Archibald

English

Etymology

From Old English Arcebald, Arcenbald or Ercenbald, from Old French Archaunbault, from Proto-West Germanic *Erknabalþ, from *erkn (“pure, holy, genuine, precious”) +‎ *balþ (“strong, bold”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑː(ɹ).t͡ʃɪ.bɔːld/, /ˈɑː(ɹ).t͡ʃɪ.bəld/

Proper noun

Archibald (plural Archibalds)

1. A male given name from the Germanic languages.
2. A surname originating as a patronymic.

Usage notes

• Used as an anglicization of Scottish Gaelic Gilleasbuig (literally “servant of the bishop”), which is also often anglicized as Gillespie.

Quotations

• c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:

  On Holy-rood day, the gallant Hotspur there

  Young Harry Percy, and brave Archibald,

  That ever-valiant and approved Scot,

  At Holmedon met.

Related terms

• Archie

 

Translations

male given name

• Catalan: Arxibald
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 阿奇博爾德／阿奇博尔德 (Āqíbó'ěrdé)

• French: Archambault (fr) m, Archenbaud m, Archibald (fr), Archaimbaud m, Archimbaud m

  Old French: Archaunbault m

• German: Archibald
• Greek: Αρχίβαλδος m (Archívaldos)
• Italian: Arcibaldo (it), Arcimboldo m, Archimboldo m, Arcimbaldo m
• Latin: Archibaldus
• Marathi: आर्चिबल्ड m (ārcibalḍa)
• Old English: Eorcenbald m
• Old High German: Erkanbald, Erkenbald, Erchanbald, Erchimbold
• Portuguese: Arquibaldo m, Arquimbaldo m
• Spanish: Archibaldo m