Herman (name)
Herman is a masculine given name, from an ancient Germanic name consisting of the elements harja- "army" and mann- "man". Hermine is the feminine form of Herman. It is first recorded in the 8th century, in the forms Hariman, Heriman, Hairman, Herman.
| Pronunciation | /ˈhɜːrmən/ |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Germanic languages |
| Meaning | army's man |
| Region of origin | Northern Europe, Western Europe, Central Europe |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Hermann, Armand, Armando, Ermanno, Harmon, Armin |
| Popularity | see popular names |
It regained popularity in the English-speaking world in the 19th century, particularly in the United States amongst German Americans.
Herman remains widely used in Dutch and Scandinavian languages. Variant forms include German Hermann, French Armand, Italian and Iberian Armando, Italian Ermanno.
Herman has also been in use as a German surname since the 16th century.
The name of Arminius, the 1st-century leader of the Cherusci, became identified with the name Hermann in German historiography in the early modern period; thus, Arminius is traditionally known as Hermann der Cheruskerfürst in German. The name of Arminius is in fact from a stem ermen- "strong". The conflation of this element with the name Herman may indeed date to the medieval period, via variant forms such as Ermin, Ermen, Erman, Ermanno, feminine Ermina, Ermana, Hirmina, Hermena.