Arthur

English

Etymology

From the name of the legendary king, probably related to old Celtic artos (“bear”).

• Some suggestions for etymology are Celtic ar (“man”) + thor (“strong”) = “hero, or man of strength”, and Welsh arth (“bear”) and ur (“man”). Latin origin has also been suggested.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA: /ˈɑɹθɹ̩/

Proper noun

Arthur

1. A male given name.
   • 1380s-1390s, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales: The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale

     In tholde dayes of the king Arthour, / Of which that Britons speken greet honour, / All was this land fulfild of fayerye.

   • 1596, William Shakespeare, The Life and Death of King John, Act IV: Act IV, Scene II:

     Young Arthur is alive: this hand of mine / Is yet a maiden and an innocent hand, / Not painted with the crimson spots of blood.

   • 1951 Graham Greene, The End of the Affair, Viking Press, page 96:

     “Is his name Arthur?” “Arthur James.” “It’s quite an old-fashioned name.” “We’re an old-fashioned family. His mother was fond of Tennyson.”

2. A patronymic surname.

Usage notes

In continuous use as a given name since early Middle Ages. Popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Derived terms

• Arthurian
• pet forms: Art, Artie, Arty

Related terms

• King Arthur

Translations

male given name

Anglo-Norman: Artus Armenian: Արթուր (hy) (Artʿur) Breton: Arzur Czech: Artur (cs) Danish: Arthur (da) Dutch: Arthur (nl) Esperanto: Arturo (eo) Estonian: Artur (et) Finnish: Artturi (fi) French: Arthur (fr) Old French: Artus German: Arthur (de)

Greek: Αρθούρος  (el) (Arthoúros) Hungarian: Artúr  (hu) Italian: Arturo (it) Japanese: アーサー  (ja) (Āsā) Latvian: Arturs (lv) m., Artūrs (lv) m. Norwegian: Arthur (no) Polish: Artur (pl) Portuguese: Artur (pt) Russian: Артур (ru) Spanish: Arturo (es) Swedish: Artur (sv)

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Danish

Proper noun

Arthur

1. A male given name borrowed from English.

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Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɑrˈtyr/

Etymology

From English.

Proper noun

Arthur

1. A male given name

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French

Proper noun

Arthur

1. A male given name used in France since the Middle Ages.

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German

Alternative forms

• Artur

Proper noun

Arthur

1. A male given name borrowed from English in the 18th century.

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Norwegian

Proper noun

Arthur

1. A male given name borrowed from English in the 19th century.