So there you have it. Norðman was originally an English nickname referring to “men from the north” or “Vikings” but it would later develop into a common medieval forename after the Norman Conquest. Thanks to the Vikings, a Norðman was considered a ruthless plunderer and devious invader; but later became an adjective for one who was admired for other qualities: “fierce, ferocious, fiery, fearless, full-bodied and full of pride”. Stormin’ Norman! The name fell out of circulation in the later Middle Ages but then enjoyed a revival in the 19th century. Today the name is back to being considered old-fashioned and out-of-date. We should also mention, however, that Norman is a fairly familiar Jewish-American surname originating out of present day Russia, Belarus and the Ukraine as Novominsky (but Anglicized to Norman when the families immigrated to America). Perhaps from the Ukrainian element нове (nove) meaning “new” plus the Low German element “minsk” meaning “man” (related to the Yiddish “Mensch”). From this perspective, Norman is an excellent name choice for a “new” Jewish baby boy.